Hot Dogs for Gauguin is a 1972 short film (22 minutes) directed by Martin Brest.
An English professor named Fletcher drops by the tiny apartment of his photographer friend, a short, rather unkempt young man named Adrian (Danny DeVito). Fletcher's pleasantries about how things are going lead Adrian, a photographer, into a rant about how he on the verge of starving to death, because apparently there's no money in art photography.
With a manic glint in his eye, Adrian then shows Fletcher an iconic photo
◊ of the explosion of The Hindenburg, and talks about how that photographer became famous just because he was at the right place at the right time and snapped a photo at just the right moment. But of course, Adrian can't rely on chance to make him famous, so he has decided to create his own disaster. He will blow the head off the Statue of Liberty, and he'll make sure to take the picture.
This was Martin Brest's student film at NYU, and is his first directing credit. Rhea Perlman made her film debut as the flirty woman on the Staten Island Ferry.
Tropes:
- All for Nothing: Adrian knocks over his camera tripod when he jumps up as Fletcher bursts onto the roof, just as the head of the statue explodes, so he doesn't get his shot.
- Artistic License – History: Maybe Adrian's just misinformed, but Paul Gauguin didn't starve to death. It might have been a heart attack or it might have been laudanum overdose, but it wasn't starvation.
- Can't Hold His Liquor: Fletcher is The Teetotaler and Adrian counts on this, badgering Fletcher into having a drink and getting him to pass out, so Fletcher can't interrupt his scheme.
- Conversation Cut: In the apartment, Adrian tells Fletcher his demented plan and Fletcher can only say "Oh my God!" Then he says "Oh my God" again, but this time he and Adrian are sitting on the front stoop of the building.
- Creator Cameo: Martin Brest appears briefly as the young man sitting next to Rhea Perlman on the ferry. He gives Fletcher a look of contempt.
- Delayed Explosion: The bomb doesn't explode at 12. Then, seconds later, Fletcher bursts through the door to the roof, Adrian jumps up and knocks the camera tripod over—and then the bomb goes off.
- Disturbed Doves: Pigeons in the park are scattered when Fletcher, riding a stolen bike, races back in hopes of stopping Adrian's plan.
- Fake-Out Opening: Fletcher lies in wait for Adrian outside a bodega. He follows Adrian home, then pulls a gun, picks the lock to Adrian's door, and bursts in. Is he a detective come to make an arrest? Nope, he's Adrian's buddy the literature professor. (Why he made such a dramatic entrance is not explained.)
- Here We Go Again!: Adrian, in the depths of despair after failing to get a historic photo, sits on the sidewalk and eats an apple. Then he stands up, turns around, and gets a "Eureka!" Moment. He's outside a travel agency and looking at a poster of the Eiffel Tower. The End.
- Monumental Damage: Adrian hatches a bizarre plot to blow up the head of the Statue of Liberty just so he can get a cool picture. (Since he's a nice crazy person, he times it for a day when the statue is closed for maintenance, and for 12 noon when the workmen are at lunch.) The head explodes, but Adrian misses his shot.
- Record Needle Scratch: Produced In-Universe when Fletcher breaks through Adrian's door and knocks over his turntable, which was playing "Let's Misbehave".
- Starving Artist: Adrian, and apparently it's almost literally true as all that he brings home to eat is an apple and a beer. He says that Paul Gauguin starved to death, and he, Adrian, is about to, so he's taking action.
- Time Bomb: Adrian uses a clock for a time bomb to blow up the head of the Statue of Liberty. It looks cool, but there's also a reason, as he's timing the explosion for 12 noon when the maintenance workers in the statue are on lunch break.
- Where's the Kaboom?: As Fletcher races to stop him, Adrian watches the clock timer hit 12 noon—and nothing happens. He taps the clock and checks the wiring and is still trying to figure out what went wrong when Fletcher bursts through the door onto the roof and the bomb goes off.
