What's Up, Doc? (1972)

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers:

Buck Henry (screenplay) and
David Newman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 March 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

A screwball comedy. Remember them?

Plot:

The accidental mix up of four identical plaid overnight bags leads to a series of increasingly wild and wacky situations.

Plot Keywords:

Jewel | Love | Hotel | Mix Up | Spy

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Barbra Streisand	...	Judy Maxwell
Ryan O'Neal	...	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	...	Hotel Manager
George Morfogen	...	Headwaiter
Graham Jarvis	...	Bailiff
Randy Quaid	...	Professor Hosquith
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Arresting Officer
Kevin O'Neal	...	Delivery Boy
Eleanor Zee	...	Banquet Receptionist
Paul Condylis	...	Room Service Waiter
Fred Scheiwiller	...	Jewel Thief
Carl Saxe	...	Jewel Thief
Jack Perkins	...	Jewel Thief
Paul B. Kipilman	...	Druggist
Gil Perkins	...	Jones' Driver
Christa Lang	...	Mrs. Hosquith
Stan Ross	...	Musicologist
Peter Paul Eastman	...	Musicologist
Eric Brotherson	...	Larrabee's Butler
Elaine Partnow	...	Party Guest
George Burrafato	...	Eunice's Cab Driver (as George R. Burrafato)
Jerry Summers	...	Smith's Cab Driver
Mark Thompson	...	Airport Cab Driver (as Mort Thompson)
Don Bexley	...	Skycap (as Donald T. Bexley)
Leonard Lookabaugh	...	Painter on Roof
Candice Bennett	...	Ticket Seller (as Candace Brownell)
Sean Morgan	...	Banquet Official
Patricia O'Neal	...	Lady on Plane
Joe Alfasa	...	Waiter in Hall
Chuck Holison	...	Pizza Cook (as Chuck Hollom)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Byner	...	Man at the Hotel Banquet (uncredited)
Bruce McBroom	...	Man Kissing Mrs. Van Hoskin's Hand in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
William Niven	...	Painter (uncredited)
John Allen Vick	...	Airport Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Bogdanovich

Writing credits
Buck Henry		(screenplay) and
David Newman		(screenplay) &
Robert Benton		(screenplay)
Peter Bogdanovich		(story)

Produced by
Peter Bogdanovich	....	producer
Paul Lewis	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Artie Butler		(uncredited)

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

Film Editing by
Verna Fields

Casting by
Nessa Hyams

Production Design by
Polly Platt

Art Direction by
Herman A. Blumenthal

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin		(as John Austin)

Makeup Department
Don L. Cash	....	makeup artist (as Don Cash)
Lynda Gurasich	....	hair stylist
Fred Williams	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Fred Ahern	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerry Ballew	....	second assistant director
Ray Gosnell Jr.	....	assistant director (as Ray Gosnell)
Doug Morrison	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Robey Cooper	....	prop master
Norman Hawkins	....	construction coordinator
Sal Sommatino	....	assistant prop man
Marty Wunderlich	....	assistant prop man

Sound Department
Les Fresholtz	....	sound
Richard Raguse	....	boom man

Special Effects by
Robert MacDonald	....	special effects

Stunts
Joe Amsler	....	stunts
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunts (as Craig Baxley)
Paul Baxley	....	stunt coordinator
Paul Baxley	....	stunts
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts (as Gerald Brutsche)
Richard E. Butler	....	stunts (as Dick Butler)
Ted Duncan	....	stunts
Patty Elder	....	stunts
Donna Garrett	....	stunts
Ted Grossman	....	stunts (as Ted M. Grossman)
Bob Harris	....	stunts
Bill Hickman	....	stunts
Loren Janes	....	stunts
Dean Jeffries	....	stunts
John Moio	....	stunts (as John Angelo Moio)
Victor Paul	....	stunts
Joe Pronto	....	stunts
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunts (as Glenn H. Randall Jr.)
Ernest Robinson	....	stunts
George Robotham	....	stunts (as George N. Robotham)
Wally Rose	....	stunts
Alex Sharp	....	stunts
Paul Stader	....	stunts
Fred Stromsoe	....	stunts
Jerry Summers	....	stunts
Morton C. Thompson	....	stunts (as Mort Thompson)
Jack Verbois	....	stunts
Bud Walls	....	stunts
Marvin Walters	....	stunts
Richard Washington	....	stunts (as Dick Washington)
Gil Casper	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richmond L. Aguilar	....	gaffer (as Richard Aguilar)
Bobby Byrne	....	camera operator (as Robert Byrne)
Dick Colean	....	assistant cameraman (as Richard Colean)
Robert L. Guthrie	....	assistant cameraman (as Robert Guthrie)
George Hill	....	key grip
Leonard Lookabaugh	....	dolly grip
Aaron Pazanti	....	best boy
Paul Caven	....	electrician (uncredited)
Bruce McBroom	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancy McArdle	....	costume supervisor: women's costumes
Ray Phelps	....	costume supervisor: men's costumes

Editorial Department
William Neel	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Artie Butler	....	conductor
Artie Butler	....	music arranger
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gil Casper	....	driver: insert car
Bud Dawson	....	transportation

Other crew
Neil Canton	....	production aide
Hazel W. Hall	....	script supervisor (as Hazel Hall)
Frank Marshall	....	assistant to producer
Mae Woods	....	director's secretary
Harry Zubrinsky	....	location manager
Joe Amsler	....	stand-in: Ryan O'Neal (uncredited)
Barbara Barrett	....	voice (uncredited)
Carl Combs	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Carole Conn	....	voice (uncredited)
Robert Dulaine	....	voice (uncredited)
Joan Patti	....	voice (uncredited)
Marlene Pinckard	....	voice (uncredited)
Cole Simpson	....	voice (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents) (as Warner Bros. A Warner Communications Company)
• Saticoy Productions (as A Saticoy Production)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros.)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• atlas Film (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1990) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes (uncredited)
• Panavision  photographic equipment (as Panavision®)
• The Golds West Inc.  titles (as The Golds West, Inc.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

2018 California St, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

An early film role of actor Randy Quaid playing Professor Hosquith. Quaid had previously worked with director Peter Bogdanovich in his debut movie in The Last Picture Show (1971).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Throughout the car chase (near the end of the movie), the "Just Married" VW is a post-1967 Beetle. However, it is a pre-1967 Beetle that is later seen floating in San Francisco Bay. This was due to the fact that the first car sank into the bay at the end of the chase scene, necessitating a second car "prop" for the "floating beetle" shot (Ref: Peter B in the DVD commentary).

Quotes:

Judy:I forgot. I forgot to give you this letter. It was under your door when I came back to your room last night.
Howard:Did you open this?
Judy:How else could I have read it?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in By Bogdanovich (2011)

Soundtrack:

Santa Lucia

That's a person named Eunice?

What's Up Doc is one of six movies I use to offset ANY bad mood. I have seen it countless times and still can't keep the suitcases straight.

This film is full of visual humor and one liners; Madeline Kahn screaming and taking on all comers while dragging the doorkeeper across the ballroom floor; the hotel crook using his "charm" to drop Mrs. Van Hoskins in her tracks; Eunice hiding in the bathroom because snakes "live in deathly fear of tile"; the promise of Howard conducting an avalanche in A Flat.

My only regret about this movie is that it began endless failed efforts by television and movie makers to replicate the chase through San Francisco. No one has. That sequence is the best example of humor, timing, backdrop, and action, of the chase genre. It has never been equalled by either serious or comedic directors.

Little mentioned in these reviews are Kenneth Mars and Austin Pendelton, two fantastic character actors who are the emeralds surrounding the diamonds of Streisand and O'Neal in the glorious setting of this jewel.

Thank goodness no one in What's Up Doc knows the meaning of the word "propriety!".