Enter Laughing is a 1967 American comic film and the feature directing debut of Carl Reiner. The screenplay adapts an autobiographical novel and the later stage play of the same name. The story is a light, coming‑of‑age comedy about a young man who decides to pursue acting and the personal and family complications that follow.
Cast
- Jose Ferrer
- Shelley Winters
- Elaine May
- Jack Gilford
- Janet Margolin
- Rob Reiner
- Nancy Kovack
- Michael J. Pollard
- Don Rickles
Production and release
Carl Reiner moved from writing and television into feature films with this project, directing a cast that combined established actors and younger performers. The picture was distributed by Columbia Pictures and released in 1967.
Reception
Contemporary responses to the film were mixed: reviewers often praised individual performances while noting that the tone and pacing did not always sustain the material. Over time the picture has been discussed as an early example of Reiner’s transition into film directing and for introducing several performers who would continue to work in cinema and television.