IMDb on iPhone and iPod touch Learn more Learn more Download from the App Store
IMDb > Catch-22 (1970)
Catch-22
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips
Photos (see all 40 | slideshow) Videos
Catch-22 (1970) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   9,049 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Joseph Heller (novel)
Buck Henry (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Catch-22 on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 June 1970 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
A man is trying desperately to be certified insane during World War II, so he can stop flying missions. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
User Reviews:
Can a crazy person realize he's crazy? more (104 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
122 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The island of Pianosa actually exists 8 miles south of Elba in the Mediterranean Sea but is very small and could not possibly have supported the military installation depicted. This is pointed out by Joseph Heller as a foreword in the novel. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When 1st Lt. Milo Minderbinder explains to Cathcart his plans to trade blankets to the Italians for fresh eggs, he shows Cathcart an egg. As the two walk along the landing strip, the egg disappears from Milo's hand. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Lt. Col. Korn, XO: [speaking to Yossarian] All you have to do is be our pal.
Colonel Cathcart: Say nice things about us.
Lt. Col. Korn, XO: Tell the folks at home what a good job we're doing. Take our offer Yossarian.
Colonel Cathcart: Either that or a court-martial for desertion.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Office: The Fight (#2.6)" (2005) more
Soundtrack:
Una furtiva lacrima more

FAQ

What does the "22" in the title refer to?
more
35 out of 42 people found the following review useful.
Can a crazy person realize he's crazy?, 26 December 1998
10/10
Author: chaz-18 from kansas

An all-star cast is showcased in this WWII farce centered around a B25 bomber squadron in the Mediterranean.

Alan Arkin shines as Yossarian, a bombadier who realizes the hopelessness of ever completing the number of missions required to be rotated out of harm's way; his commanding officers (Balsam and Henry) are constantly upping the number once anyone gets close. Yossarian decides his best bet is to try for a medical disqualification for flight under the grounds that it's insane to fly these missions, and since he's flying them, he must be insane. But the flight surgeon (Jack Gilford) declares anyone who realizes the insanity of the situation must, by definition, be sane, and therefore must continue to fly.

Lots of interesting side plots, such as War Capitalist Milo Minderbinder's (Jon Voight) excursion into, among other ventures, Egyptian cotton and Natley's (Art Garfunkel) discussions of lasting societies with an old Italian.

Austin Pendleton is perfectly cast as the son-in-law of General Dreedle (Orson Welles), a hulking figure of a man whose personal B25 is equipped with whitewall tires. When the General orders a moaning (after glimpsing the thigh of the General's female assistant) Richard Benjamin to be "taken out and shot", Pendleton's character admonishes him, "Dad! I don't think you can do that!" then whispers why into 'Dad's' ear.

A thoroughly enjoyable movie that may take more than one viewing before all the subtle humor begins to sink in.

Was the above review useful to you?
more (104 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Catch-22 (1970)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Catch 22 lover MissNae74
Most Complex Scene HoodwinkPD
Film's setting is a problem. petekrug17
Which city is it? spajjder
it never explained in the movie how..*spoiler* tinkerchel
I would have liked to have seen more war fighting sequences. deckerrocchi
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Freeway The Ruling Class Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Airplane! Slaughterhouse-Five
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Comedy section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.