Back in the 60s, when movie theaters had actual marquees with lettering that needed to be adjusted every week when the picture changed, I often wondered how they handled this movie. Nobody had that many Ms available. I imagine it would be advertised as "Mad X 4 World." Or maybe "MMMM World." The movie would be challenging to theater owners before it even had its first 3 hour plus daily showing.
I remember seeing this a couple of times when I was a kid. I went first with my cousin Bobby and we saw it in some rinky dink theater in Deer Park, Long Island. My plasma screen is bigger. That wass absolutely the wrong way to see "Mad 4 World" which needs to be seen in the most sprawling way possible. And, by the way, that would be the way I would list it if I was doing marquees today.
Sure, this movie is bloated. In its original (and better) length, it comes in at 3 hours plus. Indeed, director Stanley Kramer's first cut of the film was over five hours long. But, "Mad 4 World" has presented me with a very curious phenomenon ever since I saw it in theaters when I was a kid. Whenever I run into it on television, regardless of where they are in the plot, I am instantly hooked. And, I find it impossible to turn it off. Because I wait for the next funny line I know is coming. And then I anticipate the next classic bit of business. And this keeps going and going. It is the cinematic equivalent of potato chips. I may have seen the movie about 10 or 12 complete times. But, I probably have watched some portions of this film about 50 or 60 times.
The comedy is pure slapstick, and Kramer employed virtually every comic actor that was working in Hollywood in 1963. Beyond the 100 or so folks that are billed, there are countless cameos that pop up, from Jerry Lewis to Jack Benny. Back when, if you dabbled in film comedy and didn't get a part in this picture, it was time to fire your agent.
The plot is well known. A bunch of lunatics are on a treasure hunt all over Southern California. Somehow, in the middle of this all, Spencer Tracy leads the charge. At the time, he barely could walk. And you certainly can tell when the stunt double for Tracy steps in. But, who cares? For all the sterling screen work this guy did, I remember him more for "Mad 4 World," especially in those scenes where he is conversing on the phone with his unseen wife, voiced by the nasally Selma Diamond.
Because this movie blends people together so well, there are quite a few actors who I generally hated but loved in this movie only. Milton Berle. Ethel Merman. Dick Shawn. I had no use for them at any other time in their careers. In this movie, I can't do without them. And, then there's young Jonathan Winters, who was just bursting onto the landscape at the time. In this huge cast of over-the-top stars, he steals the movie every time the story meanders back to him. For me, the most classic example is this scene, where he singlehandedly demolishes a gas station run by those two perennial nebbishes, Arnold Stang and Marvin Kaplan.
"Mad 4 World" was the movie that opened the legendary Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, and I wish I had seen it there in its original pristine glory. I used to work with an older guy who attended the movie's NYC opening. He mentioned to me that it was truly a major event. Indeed, during the intermission, you heard police bulletins piped in over the theater loud speakers, updating the audience on the progress of the film's characters. A few years ago, the Dome brought it all back for a few nights, and tried to re-enact the movie's premiere. It was terrific, but I still wish I had been there in November, 1963.
Keep in mind that there are two versions of this movie. After its first run, the movie was cut by about 30 minutes to accommodate more showings in your neighborhood theaters. That is not the version to see. Indeed, about ten years ago, they restored "Mad 4 World" to its original length, although you can certainly tell which shots were added back as their quality pales in comparison. Nevertheless, it is an ideal way to get lost in laughter for 3 hours.
I have. Many, many, many, many times.
Dinner last night: Sausage pizza at CPK.
1 comment:
Ethel Merman, of all people, is the big surprise for me. Who knew she was funny?
Post a Comment