Mondo Hollywood (1967)

Documentary about the social/political/cultural scene in Los Angeles, and especially Hollywood, in the mid to late '60s.

Director:

Robert Carl Cohen

Writer:

Robert Carl Cohen

Stars:

Margaretta Ramsey, Dale Davis, Theodore Charach

Cast

Credited cast:
Margaretta Ramsey	...	Herself
Dale Davis	...	Himself - Surfing Film Producer
Theodore Charach	...	Himself
Ram Dass	...	Himself - Clinical Psychologist (as Richard Alpert)
Valerie Porter	...	Herself - Sculptress
Jay Sebring	...	Himself - Hair Stylist
Carazini	...	Himself - Fire Eater
Rudi Gernreich	...	Herself - Clothes Designer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bobby Beausoleil	...	Himself - Cupid
Rodney Bingenheimer	...	Himself
Jimmy Carl Black	...	Himself
Gypsy Boots	...	Himself
Carol Cole	...	Herself - Princess of the Month
Coleman Francis	...	Himself - Newscast Narration
Carl Franzoni	...	Himself

Storyline

Long considered a cult classic, "Mondo Hollywood" captures the underside of Hollywood by documenting a moment in time (1965-67), when an inquisitive trust in the unknown was paramount, hope for the future was tangible and life was worth living on the fringe. An interior monologue narrative approach is used throughout the film, where each principal person shown not only decided on what they wanted to be filmed doing, but also narrated their own scenes. The film opens with Gypsy Boots (the original hippie vegan - desert hopping blender salesman), and stripper Jennie Lee, working out 'Watusi-style' beneath the 'Hollywood' sign -- leading into the 'sustainable community' insight of Lewis Beach Marvin III, the S&H Green Stamp heir, who lived in a $10 a month garage while owning a mountain retreat in Malibu.

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Plot Keywords:

jayne mansfield | summer of love | independent film

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Taglines:

Outshocks Any Mondo Picture Ever Made!!!!

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1967 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Omega-Cyrano Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 120 min (uncut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Pathé)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bobby Beausoleil was a member of the infamous Charles Manson family, and is serving a life sentence in prison for murder. Fellow cast member Jay Sebring was one of the victims murdered along with Sharon Tate by the Manson family at Tate's Los Angeles home in 1969.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-1970) (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Wedding March"
(uncredited)
Written by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Played at Harriett Scott's wedding

User Reviews

Mondo Hollywood is a fascinating look at the city during the late '60s

Just watched this rare documentary of Tinseltown during the late '60s on fancast.com. With scenes of surfing, political meetings, premieres, and other events common to Hollywood, this film seems to have it all for anyone interested in what it was like there during a time of turbulence. We also go to Universal Studios where Alfred Hitchcock is filming Torn Curtain with Paul Newman and Julie Andrews, go to a luncheon where retired cowboy musical star Gene Autry talks about the Watts riots while Carol Cole-an honoree of some kind who's the late Nat King Cole's daughter and therefore also future star Natalie's sister-listens on. There's also a musician named Bobby Jameson who performs a protest song in front of a rich, middle-aged audience that seems to not really listen to him as they're ignorant of the scathing lyrics. I could mention others but there's so many things going on that this review would just be too confusing to many of you reading this. So I'll just say that Mondo Hollywood was a fascinating time capsule to this writer who was born during this era.