Mickey One (1965)

After incurring the wrath of the mob, a comic flees Detroit for Chicago taking the name "Mickey One." As he returns to the stage and becomes successful, he fears that the mob will track him... See full summary »

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writer:

Alan M. Surgal

Stars:

Warren Beatty, Alexandra Stewart, Hurd Hatfield

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Warren Beatty	...	Mickey One
Alexandra Stewart	...	Jenny Drayton
Hurd Hatfield	...	Ed Castle
Franchot Tone	...	Ruby Lopp
Teddy Hart	...	George Berson
Jeff Corey	...	Larry Fryer
Kamatari Fujiwara	...	The Artist
Donna Michelle	...	The Girl
Ralph Foody	...	Police Captain
Norman Gottschalk	...	The Evangelist
Dick Lucas	...	Employment Agent
Jack Goodman	...	Cafeteria Manager
Jeri Jensen	...	Helen
Charlene Lee	...	The Singer
Benny Dunn	...	Nightclub Comic

Storyline

After incurring the wrath of the mob, a comic flees Detroit for Chicago taking the name "Mickey One." As he returns to the stage and becomes successful, he fears that the mob will track him down. He wishes to square himself with the mob, but doesn't know what he did to anger them or what his debt is.

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Plot Keywords:

debt | mobster | mafia | on the run | stand up comedian | 

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Taglines:

Number One... In Excitement... In Drama... In Suspense...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Acosado

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Florin, Tatira

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

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.

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Quotes

Mickey One: I'm the king of the silent pictures. I'm hiding out till the talkies blow over. Will you leave me alone?

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Connections

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

User Reviews

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)