The Honey Pot 1967
Directed by
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Made by
United Artists
The Honey Pot Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Honey Pot (1967). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Struggling actor William McFly is hired by wealthy eccentric Cecil Fox to serve as his personal secretary for a supposed “practical joke.” Fox invites three former lovers to his Venetian palazzo for a final visit: Lone Star Crockett Sheridan, a Texas millionaire’s widow; Princess Dominique, a fading princess; and Merle McGill, a once-bright movie star. Accompanying Mrs. Sheridan is her nurse, Sarah Watkins. Each woman brings a valuable timepiece as a gift: Sheridan’s is an elaborate porcelain antique; Merle’s is a large quartz block with clock faces telling global time; and the princess’s gift, an heirloom hourglass, is said to be filled with precious gold powder.
McFly quickly recognizes that the setup mirrors Ben Jonson’s 17th-century play Volpone, in which a swindler feigns a dying state to dupe three men who hope to inherit his fortune, each offering luxurious gifts. A former law student, McFly begins to suspect the motives behind the “practical joke” and questions how his own role might carry legal liability.
The three women size each other up. Sheridan boldly asserts that the others might as well go home, as she is Fox’s common-law wife and stands to inherit nothing. Yet when Sarah returns from a late-night date with McFly—during which he left her alone at a restaurant for over an hour to make an important phone inquiry—she finds Sheridan dead from an overdose of sleeping pills, an apparent suicide. Police Inspector Rizzi investigates.
Sarah knows the pills were placebos—harmless fakes. McFly has already revealed to Sarah that Fox is orchestrating the charade, and that the final joke is the reading of the will, empowering McFly to choose the heir. Proof positive are several quarters from Sheridan’s missing roll of change that Sarah found in McFly’s room, though she suspects McFly’s innocence and Fox’s guilt. When Sarah confronts McFly, he locks her in her room, claiming it is for her own safety. She escapes via a dumbwaiter and warns Fox that she has confronted McFly. However, Fox’s displeased reaction puzzles her, and he sends her back to her room.
The next morning, Fox is found dead. McFly reveals that Fox killed Sheridan. The quarters Sarah found had been taken by Fox—who, driven by greed, had even used petty change—and had been lost to McFly during a poker game. Despite the elegance of his palazzo, Fox was financially ruined. As Sheridan’s common-law husband, Fox had plotted to inherit her enormous fortune. Once McFly had uncovered the truth (and told Sarah), Fox realized he would be arrested for Sheridan’s murder and chose suicide. In a final disdainful act, Fox had shattered the timepieces given to the women. The princess’s hourglass is found empty of its gold dust. Fox had emptied the interiors of all the chocolates, filling them with the gold dust and swallowing the hourglass’s entire contents. The contents, it turns out, were pyrite—fool’s gold. Unheard by the cast, Fox’s spirit lingers as a voiceover, resentful that the princess has cheapened his parting gesture.
The heiress plan unfolds as Sarah whimsically asks McFly to write her name in Fox’s will as the heir to the “worthless” estate, with Inspector Rizzi signing as a witness. After McFly complies, Rizzi compliments him on his “generosity”—while Fox may have been deeply in debt, Sheridan’s vast estate ensures that Sarah will emerge as an incredibly wealthy woman. Sarah then reveals that she intends to marry McFly once he resumes his law studies. Fox’s spirit closes the tale with a defiant, approving nod, acknowledging the clever outcome and the enduring irony of his own scheme.
The Honey Pot Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of The Honey Pot (1967) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Practical joke setup and guests invited
Cecil Fox hires William McFly to pose as his personal secretary for a 'practical joke' and invites three former lovers to his Venetian palazzo. McFly quickly senses the plot nods to Volpone, a dying-man swindle aimed at securing a fortune. The stage is set for a night of performance and peril.
Gifts of luxury timepieces
Each guest presents a lavish timepiece as a gift: Sheridan with a porcelain antique, McGill with a quartz block showing world times, and the Princess with an heirloom hourglass. The offerings symbolize wealth and the power of time in a coming inheritance. Fox uses the gifts to cement his plan to reveal an heir through the will.
McFly recognizes Volpone scheme
As the night progresses, McFly grasps that Fox intends to parody Volpone, using a fake dying man to manipulate potential heirs. He realizes his role as secretary could expose him to legal liability and moral compromise. The awareness tensions the night’s repercussions.
Sheridan's death in the night
After a late-night date, Sheridan dies of an overdose of sleeping pills, an apparent suicide. The mysterious circumstances prompt the arrival of investigators and a widening circle of suspicion. The death anchors the mystery in real consequences rather than theater.
Rizzi begins the investigation
Inspector Rizzi arrives to question the guests and examine the alleged will joke. He probes the relationships among Fox, McFly, and the women, seeking the truth behind the dramatic setup. The investigation introduces legal scrutiny to the unfolding drama.
Sarah learns pills were placebos and the joke's nature
Sarah learns that Sheridan's sleeping pills were placebos and that Fox was orchestrating a charade. McFly had already explained the plan, deepening the sense that the night’s events were driven by greed more than romance. This revelation fuels her resolve to uncover the truth.
Confrontation and lock-in
Sarah confronts McFly about his role; he locks her in her room for her safety, away from the emerging chaos. She escapes via a dumbwaiter and warns Fox that she has spoken with him. The scene underlines the danger and deception surrounding the 'joke'.
Morning discovery: Fox dead and Sheridan's murder explained
The next morning, Fox is found dead. McFly reveals that Fox killed Sheridan to inherit her fortune, and the missing quarters had been taken by Fox and later lost to McFly in a poker game. The investigation shifts from a joke to a real murder inquiry.
Fox's motive and financial ruin exposed
Fox's debt-ridden state is exposed; he mortgaged the palazzo and plotted to sustain himself by Sheridan's wealth. The will-reading becomes a critical device to secure a future for Fox’s supposed heirs while he clings to a failing fantasy of wealth.
Shattered timepieces and fool's gold
Fox shatters the gifts' timepieces; the princess's hourglass is found empty of gold powder. The chocolates' centers are filled with gold dust which Fox had removed, swallowing the contents and leaving pyrite as the visible 'fool's gold.' Rizzi is perplexed by Fox's last actions.
Will reading and Sarah named heir
Sarah asks McFly to write her name into Fox's will as the heir, with Rizzi signing as a witness. The act formalizes the fake fortune in the hands of a clever beneficiary and marks a turning point in the guests’ fortunes. The estate's true wealth shifts toward Sarah.
Marriage plan and future
Sarah declares she will marry McFly and that he must finish his law studies to become a lawyer before they claim the fortune. The couple plans a pragmatic future where love, career, and wealth intersect. The ending hints at a hopeful, if morally complex, future.
Fox's spirit lingers
Unheard by the living, Fox's spirit speaks in a final voiceover, resenting that the princess’s 'fool’s gold' cheapened his grand gesture. The spectral aside reinforces the satire on wealth and manipulation that runs through the story.
The Honey Pot Characters
Explore all characters from The Honey Pot (1967). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
William McFly
An aspiring actor hired to impersonate a secretary, McFly is quick-witted and morally conflicted. He questions the ethics of the joke and the potential legal consequences, while using his wits to navigate Fox’s scheme. His growing skepticism and the romance with Sarah add emotional depth to the intrigue.
Cecil Fox
A wealth-obsessed magnate who stages the 'practical joke' to test his heirs, Fox is calculating, debt-ridden, and morally loose. His vanity and greed push him to manipulate others and to break the bonds of trust within the group. His death and subsequent actions reveal a mind as cunning as it is vain.
Princess Dominique
A noblewoman bearing a valuable hourglass, she embodies aristocratic elegance and a keen sense of others’ motives. Her presence triggers tension among the women and underscores the social stakes of Fox's fortune.
Merle McGill
A fading movie star whose presence highlights the transient nature of fame and the vulnerability of glamorous personas. She arrives with a sense of entitlement, yet her presence heightens tensions and hints at ulterior motives. Her interactions with Fox and McFly illuminate the price of celebrity.
Lone Star Crockett Sheridan
A Texas heiress whose wealth marks her as a major player in the game, she is confident, generous, and wary of rivals. Her marriage to a man known as Sheridan anchors the competition among the women and increases the stakes of the reading of the will.
Sarah Watkins
Fox’s nurse and legal-minded ally, Sarah is observant, loyal, and morally aware. She bridges the line between skepticism and empathy, helping to uncover the truth while navigating her own feelings for McFly. Her actions push the plot toward a resolution in which law and love intersect.
Inspector Rizzi
A diligent inspector investigating Sheridan’s death and Fox’s murder, Rizzi adds a procedural backbone to the story. He probes motives, notices inconsistencies, and pieces together the puzzle as the characters navigate deception. His cool rationality contrasts with the melodrama around the palazzo.
The Honey Pot Settings
Learn where and when The Honey Pot (1967) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
1960s
The events take place in a contemporary 1960s milieu, centered on a cosmopolitan social circle in Venice. Fashion, manners, and social mores of the era ground the story in a modern setting rather than a distant past. While the plot nods to a 17th‑century play, the stakes are about inheritance, deception, and status in the present day.
Location
Venice, Italy
The action largely unfolds in a grand Venetian palazzo owned by the reclusive Cecil Fox. The city’s canals and opulent architecture provide a backdrop of decadence, secrecy, and looming scandal. The palazzo serves as a stage for a modern-day Volpone-inspired scheme, where wealth and reputation are tested by a deadly game.
The Honey Pot Themes
Discover the main themes in The Honey Pot (1967). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Deception & Inheritance
The plot revolves around a dying man’s staged will and a fake funeral, exposing how greed drives manipulation. Fox’s charade drags in three would-be heirs, testing loyalty and revealing each character’s moral limits. McFly’s skepticism keeps the plot grounded, as he weighs legal liability against the schemes’ risks. The tale underscores that wealth and legacy can corrupt intimate bonds.
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Wealth & Status
Gifts become instruments of status and power, with timepieces and precious objects acting as tokens of value. The characters maneuver within social hierarchies, using luxury as both lure and shield. The plot reveals that wealth can be a fragile façade, exposed by debt and vanity. The pursuit of fortune tests loyalty and reveals who truly holds power.
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Theatricality
Volpone’s spirit haunts the plot, turning life into a perpetual performance where everyone wears a mask. The palazzo becomes a stage for a modern satire on appearance, manipulation, and the lure of dramatic fate. The 'will reading' and the 'practical joke' are both acts in a larger play about truth vs. showmanship. Even in death, the characters’ words and gestures resemble a final curtain call.
The Honey Pot Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of The Honey Pot (1967). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In the glittering shadows of a Venetian palazzo, a charismatic millionaire stages an elaborate gathering that feels part soirée, part theatrical ruse. He has summoned three former flames—each a woman of striking pedigree and lingering ambition—to present what he calls a “final visit.” The invitation itself hints at an elegant deception, a game where generosity is measured in exquisite timepieces, from an ornate porcelain antique to a gleaming hour‑glass said to contain a precious secret. The atmosphere is a blend of old‑world opulence and a curious, almost literary absurdity that recalls classic tales of swindlers and their unsuspecting marks.
The story centers on William McFly, a struggling actor who has been hired as the eccentric host’s personal secretary. Though initially drawn in by the promise of a quirky “practical joke,” McFly quickly perceives deeper currents beneath the polished veneer. His sharp mind, honed by former law studies, begins to parse the motives of those around him, sensing that the gathering is less a celebration than a carefully crafted test of greed and loyalty. By his side is Sarah Watkins, a composed nurse who tends to the guests with quiet competence, offering a steady counterpoint to the heightened drama unfolding in the marble halls.
The guest list reads like a tableau of faded glory and lingering power. Lone Star Crockett Sheridan arrives as the widowed daughter of a Texas magnate, her poise masking a keen sense of entitlement. Princess Dominique carries the aura of royalty that has dimmed with time, her presence a reminder of once‑lavish courts now reduced to nostalgic gestures. Merle McGill, a former movie star, still clings to the sparkle of a bygone era, her charm both a weapon and a shield. As these disparate lives intersect beneath gilded chandeliers, the palazzo becomes a stage where wit, ambition, and the allure of inheritance play out in whispered conversations and the ticking of luxurious clocks, promising a tale that balances dark humor with a sophisticated, tension‑laden elegance.
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