Runtime:
I saw the version on the Criterion Blu release that is 197 minutes
long; no that is not a misprint
Directed
by: Stanley Kramer
Starring:
WAY too many to list
From:
MGM
I saw this on Wednesday night after taking a break from movies on Tuesday. I was glad I saw the over 3 hour cut for the first time:
NOTE: The version of the movie I saw was the 197 minute cut from the
2014 Criterion release; this is as close to the roadshow version as can
be possible; some scenes had to be done with still shots as only the
audio and not the film is still around. Other inserted footage was from a
variety of sources, including about 20 seconds that had white kanji
subtitles. It was my first time viewing this 197 minute cut.
What an absurd movie this is. I mean, even in the shorter theatrical cut it was over 2 ½ hours longer and when it went out for roadshow engagements the length was almost an hour longer. As I've heard people say, most comedies should be 90 minutes or shorter and personally, the ones we get in these modern times should follow that rule and also cut out all the dumb improv s*** that ruins jokes and makes the overall product too long. Anyway... this is an epic length comedy shot in Cinerama, although by this point it did not mean the three screen deal but instead the term was used for motion pictures shot in Super Panavision at 2.76:1.
The premise is simple enough: Jimmy Durante is driving on a windy California road like his hair is on fire; he crashes and before literally kicking the bucket before he kicks the bucket, he tells some random motorists who stop & try to help him the location of a lot of money, only it is the location of a park and the exact location was left vague. From there is a mad scramble to find the loot, and the amount of chaos and havoc is insane. Also insane is all the comedic talent that appears in the film, whether in bit parts or substantial roles. No way could I list them all here but the variety is tremendous: people who were around since the silent/vaudeville era like Milton Berle, Buster Keaton, and The Three Stooges... those from the 30's like Joe E. Brown and Eddie “Rochester” Anderson... those that were popular at the time like Don Knotts, Buddy Hackett and Sid Caesar... and those that would later become more famous, like Jonathan Winters, Peter Falk and Norman Fell. There was even a Broadway legend in Ethel Merman, who provided arguably the most memorable character in the picture and was the butt of the final punchline. Of course some of the cast I wish would have appeared for more than just a few seconds but that's just personal preference.
I do understand how this wouldn't be for all tastes; a lot of it is slapstick/physical humor and there is plenty of yelling and screaming from the substantial cast; even for me, at times it was an exhausting three hours plus. Even then, I enjoy this picture because it is constantly over the top with all the slapstick and the calamities the main players stumble into... there are plenty of highlights, from a plane flight gone wrong and getting stuck in a basement to Winters destroying a gas station and discovering that Berle and Terry-Thomas made for a hell of a comedic duo. There's also plenty of big stunts, fistfights, car chases, etc.
A common complaint is that director Stanley Kramer was not great at comedy and it's true; this definitely is not in his wheelhouse. Yet for me it doesn't ruin the picture and at least the film is otherwise well-shot and he was able to juggle many different balls in the air with this large cast and all the big moments that happen and none of those balls dropped to the ground. In the future I'll look at the special features but I can say that the picture and sound on the Blu were great, so it was the expected quality job from Criterion, and if you want to see this beloved movie in its full form, it is a purchase I highly recommend making.
What an absurd movie this is. I mean, even in the shorter theatrical cut it was over 2 ½ hours longer and when it went out for roadshow engagements the length was almost an hour longer. As I've heard people say, most comedies should be 90 minutes or shorter and personally, the ones we get in these modern times should follow that rule and also cut out all the dumb improv s*** that ruins jokes and makes the overall product too long. Anyway... this is an epic length comedy shot in Cinerama, although by this point it did not mean the three screen deal but instead the term was used for motion pictures shot in Super Panavision at 2.76:1.
The premise is simple enough: Jimmy Durante is driving on a windy California road like his hair is on fire; he crashes and before literally kicking the bucket before he kicks the bucket, he tells some random motorists who stop & try to help him the location of a lot of money, only it is the location of a park and the exact location was left vague. From there is a mad scramble to find the loot, and the amount of chaos and havoc is insane. Also insane is all the comedic talent that appears in the film, whether in bit parts or substantial roles. No way could I list them all here but the variety is tremendous: people who were around since the silent/vaudeville era like Milton Berle, Buster Keaton, and The Three Stooges... those from the 30's like Joe E. Brown and Eddie “Rochester” Anderson... those that were popular at the time like Don Knotts, Buddy Hackett and Sid Caesar... and those that would later become more famous, like Jonathan Winters, Peter Falk and Norman Fell. There was even a Broadway legend in Ethel Merman, who provided arguably the most memorable character in the picture and was the butt of the final punchline. Of course some of the cast I wish would have appeared for more than just a few seconds but that's just personal preference.
I do understand how this wouldn't be for all tastes; a lot of it is slapstick/physical humor and there is plenty of yelling and screaming from the substantial cast; even for me, at times it was an exhausting three hours plus. Even then, I enjoy this picture because it is constantly over the top with all the slapstick and the calamities the main players stumble into... there are plenty of highlights, from a plane flight gone wrong and getting stuck in a basement to Winters destroying a gas station and discovering that Berle and Terry-Thomas made for a hell of a comedic duo. There's also plenty of big stunts, fistfights, car chases, etc.
A common complaint is that director Stanley Kramer was not great at comedy and it's true; this definitely is not in his wheelhouse. Yet for me it doesn't ruin the picture and at least the film is otherwise well-shot and he was able to juggle many different balls in the air with this large cast and all the big moments that happen and none of those balls dropped to the ground. In the future I'll look at the special features but I can say that the picture and sound on the Blu were great, so it was the expected quality job from Criterion, and if you want to see this beloved movie in its full form, it is a purchase I highly recommend making.
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