After viewing a rough cut of the film , Wilder realized to his horror that neither Keller nor Knef could be understood easily , nor did their voices sound very much alike , which was crucial to the film 's plot . He hired German actress Inga Bunsch to dub the dialogue of both women for the film 's English-language release . Keller eventually recorded the voices for both characters in the French version , and Knef did likewise for the German release . Allied Artists dropped its deal to distribute the film after it was screened at a Myasthenia Gravis Foundation benefit in New York City and the audience response was unenthusiastic . The film was picked up by Lorimar Productions , which planned to peddle it to CBS as a television movie . Before the network could agree to the offer , United Artists stepped in . After cutting 12 minutes of the film based on studio recommendations , Wilder previewed the film in Santa Barbara , California . Halfway through it the audience began derisively laughing at all the wrong places . Dejected by the response and despondent from all the problems he had encountered up to this point , the director refused to make any more edits . On May 30 , 1978 , the film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival as part of a retrospective of the director 's work . Afterward , it was released in only a handful of select American and European markets with little fanfare , prompting an insulted Wilder to claim the studio spent " about $ 625 on a marketing campaign . " It was later shown as part of the Cannes Classics section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival
2013 Cannes Film Festival
2013 Cannes Film Festival
Fedora (1978 film)