"It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" California locations then and now.

I have yet to get the Criterion release, so I haven't seen this before. I love this kind of thing. It's fascinating to see the familiar locations as they are now! I grew up in Long Beach, so I'm familiar with those, but most of the others I haven't seen in years or not at all.

 

Very cool, funny how some places (urban) have changed a lot while many of the outside the city scenes are still for the most part similar to 50 years ago still!

And the W tree, I larfed out loud.....but sadly.

 

thanks! I really enjoy those Then and Now memories...

 

My kids and I really enjoyed that! Thanks!

 

That video must old by now too. One "now" scene shows a Blockbuster video store. They've all been gone for 2 or 3 years now.

 

I have relatives that live near one of the locations. The next time I visit I wanna find the curve where they all met after Smiler Gorgan kicked the bucket.

 

I'm surprised that there hasn't been a mention of the video James Rolfe (aka Angry Video Game Nerd) made about his search for various locations from the movie. It's a bit more recent (2010 or 2011) and it's a really neat little video, so check it out:

 

Thanks for this!

 

Beautiful. Thanks. I had to laugh at the scene of PCH in Santa Monica with Spencer Tracy scowling.
Precursor of what was to come.
I remember Santa Monica as quiet, clean place that put my NYC child's mind at ease.

 

Love the film. Great casting, production design, art direction, directing and editing!

Fun to see the "then & now."
Thanks.

 

I love these types of screwball, but high quality, comedies from the 60's. Another one that is similar, "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming." In fact I might have expected that they were both directed or produced by the same people. But the only connection I see is Jonathan Winters as an actor, and the screenplay writer, William Rose. (and Jack Davis was the illustrator for the promotional content on both).

 

Just read about a Kickstarter campaign "Memorabilia Book" from a film collector of this Comedy classic.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Book »

 

Very interesting! Thanks for posting.

We get out to Palm Springs/Palm Desert a few times a year, and I like to take 74 on the way back, detouring through Idyllwild back to the 10.

Diana's sister lives in Joshua Tree, so we go through Yucca Valley all the time.

Also get down to LB, SP and PVP frequently.

 

That was ended nearly two years ago. Unsuccessful.

 

They left out Santa Barbara.

 

one of the few movies shot in 70mm!

 

Really cool. Lots of desert still left, but a lot of buildings replaced.

Off topic...the red Dodge (or Plymouth?) convertible going into the ditch right at the 2:20 mark. Holy crap there's no way that stunt driver didn't walk away without a busted nose and concussion after that. Watching his head slam and bounce off the wheel makes me ache!

dan c

 

There was another one of these then/now vids done for the car chase sequence from Bullitt.