It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writers:

William Rose (story) &
Tania Rose (story)

Release Date:

7 November 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

If ever this mad, mad, mad, mad world needed "It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world" it's now! (1970 re-release)

Plot:

The dying words of a thief spark a madcap cross-country rush to find some treasure.

Plot Keywords:

Race | Desert | Bicycle | Chase | Road

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Capt. C. G. Culpepper
Milton Berle	...	J. Russell Finch
Sid Caesar	...	Melville Crump, DDS
Buddy Hackett	...	Benjy Benjamin
Ethel Merman	...	Mrs. Marcus
Mickey Rooney	...	Ding 'Dingy' Bell
Dick Shawn	...	Sylvester Marcus
Phil Silvers	...	Otto Meyer
Terry-Thomas	...	Lt.Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne
Jonathan Winters	...	Lennie Pike
Edie Adams	...	Monica Crump
Dorothy Provine	...	Emeline Marcus-Finch
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson	...	Second cab driver
Jim Backus	...	Tyler Fitzgerald
Ben Blue	...	Biplane pilot
Joe E. Brown	...	Union official
Alan Carney	...	Police sergeant
Chick Chandler	...	Detective outside Chinese laundromat
Barrie Chase	...	Sylvester's girlfriend
Lloyd Corrigan	...	The Mayor
William Demarest	...	Police Chief Aloysius
Andy Devine	...	Sheriff of Crockett County
Selma Diamond	...	Ginger Culpepper (voice)
Peter Falk	...	Third cab driver
Norman Fell	...	Detective at Grogan's crash site
Paul Ford	...	Col. Wilberforce
Stan Freberg	...	Deputy sheriff
Louise Glenn	...	Billie Sue Culpepper (voice)
Leo Gorcey	...	First cab driver
Sterling Holloway	...	Fire Chief
Marvin Kaplan	...	Irwin
Edward Everett Horton	...	Mr. Dinckler
Buster Keaton	...	Jimmy the Crook
Don Knotts	...	Nervous Motorist
Charles Lane	...	Airport manager
Mike Mazurki	...	Miner
Charles McGraw	...	Lt. Matthews
Cliff Norton	...	Reporter
Zasu Pitts	...	Gertie (switchboard operator)
Carl Reiner	...	Tower controller at Rancho Conejo
Madlyn Rhue	...	Secretary Schwartz
Roy Roberts	...	Policeman outside Irwin & Ray's Garage
Arnold Stang	...	Ray
Nick Stewart	...	Migrant truck driver
Joe DeRita	...	Fireman (as The Three Stooges)
Larry Fine	...	Fireman (as The Three Stooges)
Moe Howard	...	Fireman (as The Three Stooges)
Sammee Tong	...	Chinese laundryman
Jesse White	...	Radio tower operator at Rancho Conejo
Jimmy Durante	...	Smiler Grogan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Benny	...	Man in car in desert (uncredited)
Paul Birch	...	Policeman (uncredited)
John Clarke	...	Helicoper Pilot (uncredited)
Stanley Clements	...	Detective in squad room (uncredited)
Howard Da Silva	...	Airport Officer (uncredited)
Minta Durfee	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	Patrolman / Police radio voice unit F-14 (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Patrolman (uncredited)
Nicholas Georgiade	...	Detective at Grogan's crash site (uncredited)
Stacy Harris	...	Police radio voice unit F-7 (voice) (uncredited)
Don C. Harvey	...	Policeman in helicopter (uncredited)
Bob Hope	...	Passer by in car (uncredited)
Allen Jenkins	...	Police officer (uncredited)
Robert Karnes	...	Police Officer Simmy (uncredited)
Tom Kennedy	...	Traffic cop (uncredited)
Harry Lauter	...	Police dispatcher (uncredited)
Ben Lessy	...	George (steward) (uncredited)
Bobo Lewis	...	Pilot's wife (uncredited)
Jerry Lewis	...	Man who runs over hat (uncredited)
Bob Mazurki	...	Eddie (miner's son) (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Eddie Ryder	...	Air traffic control tower staffer (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Eddie Smith	...	Extra (uncredited)
Doodles Weaver	...	Hardware Store Clerk (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Kramer

Writing credits
William Rose		(story and screenplay) &
Tania Rose		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
Stanley Kramer	....	producer

Original Music by
Ernest Gold

Cinematography by
Ernest Laszlo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Gene Fowler Jr.
Robert C. Jones
Frederic Knudtson

Production Design by
Rudolph Sternad

Art Direction by
Gordon Gurnee

Set Decoration by
Joseph Kish

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas

Makeup Department
George Lane	....	makeup artist
Connie Nichols	....	hair stylist
Lynn F. Reynolds	....	makeup artist (as Lynn Reynolds)
Steven Clensos	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Rolf Miller	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Clem Beauchamp	....	production manager
Adrian Woolery	....	production manager: animation (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Batcheller	....	assistant director
Bert Chervin	....	assistant director
Charles Scott	....	assistant director
Carey Loftin	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Art Cole	....	property master

Sound Department
Walter Elliott	....	sound editor
Roy Granville	....	sound re-recordist
John K. Kean	....	sound engineer (as John Kean)
Clem Portman	....	sound re-recordist
Vinton Vernon	....	sound re-recordist
Glenn E. Anderson	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Richard Portman	....	assistant foley artist (uncredited)
Gordon Sawyer	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Danny Lee	....	special effects
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Linwood G. Dunn	....	photographic effects
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
James B. Gordon	....	photographic effects
Jim Danforth	....	miniature maker (uncredited)
Jim Danforth	....	stop-motion animator (uncredited)
Marcel Delgado	....	miniatures (uncredited)
Willis H. O'Brien	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Carey Loftin	....	stunt supervisor
Max Balchowsky	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
May Boss	....	stunt double (uncredited)
May Boss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard E. Butler	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Couch	....	high wire stunt double: Spencer Tracy (uncredited)
Bill Couch	....	stunt double: Buddy Hackett (uncredited)
Chuck Couch	....	stunt double: Terry-Thomas (uncredited)
Philip Crawford	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	....	stunts (uncredited)
George DeNormand	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Stephanie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Gabourie	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Geary	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunt double: Jonathan Winters (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunt double: Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (uncredited)
Walt La Rue	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunt double: Terry-Thomas (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Mantz	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regis Parton	....	stunt double: Milton Berle (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Perkins	....	stunt double: Jonathan Winters (uncredited)
Janos Prohaska	....	stunt double: Peter Falk (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunt double: Dick Shawn (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carl Saxe	....	stunt double: Sid Caesar (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Shannon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Sharp	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Tallman	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Helen Thurston	....	stunt double: Ethel Merman (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double: Mickey Rooney (uncredited)
Marvin Willens	....	stunt double: Phil Silvers (uncredited)
Marvin Willens	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph Edesa	....	chief gaffer (as Joe Edesa)
Dick Johnson	....	assistant camera (as Richard Johnson)
Martin Kashuk	....	assistant company grip
Hal McAlpin	....	additional photographer (as Hal A. McAlpin)
Irmin Roberts	....	additional photographer (as Irman Roberts)
Morris Rosen	....	company grip
Charles F. Wheeler	....	camera operator (as Charles Wheeler)
James V. King	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Hal McAlpin	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Jack Woolf	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)

Animation Department
Bob Carlson	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Hugh Childs	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Tab Collar	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Art Goodman	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Bernard Gruver	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Oscar Hansson	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Ruth Kissane	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Bror Lansing	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Ed Levitt	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Mary Mathews	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Bill Melendez	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Carl Pederson	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Beverly Robbins	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Charles Smith	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Danny Smith	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Frank Smith	....	animator: titles (uncredited)
Irene Wyman	....	animator: titles (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joe King	....	costume supervisor

Music Department
Mack David	....	lyrics
Art Dunham	....	music editor
The Four Mads	....	musician: dance sequence
Ernest Gold	....	conductor: The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
The Shirelles	....	singers: dance sequence
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
William Brittan	....	music recording engineer (uncredited)
Ernest Gold	....	musician: dance sequence (uncredited)
Robert Helfer	....	music coordinator (uncredited)
Albert Woodbury	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Frank Khoury	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Anne P. Kramer	....	assistant to producer (as Anne Kramer)
Stanley Kramer	....	presenter
Paul Mantz	....	aerial supervisor
Bud Pine	....	production coordinator
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Frank Tallman	....	aerial supervisor
Ivan Volkman	....	assistant to director
Clarence Agress	....	physician: Mr. Silvers (uncredited)
Robert E. Blair	....	dog trainer (uncredited)
William T. Hurtz	....	director: animated title sequence (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Casey Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists Films (1964) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1970) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1995) (Spain) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment España S.A. (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Cosmopol-Filmverleih- und Vertriebs-K.G. (1967) (Austria) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1964) (France) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Film Effects of Hollywood (photographic effects)

Other Companies

• Allen Electric  organ provided by
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Samuel Goldwyn Studios  sound recording
• Solters & Digney  publicity
• Stalmaster-Lister Co.  casting
• The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra  orchestra

Also Known As:

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (USA) (promotional title)
Das Ding (Austria) (reissue title) (West Germany) (reissue title) [de]
Eine total, total verrückte Welt (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Этот безумный, безумный, безумный мир (Soviet Union: Russian title) [ru]
Çilgin dünya (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Einai enas trellos... trellos... trellos kosmos (Greece) [el]
El mundo está loco, loco, loco (Spain) [es]
Hopla, vi lever! (Denmark) [da]
Mieletön, mieletön maailma (Finland) [fi]
Vår helgalna värld (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]

Runtime:

USA:154 min (edited version) | USA:192 min (original version) | USA:174 min (restored video version) | 182 min (Laserdisc version) (extended re-edit)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) (35mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints)

Certification:

USA:G (1970) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 (edited version) | Portugal:M/6 (re-rating) (uncut) | West Germany:12 | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Australia:G | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Finland:K-8 | Spain:T | UK:U | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Casey Productions

Trivia:

On 17 November 1963, the day before the movie opened for the public in New York, there was a much-publicized gala charity premiere benefit at the Cinerama Theater for the Kennedy Child Study Center in New York and the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Institute of Washington. In addition to the stars in attendance, most of President Kennedy's family was there, including his mother, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and brothers Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas five days later.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: The film crew is reflected in the side of the car when Culpeper leaves the police station.

Quotes:

J. Russell Finch: Lets stop arguing please! The only reason were together is because they only had one car. So lets get there, even if we are last.
J. Algernon Hawthorne: Whatever the outcome of the day I shall never forget that you hit me when I wasn't even looking!
J. Russell Finch: [smiling] yeah.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Anpadh (1978)

Soundtrack:

It's a mad mad mad mad world overture

More than the sum of its parts

Often accused of being less than the sum of its parts, "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is one of the most precious gems in filmdom. True, it's far from being the funniest movie ever. Once, when Monty Python was putting a film together, they found that after fifty-odd minutes the audience stopped laughing. Thinking it was the material, they recut it so the latter material came out first. The audience still stopped laughing at fifty-odd minutes, even with what MP assumed the funnier materials backloaded. The fact is, people can only laugh so long.

Even armed with the information that an audience cannot sustain laughter for three hours, "Mad World" is not overwhelmingly funny. Though lots of dialogue is amusing and all the performances are outstanding, but the movie suffers from a common delusion of people outside comedy, as Stanley Kramer was, that the mere vision of cars crashing is somehow funny in itself. One is reminded of the spectacular sequence in "1941" when a ferris wheel breaks loose and rolls off a pier into the ocean. The sequence itself is jaw-dropping and extremely well-done, and not funny for a moment.

The value in "Mad World" is its cast. Most of the big names in comedy in the 1950s and 1960s made it into the cast (Ernie Kovaks, arguably the brightest of the lot, originally cast in the Sid Caesar role, unfortunately died not long before shooting started). The casting of name comics in tiny roles doesn't do them justice: Stan Freberg has nothing to do but watch Andy Devine talk on the telephone; Doodles Weaver is an uncredited "Man Outside Hardware Store"; the Three Stooges merely show up to be recognized; even Jack Benny, in a miniscule role funny merely because he's in it, doesn't have an impact today because too few people remember who he was. Again, some milk their small roles for what they are worth, giving the movie an undercurrent of true humor beyond the principals: Don Knotts, Carl Reiner, Jesse White, Paul Ford, Jim Backus.

"Mad World" is most valuable simply because it is a cross-section of comedy in its day. Although he was talented in many ways, anyone unfamiliar with Phil Silvers will see him in a performance that was the epitome of what he was famous for. Dick Shawn's manic wildness is captured forever in a way that is little seen in his few other films. Terry-Thomas, whose brilliance was too often relegated to obscure British films rarely seen anymore, is a joy to watch and his British tilt provides a variation from Americans who learned their craft in the Catskills and Vaudeville. Jonathan Winters, whom Robin Williams used as a prototype, was the most gifted ad-lib comic of his day and rarely showed up well when he was constrained by a script and a sustained character, but he brings off many of the best laughs in this film, and, with Arnold Stang and Marvin Kaplan the most memorable set piece in the movie. Milton Berle and Micky Rooney both bring lifetimes of stage and screen work to the project, and their input was invaluable.

All the principals (Berle, Caesar, Adams, Rooney, Hackett, Terry-Thomas, Shawn, Silvers, Winters, Anderson, Falk) are good. Even the ones who seem to have been shorted of funny lines, like Edie Adams, and Eddie Anderson, nevertheless come off well. Although they blend well together, there is a subtle fight between them for attention, to steal a scene with a facial expressions (watch Adams' face, for instance, when Caesar drags her away, in front of the "Big W", though you may have to put it on slow-motion) or a bit of business. You can see each of them thinking, at all times. Each gives an intelligent performance, having laboriously hammered out their timing and their business, and they're all thinking, with the clockwork brains the best comedians have. They may not all be funny every minute, but every moment they know what they're doing, crafting better performances than many Oscar-winning serious actors have ever turned in.

Though the movie might be too bloated for the promised three hours' hilarious ride, with too much dependence on, "Hey, there's Edward Everett Horton flicking a switch!" But anyone who loves comedy and its history needs -- deserves -- to see the best in the business of comedy in 1963 interacting with their schtick, especially if they don't mind sitting through -- occasionally mindless -- car chases and crashes.