Alice's Restaurant (1969)

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writers:

Arlo Guthrie (song)
Venable Herndon (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 August 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Where the heads of all nations meet

Plot:

A cinematic adaption of Arlo Guthrie's classic song story.

Plot Keywords:

Pottery | Satire | Urination | Hitchhiking | Blizzard

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Arlo Guthrie	...	Arlo Guthrie
Patricia Quinn	...	Alice Brock (as Pat Quinn)
James Broderick	...	Ray Brock
Pete Seeger	...	Himself
Lee Hays	...	Himself - Reverend at Evangelical Meeting
Michael McClanathan	...	Shelly
Geoff Outlaw	...	Roger Crowther
Tina Chen	...	Mari-chan
Kathleen Dabney	...	Karin
William Obanhein	...	Himself - Officer Obie
Seth Allen	...	Evangelist
Monroe Arnold	...	Blueglass
Joseph Boley	...	Woody Guthrie
Vinnette Carroll	...	Draft Clerk
Sylvia Davis	...	Marjorie Guthrie
Simm Landres	...	Private Jacob / Jake
Eulalie Noble	...	Ruth
Louis Beachner	...	Dean
MacIntyre Dixon	...	1st Deconsecration Minister
Arthur Pierce Middleton	...	2nd Deconsecration Minister (as Rev. Dr. Pierce Middleton)
Donald Marye	...	Funeral Director
Shelley Plimpton	...	Reenie
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Group W Sergeant
Ron Weyand	...	Cop #1 (as Ronald Weyand)
Eleanor D. Wilson	...	Landlady (as Eleanor Wilson)
Neil Brooks Cunningham	...	Medic (as Simon Deckard)
Thomas De Wolfe	...	Waiter (as Thomas DeWolfe)
James Hannon	...	Himself (as Judge James Hannon)
Graham Jarvis	...	Music Teacher
John E. Quill	...	Cop #2 (as John Quill)
Frank Simpson	...	Sergeant
Alice Brock	...	Suzy

Directed by
Arthur Penn

Writing credits
Arlo Guthrie		(song The Alice's Restaurant Massacree)
Venable Herndon		(screenplay) and
Arthur Penn		(screenplay)

Produced by
Hillard Elkins	....	producer
Harold Leventhal	....	associate producer
Joseph Manduke	....	producer (as Joe Manduke)

Original Music by
Arlo Guthrie

Cinematography by
Michael Nebbia

Film Editing by
Dede Allen

Production Design by
Warren Clymer

Set Decoration by
John Mortensen

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Irving Buchman	....	makeup artist
Phil Naso	....	hair stylist (as Philip Naso)

Production Management
Willard W. Goodman	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William C. Gerrity	....	first assistant director (as William Gerrity Jr.)
Frank Simpson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Shelly Bartolini	....	scenic artist (as Shelley Bartolini)
Merle Eckert	....	chief carpenter
Thomas Wright	....	property master
Robert Hart	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor
Sanford Rackow	....	sound editor
Abe Seidman	....	sound mixer
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recordist (as Richard Vorisek)
Stephen Fitzstephens	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Milton Olshin	....	process projection

Camera and Electrical Department
Morton Gorowitz	....	gaffer
Victor J. Kemper	....	camera operator (as Victor Kemper)
Charles Kolb	....	key grip
Muky	....	still photographer (as "Muky")
Joseph Di Pasquale	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
George Newman	....	wardrobe supervisor
Marilyn Putnam	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Gerald B. Greenberg	....	associate film editor (as Gerald Greenberg)
Richard Marks	....	assistant editor
Stephen A. Rotter	....	assistant editor (as Stephen Rotter)

Music Department
Fred Hellerman	....	musical director
Garry Sherman	....	composer: additional music
Garry Sherman	....	music arranger
Garry Sherman	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Ed Bowes	....	assistant to production
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Rhona Kane	....	unit publicist
Diane Katz	....	production secretary
Gene Lasko	....	production associate
Bill Liberman	....	assistant to production
Florence Nerlinger	....	assistant to producer
Barbara Rittenberg	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Elkins Entertainment
• Florin

Distributors

• United Artists (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1970) (France) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | USA:GP (edited for re-rating) (1970) | USA:R (original rating) | Australia:M | West Germany:16 (f) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Elkins Entertainment

Trivia:

Although many people regarded Arlo Guthrie's recording of "The Alice's Restaurant Massacree" to be fiction, Arthur Penn, who owns a home in Stockbridge where the story takes place, realized it was for the most part based on events that had actually taken place. Therefore, what appears to be a continuity problem is in fact a correct representation of the facts. The movie portrays the actual photos used as evidence at the trial. The real life "blind judge" in Guthrie's song, "Judge James Hannon", also plays himself (James Hannon) in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When young Reenie takes Arlo back to her room, she removes her shirt but not her skirt, but in the next shot her skirt is gone and she is only in her panties.

Quotes:

Officer Obie:Want your wallets and your belts. Put everything on the desk.
Arlo Guthrie:I can understand you wanting our wallets, so we don't have any money to spend in the cell, but what do you want our belts for?
Officer Obie:Kid, we don't want any hanging.
Arlo Guthrie:[pause] Obie, do you think we're gonna hang ourselves for littering?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

Car-Car Song

End of an era

I bought this film on dvd, not really knowing why, as I didn't much care for it when I was younger. I saw it in the movies and it failed to capture the fun and humour of the song. Looking at it now, especially towards the end, I see it much differently. Maybe Arthur Penn was trying to capture the end of the Hippie era. Alice looks devastated as she watches her world and perhaps her dreams fall apart. Was all the innocence and freedom false? I think this film was before it's time. Regardless, it is probably the best depiction of a hippie "slice-of-life" ever made.