Hanky Panky

Michael Jordon is an ordinary man caught up in events far beyond his control. While riding in a New York taxi, he meets a woman carrying a package she is desperate to pass on. When she is murdered, Michael becomes the prime suspect and is forced to run, pursued by police and by a ruthless figure named Ransom. He is joined by Kate Hellman, who is searching for whoever killed her brother, and together they try to work out what the secret is and who wants it. The chase moves through New York and beyond, including a flight over the Grand Canyon.

Sidney Poitier directed the film, the second of the three features he made, following Stir Crazy in 1980 and preceding Ghost Dad in 1990. Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner play the leads, with Kathleen Quinlan, Richard Widmark, Robert Prosky and Josef Sommer in supporting roles. Henry Rosenbaum and David Taylor wrote the screenplay, and Martin Ransohoff produced.

Hanky Panky was released in June 1982 and runs 103 minutes. Made for a budget of 14 million dollars, it returned about 10 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 5.6 out of 10 from around 3,500 votes, and on TMDB 5.3 out of 10 from a much smaller number of votes. A critics' rating of 5 out of 10 from 12 reviews places it broadly in line with those audience scores.