Mickey One (1965)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writer:

Alan M. Surgal (writer)

Release Date:

27 September 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

...and the name of the game is Mickey!

Plot:

After incurring the wrath of the mob, a comic flees Detroit for Chicago taking the name "Mickey One."...

Plot Keywords:

Debt | Night Club | On The Run | Stand Up Comedian | Jazz

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Warren Beatty	...	Mickey One
Alexandra Stewart	...	Jenny
Hurd Hatfield	...	Castle
Franchot Tone	...	Rudy Lopp
Teddy Hart	...	Berson
Jeff Corey	...	Fryer
Kamatari Fujiwara	...	The Artist
Donna Michelle	...	The Girl
Ralph Foody	...	Police Captain
Norman Gottschalk	...	The Evangelist
Richard Lucas	...	Employment Agent
Jack Goodman	...	Cafe Manager
Jeri Jensen	...	Helen
Charlene Lee	...	The Singer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dick Baker	...	Boss at Shaley's
Gus Christy	...	Bartender
David Crane	...	Art Gallery Patron
Denise Darnell	...	Stripper
Benny Dunn	...	Nightclub Comic
David Eisen	...	Desk Clerk
Tom Erhardt
Michael Fish	...	Italian Restauranteur
Jason Fithian	...	Jake Duffy
Dink Freeman	...	Xanadu M.C.
Boris Gregurevitch	...	Kismet Comic
Bill Koza	...	Art Gallery Patron (as William Koza)
Greg Louis	...	Bartender
Jan Marsh	...	Dancer
James Middleton	...	Iggie
Lew Prentiss	...	Kismet Boss
Earl Sands	...	Bouncer
Robert Sickinger	...	Policeman
Helen Witkowski	...	Landlady

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:Not Rated | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Florin

Trivia:

Location filming was done in Chicago March through May of 1964. The stars stayed at the Astor Towers Hotel during filming. Interiors were shot at Fred Niles Studios which are now Oprah's Harpo Studios. The exterior of the Xanadu night club in the film was the old Gate of Horn folk club at the southeast corner of Dearborn & Chicago. The interior night club scenes were shot in what had been the short-lived "new" Chez Paree at 400 N. Wabash. The film opened in Chicago on October 27, 1965 at the Woods Theater which can be seen in film with the film "The Cardinal" listed on the marquee.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003)

The fact someone had the guts to make such an uncompromising and bizarre film with little to no commercial prospects in the mid-60s is amazing

"Mickey One" is a Hollywood film produced by a major studio starring Warren Beatty and directed by Arthur Penn (before either went on to "Bonnie and Clyde"). Its also one of the most surreal films I've seen, rivaling anything by either David Lynch. Who would've thought? The fact someone had the guts to make such an uncompromising and bizarre film with little to no commercial prospects in the mid-60s is amazing. These kind of existentialist head pictures would've been in vogue for at least another five or ten years in Hollywood. This all makes "Mickey One" incredibly ahead of its time. Its also a fascinating and unique American picture. Its a shame this hasn't been put out yet onto DVD and its one of the most unfortunately overlooked films from a decade that produced many.

This is one of those films that seems to work on its own inner logic. The plot is slightly confusing (set up by an absolutely brilliant montage at the beginning) but the skill put into the project make it all worthwhile. Warren Beatty hasn't made any really good films in a while, but back in his heyday he was one of the best actors working. This is as good as his performance in either "Bonnie & Clyde" or "The Parallax View". The fact that the film is so experimental and yet manages to make his (and Alexandra Stewart's) characters sympathetic amidst the madness and supporting caricatures is no small feat. The interesting thing to wonder at the end is if Mickey's paranoia is justified or not. While the hyper-kinetic style can grow thin occasionally, this is still a daringly original film. I feel this will improve with each viewing. (8/10)