I have seen this movie many many many many times. First time when i was 8 years old with my dad. We went to rent a movie in a Blockbuster. I wanted to rent a He-Man movie (that must have been terrible) but he insisted that i would love It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World so he rented it. I was angry cause i didn’t want to see that old movie and only wanted the He-Man one. Anyway, with bad actitude, i started to watch it and was love at first sight. I laughed so much that i could never forget it and it became one of my favorite movies ever and my favorite comedy ever. I didn’t knew any of those famous actors, just Spencer Tracy and maybe Mickey Rooney. But boy, they made me laugh so much. Every actor and every scene is brilliant. The plot and the madness are incredible. The last time i watched was yesterday with my 4 years old son. He love it. I am 37 years old now and the movie continues to amaze me and made me laught just as the first time i saw it. Is a comedy masterpiece. I didn’t find any dedicated thread about this film so i decide to make one just to share the love for this movie. I know is an old movie but for me is essential and it hasn't grow old. So i invite you to the Santa Rosita Park to find that big, big W! 350.000 dollars? Let’s go!!!
Yup, absolutely love this film. An amazing group of characters in the story, and an amazing cast to play them, (not to mention the cameo performances). I don't know how they got all those actors together at the same time for one film. Of course a couple of them were pretty young at the time, and we're just at the beginning of their career. But hard to imagine this being done today. Superbly written, directed and edited as well. When ever this film is mentioned, I also think of another brilliant comedy from that era, “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming!” If you like one, you should see the other.
I've love it since I was a little kid. I guess I saw Jonathan Winters destroying the gas station and I was sold on it. Watched it on WSBK 38, with the film cropped to hell, naturally (it was the 80's). I was curios why sometimes people spoke but weren't on the screen.... Early 90's here comes double VHS tape with tantalizing "lost footage" restored. Still more footage lost, they said. I dreamed of what the complete film would be like. Finally Criterion served up Robert Harris' restoration job with brought the film back to as close as possible to it's original form. It's interesting viewing... but I think in the end the standard theatrical cut, the one I initially fell in love with, is the best version.
This is the first movie I ever watched. I was about four and a half years old when it was re-released. My parents had me take a nap in the afternoon so I'd be able to stay awake through the whole film. We saw it at the now long gone "V Drive-In" in Vestal, New York. That was a long time ago, and the film is still one of my favorites.
This classic is chock-a-block loaded with hilarious scenes from the greatest cast ever assembled for a comedy film. One of my favourites is early in the movie when they are discussing how the money should be shared. Hysterical. And cheers to the OP for opening his thread with that great shot. It sums the movie up perfectly. What a cast!
I have it on DVD. I loved it when it first came out. I was just a kid. I think it was the first "comedy farce" movie where if you were a comedy star, it was imperative that you made it into the cast of this movie. I think it is also typical of a lot of movies that have an "all star cast", in that it's pretty funny, but it's no "Blazing Saddles". That said, there are a lot of really great scenes in it. Durante was even great until, sadly, he kicked the bucket.
I'm guessing this thread will wind up being lengthy, buy deservedly so. The film is one of my all time favorites, easily in my top 5. I saw it in 1963 as a 13 year old (in Cinerama no less), and to this day it's classic stature to me is well deserved. The main thing is that the entire cast is, today, simply remarkable. Every comedy star in 1963 is in this movie, and watching it now (I believe all of them are no longer with us) is like having a comedy time capsule. Jonathan Winters (who was my favorite comedian my entire life), Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, and on and on are simply great. Plus, Edie Adams is STILL, in this film, the most attractive woman I've ever seen. And the best, for me, is Dick Shawn. Totally out of control ("Don't Bug Me Man...") and simply amazing. Here's the trailer for the Criterion edition, and it shows some of the best clips from the film. People today who are cynical about everything need to see it to remember what is was like to ….just laugh.
Just watching that clip made me want to watch the movie again so I am going to dig it out and do that very thing. And you are so right about Edie Adams. Hey, now!
One of my favorite movies of all time and definitely my favorite comedy. Every performance is a knockout but my two favorites are Jonathan Winters and Sid Caesar. What a great soundtrack as well.
So great to see that are still many people who loves this film. Nowadays, at least in Chile, people don’t talk much about this movie. The people from my generation just remember having see it when they were kids, but just a vague memory. And young kids doesn’t even know it. So many great scenes. Sid Caesar is just amazing, the same with Jonathan Winters and Phil Silvers. All the cast is just amazing. That ending with Ethel Merman falling in the hospital is matbe the greatest ending in the cinema history. Is just hilarious!
There's a similarly themed movie from a few years back called ' Rat Race ' which clearly draws it's ' inspiration ' from our subject film. It's moronic in its stupidity. Nary a laugh to be had and the cast ( including Whoopi Goldberg and Mr Bean ) have absolutely no chemistry between them. Painful to watch. What a difference between this laugh riot and that unbearably dull so-called comedy.
I saw this movie late one night on TV when I was younger before there were hundreds of cable channels and it immediately became one of my all time favorites, it still holds up and was beautifully filmed and acted. I still watch it every year or two and it always cracks me up. Jonathan Winters line about paying taxes always gets to me. Straight up classic.
Beyond the comedy greatness, it's a fantastic time capsule of the cars and roadways of SoCal in the early 60s.
Acquired the Criterion Collection boxset release (Blu-Ray/DVD) after upgrading to Blu-Ray system at home...priceless Comedy Classic film with incredible cast! Check out Barnes & Noble in stores and online through November 2019 for this film boxset and more wonderful film releases @ 50% off...such an ever better deal now too!
I love it. I saw it when it roadshowed originally. It's a shame that original elements for that version no longer exist. The audience went crazy with laughter. It was the first blu-ray I owned before I had a player since the Criterion was dual-format.
It's showing at the Seattle Cinerama this Sunday afternoon. I saw it there last year, absolutely fantastic.
Hi Steve! This is the first time you comment a thread created by me. I feel honored! I would love to read your opinion on this movie Steve! Do you like this film? When did you watch it? Favorite parts. Any stories from your experience would be gold. Big hug from Chile!