What's Up, Doc? (1972)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers:

Peter Bogdanovich (story)
Buck Henry (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 March 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music | Romance

Tagline:

A screwball comedy. Remember them?

Plot:

Two researchers have come to San Francisco to compete for a research grant in Music. One seems a bit distracted...

Plot Keywords:

Jewel | Hotel | Prehistoric | Spy | Love

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Barbra Streisand	...	Judy Maxwell
Ryan O'Neal	...	Dr. Howard Bannister
Madeline Kahn	...	Eunice Burns
Kenneth Mars	...	Hugh Simon
Austin Pendleton	...	Frederick Larrabee
Michael Murphy	...	Mr. Smith
Philip Roth	...	Mr. Jones (as Phil Roth)
Sorrell Booke	...	Harry
Stefan Gierasch	...	Fritz
Mabel Albertson	...	Mrs. Van Hoskins
Liam Dunn	...	Judge Maxwell
John Hillerman	...	Mr. Kaltenborn
George Morfogen	...	Rudy, the Headwaiter
Graham Jarvis	...	Bailiff
Randy Quaid	...	Professor Hosquith

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M (DVD rating) | Finland:S | Norway:12 | Sweden:Btl | USA:G | West Germany:12 | Australia:G | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

22nd Avenue & Balboa Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Saticoy Productions

Trivia:

When Judy Maxwell first enters the Bristol Hotel, a piano version of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" can be heard in the background. Porter also wrote "You're The Top," the song that begins and ends the movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The fresh concrete that the cars drive through in the chase sequence is obviously only a thin layer (probably less than an inch thick), much too thin to be actual pavement.

Quotes:

Howard: Sir, my name is Howard Bannister and I'm from Ames, Iowa.
Judge Maxwell: No excuse.
Howard: No, sir, it all started when I bumped my head in the taxi... on the way in from the airport.
Judge Maxwell: Are you pleading insanity or amnesia?
Howard: Neither. I went to the drugstore to get something for a headache... the druggist tried to charge me for a radio. She said her husband would pay for it. But I didn't, of course.
Judge Maxwell: Of course.
Howard: She ripped my jacket and when Eunice came along...
Judge Maxwell: Who's Eunice?
Howard: Eunice is my fiancée.
Judge Maxwell: You have a wife AND a fiancée?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy (#6.10)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

You're the Top

Fun Movie - Great Visual Comedy and Memorable Lines

I can't count the number of times that lines from this movie come into mind. There are only a few more movies that do this for me: Arthur, Blazing Saddles, and The Princess Bride are examples and this gives you an idea of the company this film keeps. It is somewhat dated now with the strange fashions and what not but I still enjoy the visual comedy and frenetic pace. It is full of old gags that you can watch over and over. Ryan O'Neal and Barbra Streisand deliver fascinating performances and you will not forget Madeline Kahn as Eunice, the controlling, easily-flustered wife. Even the minor parts are played perfectly such as those of the scheming hotel manager and house detective who plan to steal a guest's diamonds. This is an example of a very simple plot (6 identical travel cases get mixed up) made great by excellent writing, direction, casting, and acting. Share this one with a friend!