Summary Capsule
Local loonies run all willy-nilly to get some moolah
Andie's Rating: Go for the W!
Andie's Review: Okay, so for the longest time my family has owned this movie because I gave it to my mom for her birthday once because it's one of her favorite movies. I always meant to watch it, but it's two cassettes long and that always seemed that too much time to set aside for a movie. Thankfully, I finally took the time to watch this movie and I'm so glad I did because it's truly a classic comedy of Hollywood.
First off, this is not the type of movie for people who think Tommy Boy is comedic genius. Now, I like Tommy Boy and other movies from that genre, but this is not that type of movie. Mad World's comedy is so much subtler than movies that come out nowadays that I don't know if the average moviegoer today could appreciate it. But if you find yourself a fan of Annie Hall or Some Like it Hot or It Happened One Night, then this is the movie for you.
The premise is that 4 cars of people are traveling down a highway when another car crashes through the guardrail and down a hill. The 4 cars stop and the men all get out and scamper down the hill to see if the driver is okay. The driver, a famous criminal, in his last throes of life, manages to tell them where he's stashed $350,000. It's in a park in Santa Rosita, CA, buried under a big W. The driver dies and the men go back up the hill to their cars and/or their women and discuss what to do. What they end up deciding is that whoever can get to the park and find the money first gets to keep it and so begins this hilarious race.
What makes this movie so funny is all the ridiculous situations these people get themselves into in attempt to get to the money. The modes of transport change about every other scene, from cars and trucks to planes and bicycles and boats, because everything keeps breaking down. The people they encounter along the way don't do much to help them either. Presiding over it all is a the Santa Rosita Police Chief, played by Spencer Tracy, who knows the money is stolen and is hoping these people will lead him right to it.
There are so many humorous moments that I can't even begin to get into it. Some highlights include Mickey Rooney's stint with a passed out airplane pilot and Ethel Merman's entire performance as a nagging mother-in-law. She is a wonderful comedianne. But my favorite scene is when Jonathan Winters singlehandedly destroys a gas station. He is truly gifted in this movie and had me cracking up at every turn.
This is truly a special ensemble comedy, the likes of which we don't see enough of anymore. It stars some giants of the cinema world, from Spencer Tracy and Ethel Merman to Sid Caeser and Phil Silvers to Mickey Rooney and Jonathan Winters to cameos by such legends as The Three Stooges, Don Knotts and, one of my favorite actors, Buster Keaton. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World comes highly recommended for lovers comedy.
 1963 Rated G Action Comedy Director
Starring
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The cameo list includes Jimmy Durante, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita, Joe E. Brown, Buster Keaton, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Jim Backus, 'Anderson, Eddie 'Rochester'', Ben Blue, Alan Carney, Barrie Chase, William Demarest, Devine, Andy, Norman Fell, Paul Ford, Sterling Holloway, Edward Everett Horton, Marvin Kaplan, Don Knotts, Zasu Pitts, Carl Reiner, Madlyn Rhue, Arnold Stang, Jesse White, Peter Falk, Stan Freberg, Chick Chandler, Lloyd Corrigan, Louise Glenn, Leo Gorcey, Charles Lane, Mike Mazurki, Roy Roberts, Cliff Norton, Sammee Tong, Stewart, Nick, Selma Diamond.
Stang broke his arm just days before his scenes were shot; in all shots his arm is forever crooked and held in place by a cast under his uniform.
The Three Stooges cameo as firemen was their last major movie together as the Stooges. Their first movie ever in 1930 was in Soup to Nuts as...firemen.
After Spencer Tracy's credit has been shown, the words "and in alphabetical order" appear, and the next group of credits is assembled below them by animated hands: Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, and Jonathan Winters. But after a moment, the hands reappear to pull out Silvers' credit and move it to the top, then Winters', then Caesar's, and so on until everyone has had had a turn at top billing in the group. The hands then quickly shuffle the credits several more times for good measure, all the time with the "and in alphabetical order" label still in place. The final order is Silvers, Rooney, Berle, Winters, Merman, Hackett, Terry-Thomas, Caesar, Shawn.
The Movie Store!
It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Movie [VHS]
It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Movie [DVD]
It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Soundtrack [CD]
Intermission!
Melville Crump was originally to be played by Ernie Kovacs, but he died in a one-car accident before principal shooting. In real life he was married to Edie Adams, who played Monica Crump.
Peter Falk improvised much of his dialog in the cab scene.
The billboard that the twin-engine Beechcraft flies through was made of thin balsa wood, except for a thicker frame for support. Stunt pilot Frank Tallman had to fly the aircraft directly through the center of the billboard or the thicker frame would shear off a wing. Since the shattered wood would clog and stop both engines, the billboard was built just off the end of the runway at the Chino, CA airport. After flying through the billboard Tallman simply lowered the landing gear and safely touched down on the runway.
The actors were given two huge scripts, one with all the dialogue, the other with the action.
Frank Tallmans other arial stunt in the movie, where he flies through an open-air hangar, was filmed in Santa Rosa, CA. The Hangar is still in use today. People visiting Santa Rosa can tour the Pacific Coast Air Museum, located just yards from the hangar, which has a display devoted to the stunt. [Thanks Ben!]
Official and Not-So-Official Websites
The Whereabouts Of The Big W
Groovy Quotes
Benjy Benjamin: Now look! We've figured it seventeen different ways, and each time we figured it, it was no good, because no matter how we figured it, somebody don't like the way we figured it! So now, there's only one way to figure it. And that is, every man, including the old bag, for himself!
Ding Bell: So good luck and may the best man win!
Benjy Benjamin: Except you lady, may you just drop dead!
Second Cab Driver: Hey what happened to you, some kind of initiation?
Melville Crump: We had an accident. We fell into yellow. Okay?
If you liked this movie, try these:
Some Like it Hot
Annie Hall
It Happened One Night
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