Bales (note the initials), the beleaguered but prankish fire chief of a second-rate skiing town in the Pacific Northwest. The film, helmed by Australian director Fred Schepisi, stars Martin as C.D. Reaching back to Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, screenwriter Steve Martin provided Steve Martin the movie star with a deft and irresistible showcase. The film was a hit, eventually grossing $40 million on a $12 million budget, but for Martin, Roxanne was a deeply personal triumph. Roxanne - which was released on Jwas Martin’s big swing at the rom-com lead, and he made the most of it. And his team up with Lily Tomlin in 1984’s body-sharing comedy All of Me allowed the actor to show off his unparalleled physical comedy skills while acting as a test run for the romantic leading roles Martin was keen to tackle. Herbert Ross’ film of Dennis Potter’s musical-drama hybrid Pennies From Heaven puzzled longtime Martin fans with his daringly unlikable portrayal and divided critics who’d missed the deceptively layered nature of Martin’s comedy.
But Martin increasingly stretched himself. He still made major splashes at the box office in similarly broad, bracingly silly vehicles like 1982’s ingenious Old Hollywood detective pastiche Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid and 1983’s absurdist mad scientist romance The Man With Two Brains. But the restless energy of Martin’s presence onstage and in films like 1979’s The Jerk (which Martin co-wrote) hinted at his ambition.
