Psych-Out (1968)

Director:

Richard Rush

Writers:

E. Hunter Willett (screenplay) &
Betty Ulius (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 March 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Thriller

Tagline:

Hear! "Incense & Peppermints" by the Strawberry Alarm Clock

Plot:

A deaf runaway arrives in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury hippie district looking for her missing brother.

Plot Keywords:

Deaf | Runaway | Hippie | Psychedelic | Criminal

Cast

Susan Strasberg	...	Jenny Davis
Dean Stockwell	...	Dave
Jack Nicholson	...	Stoney
Bruce Dern	...	Steve Davis
Adam Roarke	...	Ben
Max Julien	...	Elwood
Henry Jaglom	...	Warren
Linda Gaye Scott	...	Lynn (as Linda G. Scott)
Mireille Machu	...	Pandora (as I.J. Jefferson)
Tommy Flanders	...	Wesley
Ken Scott	...	Preacher
Garry Marshall	...	Plainclothesman (as Gary Marshall)
Geoffrey Stevens	...	Greg
Susan Bushman	...	Little Girl
John 'Bud' Cardos	...	Thug (as John Cardos)
Madgel Dean	...	The Mother
William Gerrity	...	Little Boy
Bob Kelljan	...	Arthur (as Robert Kelljan)
Gary Kent	...	Thug's Leader
Beatriz Monteil	...	Landlady
Dave Morick		(as David Morick)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimi Hendrix	...	Himself
The Seeds	...	Themselves
The Strawberry Alarm Clock	...	Themselves
William Bonner	...	Thug (uncredited)
Joyce King	...	Woman (uncredited)
Barbara London	...	Sadie (uncredited)
Sky Saxon	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Rush

Writing credits
E. Hunter Willett		(screenplay) &
Betty Ulius		(screenplay)
E. Hunter Willett		(story)
Betty Tusher		screenplay (uncredited)
Betty Tusher		story (uncredited)

Produced by
Dick Clark	....	producer
Norman T. Herman	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Ronald Stein

Cinematography by
László Kovács		(director of photography) (as Laszlo Kovacs)

Film Editing by
Renn Reynolds

Art Direction by
Leon Ericksen

Makeup Department
Rafaelle Patterson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Paul Lewis	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Elliot Schick	....	assistant director

Art Department
Robert Vincent O'Neill	....	property master (as Robert O'Neil)

Sound Department
James Contrares	....	sound boom
Le Roy Robbins	....	mixer (as Leroy Robbins)
Le Roy Robbins	....	recordist (as Leroy Robbins)
James Nelson	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gary Kent	....	special effects

Stunts
Dave Morick	....	stuntman (as David Morick)
John 'Bud' Cardos	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Kent	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Gary Kent	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walter Robles	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richmond L. Aguilar	....	chief electrician (as Aggie Aguilar)
Foster K. Denker	....	electrical grip (as Foster Denker)
Peter Heiser	....	camera operator
Jim Morrissett	....	special lighting effects
Jack Oliver	....	key grip
Bill Pecchi	....	key grip
Frank Ruttencutter	....	camera operator
Peter Sorel	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sara Anderson	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Herb Steinore	....	assistant film editor

Other crew
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	presenter
Joyce King	....	script supervisor
James H. Nicholson	....	presenter
Sheila Scott	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• Dick Clark Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1968) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Distribuidora Internacional de Filmes (DIF) (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Video Ltd. (1990) (UK) (VHS)
• Video Beat (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Beat (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Cinefx  titles and effects
• Edit-Rite  sound effects
• Synchrofilm Inc.  music supervision

Also Known As:

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:Not Rated | West Germany:12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Dick Clark Productions

Trivia:

The movie was meant to perform the same function in relation to The Trip (1967/II). Jack Nicholson had written a script that director Richard Rush thought was too "experimental" for mainstream cinema, so the concept of a 'youth" film based in San Francisco and dealing with flower power and drugs was taken over by other writers and Nicholson did not eventually receive a screen credit for his work, although he took what was essentially the male lead in the picture. But Nicholson wrote the part of Stoney for himself as part of the package.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow" song, the lead guitarist's guitar changes halfway through the song.

Quotes:

Dave:It's all just one big plastic hassle.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wanderlust (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Psych-Out Sanctorum

The Seeds cameo was too short

Most everything people have already said about this movie is how I think about it, too. However, I would like to say for the Seeds fans out there that might try to see the film so they can see the Seeds footage that it's way too brief. I love the Seeds and I wanted desperately to see some closeups of the guys in action. Maybe see some good dancing by Sky or even get a good group shot. I was pretty disappointed to see Sky rocking out to some bad synchronizing on part of the audio engineers. It makes him look like he has no sense of rhythm! And you only get to see him for half seconds at a time. And Daryl Hooper (organist) isn't even shown when the band plays! It spends more time showing Jan Savage's fingers playing guitar than it spends on the any other Seeds shot. Quite a disappointment, especially since there is hardly any footage of this amazing band anywhere. Aside from that, the Strawberry Alarm Clock get great coverage, which is nice.

The plot of the movie is really entertaining as well. But I wonder, why didn't Jenny talk like a deaf person? I guess it's because you're led to believe she really isn't deaf.

Either way, it's a good movie with some good tripping scenes and cool clothes and lines: "Why are you dancing alone?" "I'm not, I'm dancing with everybody!" yikes! that's heavy! haha