New version of "Mad World" out this week? (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Mis-information lives...

Neither Mr. Tracy nor Mr. Demarest had anything to do with "radio calls."

There was never a "legendary" intermission.

There has been no "restoration."

RAH

 

[BruceKimmel]

Thank you, Paul, for confirming what I have always felt at the Dome - that the projection is not perfect. I agree that the colors front and center were vivid and true. And thanks for the clarification on the print - very helpful.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

This is a question for RAH. A couple of years ago, when HTF did a special feature on IAMMMMW, you mentioned that you would have liked to release a special edition of a restored version as a 3-disc set. Given your experiences with Superbit (specifically the Lawrence of Arabia release), how would you like to release the film now?

 

[Rob Ray]

I'll toss out a few thoughts in what I agree is a most fascinating thread:

I saw the print at the Dome twice and thought it looked terrific. A tad dark perhaps and the colors in the credits did not look at all like those on the laserdisc, but I had no complaint. The sound was played a bit too loud but the soundtrack itself was incredible -- rich and clear with full bass and crisp treble. Much better than How the West Was Won a couple of weeks earlier.

Did anyone else recognize Walter Matthau as one of the policemen during the intermission police calls? I'd be willing to bet anything you like that it was he. Another one of the "few surprises" perhaps? Although how big a name was Walter Matthau in 1963, the year he made Charade?

I came home and scanned through the laserdisc immediately afterward and came to the personal opinion that the "general release" cut is far superior to what's on the laserdisc anyway. Pacing is all-important with comedy and the inserted footage on the laserdisc is almost always superfluous. One example of many is where Ethel Merman flags down Jonathan Winters and says something like, "I have a son down near Santa Rosita. He's going to go down there and get it all and you won't get anything. I was going to give you a share for driving us down there, but since you won't help us, forget it." On the laserdisc, Jonathan Winters then turns to Dorothy Provine and asks, "Does she really have a son down there?" and Dorothy Provine assures him that she does. It's padded dialogue that adds nothing but time and kills the pacing. The plot points that are clarified in the longer cut, like collecting the money on bets of whether the group will head south or not, are so minor they aren't worth the time. And actually showing the cops watching Jonathan Winters destroy that gas station from across the road only underlines how silly the whole premise is: these cops are standing by doing nothing while this group of people inflicts far more than merely $350,000 worth of damage to most of Southern California en route to Santa Rosita.

Even at the general release length, I've found audiences are often weary by the film's conclusion. I think it was Mel Brooks who once said that no comedy should go longer than 90 minutes. IAMMMMW supports that view. I would love to know two things: Did Stanley Kramer participate in the general release cutting and which length did he consider his "final cut"?

To end on a more positive note, Ernest Gold's music is a sheer delight. If they ever musicalized this story, they could simply add lyrics to Gold's tuneful music.

 

[Brett_S]

Whoops, posted twice. Could the moderator please delete this one? See below.

 

[Brett_S]

I am an English fan of IAMMMMW and I'm delighted to find such an informative discussion about the film.

IAMMMMW used to be shown regularly on TV in the UK during the '70's and '80's, when I was a kid, always in its edited form and often at Xmas. Many years ago, a friend of mine, who saw the film on its release in '63 and is a big fan, told me about the missing scenes and, ever since, we have been looking forward to a release of the original uncut version. Like many others, I hoped - indeed, expected - this would happen with the release of the DVD.

I was shocked that the UK (Region 2) DVD only contained the cut version of the film, plus a trailer. I now hope to obtain the Region 1 DVD - in spite of the reservations expressed elsewhere (which I understand) - because I would like to see the extra footage, even if it is out of order and not part of the film itself.

However, what I'm sure we all want to see is the full length version, properly restored. I truly hope this will still happen, before it's too late.

Two questions:

1. What's the difference between the '91 VHS release and the '91 LD release, in terms of content?

2. Re the Laserdisc, I'm interested to see this, with some of the extended scenes included within the film itself. Sadly, I was recently outbid for a copy of this, but is it possible to copy from LD to DVD, since I currently only have the latter as a player?

Thanks

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

I have just finished watching IAMMMMW for the first time - this thread really finally prompted me to watch it.

MGM - Please, for crying out loud, get Robert Harris to restore this film. It is a work of comic genius that should and must be preserved.

 

[Rick P]

Have Spielberg and Scorsese been tapped for this?

Your better choice would be Paul Allen (former partner to one Mr Gates), this would be RIGHT up his alley and pocket change for him.

 

[Ric Bagoly]

-"You're really buggin' me out man!"

-"Whattya mean, 'buggin out'?"

-"You need to step off, man!"

-"What is this 'step off' stuff?"

-"Just get out of here, baby!"

-"DON'T call me baby!"

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Really? I didn't know Paul Allen had any interest in film preservation. Who has his phone number?

 

[Mark Evanier]

I haven't heard the intermission calls for some time -- next month will make forty years -- but I'm pretty sure Walter Matthau isn't in there. Most of the voices were done by Lennie Weinrib. (Actually, Lennie says he did ALL of the voices but not having heard that since the film first opened, I'm not prepared to say that's true. He may not have known if they brought someone else in later to record some.)

Lennie can be heard throughout the whole movie dubbing in various voices and yells and such. The two places he is most identifiable are as follows: On the police radio, his is the voice that tells William Demarest that the cabs look like they're chasing Captain Culpeper. Later, in the finale, one of the firemen yells that the fire ladder is overloaded...and that's Lennie's voice dubbed in, too.

Lennie is semi-retired now but he had a pretty impressive career as both an on-camera actor and voiceover artist.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Mark Evanier! Folks, this guy is the bomb! He's been involved directly with some classic cartoons over the years.

Welcome to the Forum, Mark!

Love your website!

Lennie Weinrib = H.R. Pufnstuf correct?

 

[Mark Evanier]

Lennie was indeed the voice of H.R. Pufnstuf and many other characters for Sid and Marty Krofft, as well as many cartoon characters. And there was a time when he did about half the voiceovers in the commercial business.

He also had a great on-camera career and at one time or another was on almost every situation comedy of the sixties. The one people seem to remember him best for was THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, on which he made three appearances -- two as nightclub comedian Jackie Brewster. He also played "Magic Mongo" on one of the Krofft's Saturday morning shows. Very funny man.

He dubbed uncredited voices in hundreds of movies, of which IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD was but one.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Mark,

Welcome aboard!

I think you'll find this place to be
a second home!

 

[Tino]

Hey Ron

How about archiving this excellent thread? IMO, it's the best thread about IAMMMMW ever started here at the HTF.

"He thought dis fella here was his ant!"

 

[Brett_S]

I read on the IMDb site that IAMMMMW was also released as a 241 minute version in the UK. Does anyone here know about this version, what it contained and whether the footage still exists?

 

[TonyD]

Mark Evanier! that name is familiar.

his name has been attached to Sergio Aragones' for along time.
sergio has written for MAD magazine.
he does all those little between panel cartoons, and the GROO THE WARRIOR comic books.
i think that mark was/is the translator for the GROO comic books. very funny comics.
as a long time comic book reader i'm glad to see your name pop up here.

 

[Brian Knolhoff]

As a reformed comic geek, it is my duty to point out that it is actually Groo the Wanderer. ...I'm sure he had a fight or two over the years, though...

Q'apla!
-Brian

 

[TonyD]

ouch, oops yes you are correct, wanderer, not warrior.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

And he's the writer, not the translator (unless you're making a gag about translating Aragones' art into dialogue).

Evanier just put up a handy dandy chart of the running times of the versions of Mad World on his website:

http://www.povonline.com/notes/Notes031.htm