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IMDbPro

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

  • 19631963
  • GG
  • 3h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
42K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,265
115
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
Watch ’Official Trailer’
Play trailer3:27
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Comedy
A group of motorists witnesses a car crash in the California desert, and after the driver's dying words indicate the location of a hidden stash of loot, they turn against each in a race acro... Read allA group of motorists witnesses a car crash in the California desert, and after the driver's dying words indicate the location of a hidden stash of loot, they turn against each in a race across the state to get to it.A group of motorists witnesses a car crash in the California desert, and after the driver's dying words indicate the location of a hidden stash of loot, they turn against each in a race across the state to get to it.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
42K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,265
115
  • Director
    • Stanley Kramer
  • Writers
    • William Rose(story)
    • Tania Rose(story)
  • Stars
    • Spencer Tracy
    • Milton Berle
    • Ethel Merman
Top credits
  • Director
    • Stanley Kramer
  • Writers
    • William Rose(story)
    • Tania Rose(story)
  • Stars
    • Spencer Tracy
    • Milton Berle
    • Ethel Merman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 432User reviews
    • 71Critic reviews
    • 59Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 3 wins & 10 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 3:27
    Official Trailer

    Photos108

    Jonathan Winters, Ethel Merman, and Dorothy Provine in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    Milton Berle and Terry-Thomas in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    Spencer Tracy in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney, Buddy Hackett, Jonathan Winters, Edie Adams, Sid Caesar, Ethel Merman, Dorothy Provine, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, and Terry-Thomas in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney, Buddy Hackett, Jonathan Winters, Edie Adams, Sid Caesar, Ethel Merman, and Dick Shawn in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    Edie Adams and Sid Caesar in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    Spencer Tracy, Peter Falk, Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney, Buddy Hackett, Jonathan Winters, Edie Adams, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Sid Caesar, Ethel Merman, Dorothy Provine, Dick Shawn, and Phil Silvers in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    Peter Falk, Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney, Buddy Hackett, Jonathan Winters, Edie Adams, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Sid Caesar, Ethel Merman, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, and Terry-Thomas in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    Jonathan Winters and Phil Silvers in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    Mickey Rooney, Buddy Hackett, Edie Adams, and Sid Caesar in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" Ethel Merman, Milton Berle, Terry Thomas. 1963/UA

    Top cast

    Edit
    Spencer Tracy
    Spencer Tracy
    • Capt. T. G. Culpepperas Capt. T. G. Culpepper
    Milton Berle
    Milton Berle
    • J. Russell Finchas J. Russell Finch
    Ethel Merman
    Ethel Merman
    • Mrs. Marcusas Mrs. Marcus
    Mickey Rooney
    Mickey Rooney
    • Ding Bellas Ding Bell
    Sid Caesar
    Sid Caesar
    • Melville Crumpas Melville Crump
    Buddy Hackett
    Buddy Hackett
    • Benjy Benjaminas Benjy Benjamin
    Dick Shawn
    Dick Shawn
    • Sylvester Marcusas Sylvester Marcus
    Phil Silvers
    Phil Silvers
    • Otto Meyeras Otto Meyer
    Terry-Thomas
    Terry-Thomas
    • J. Algernon Hawthorneas J. Algernon Hawthorne
    Jonathan Winters
    Jonathan Winters
    • Lennie Pikeas Lennie Pike
    Edie Adams
    Edie Adams
    • Monica Crumpas Monica Crump
    Dorothy Provine
    Dorothy Provine
    • Emeline Marcus-Finchas Emeline Marcus-Finch
    Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson
    Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson
    • Second Cab Driveras Second Cab Driver
    Jim Backus
    Jim Backus
    • Tyler Fitzgeraldas Tyler Fitzgerald
    Ben Blue
    Ben Blue
    • Biplane Pilotas Biplane Pilot
    Joe E. Brown
    Joe E. Brown
    • Union Officialas Union Official
    Alan Carney
    Alan Carney
    • Police Sergeantas Police Sergeant
    Chick Chandler
    Chick Chandler
    • Policeman Outside Ray & Irwin's Garageas Policeman Outside Ray & Irwin's Garage
    • Director
      • Stanley Kramer
    • Writers
      • William Rose(story) (screenplay)
      • Tania Rose(story) (screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jack Benny's cameo role was originally offered to Stan Laurel, but Laurel turned it down. When his best friend and partner Oliver Hardy died in 1957, he pledged never to perform again. He kept that promise for the rest of his life. By the time this happened, a long shot of the character had already been filmed with a stand-in wearing Laurel's trademark bowler hat. This is why Benny is seen wearing a bowler hat despite never having worn one as part of his regular work.
    • Goofs
      Pike and Sylvester are the last two digging up the money, but some shots of the crowd show Pike standing with them and looking down on himself digging the hole.
    • Quotes

      J. Algernon Hawthorne: I must say, if I had the grievous misfortune to be a citizen of this benighted country, I should be the most hesitant at offering any criticism whatever of any other.

      J. Russell Finch: Wait a minute, are you knocking this country? Are you saying something against America?

      J. Algernon Hawthorne: Against it? I should be positively astounded to hear of anything that could be said FOR it. Why, the whole bloody place is the most unspeakable matriarchy in the whole history of civilization! Look at yourself, and the way your wife and her strumpet of a mother push you through the hoop! As far as I can see, American men have been totally emasculated. They're like slaves! They die like flies from coronary thrombosis, while their women sit under hairdryers, eating chocolates and arranging for every second Tuesday to be some sort of Mother's Day! And this positively infantile preoccupation with bosoms. In all my time in this wretched, godforsaken country, the one thing that has appalled me most of all is this preposterous preoccupation with bosoms. Don't you realize they have become the dominant theme in American culture: in literature, advertising and all fields of entertainment and everything. I'll wager you anything you like: if American women stopped wearing brassieres, your whole national economy would collapse overnight.

    • Crazy credits
      When the globe explodes and credits fall everywhere, the credits of the animators who worked on the title sequence can be seen.
    • Alternate versions
      The MGM lion was never seen in the original film. The movie was made when both Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and United Artists were both still separate - and quite successful - companies, so only the old United Artists logo appeared in the credits.
    • Connections
      Edited into Bass on Titles (1977)
    • Soundtracks
      It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
      (1963) (uncredited)

      Music by Ernest Gold

      Lyrics by Mack David

      Sung by an offscreen chorus during the Overture

      Variations in the score throughout the film

    User reviews432

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Greatest comedy of all time, period.
    I never planned to write a review for this movie, until I took a stroll through the user comments, and was shocked at all the people who think it is.... God help us... overrated. No way. If anything, it is UNDERrated. I see people complaining about the endless shouting, the over the top slapstick, the brashness, the loudness, the length. I can only conclude that these people are a bunch of humorless dorks.

    First of all, you can't just sit down to watch a three hour movie without knowing what you're in for. This is not your typical comedy--this is an EPIC comedy, the first of its kind, that inspired other such epics as "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" and "The Great Race" (which happens to be my favorite comedy--in fact, I'd like to say it's the better movie, but props go to this one for inventing the genre). And I can't speak for everyone else, but this movie leaves me laughing from start to finish.

    Yes, it is very long, but it NEVER has a dull moment. Even if the amazing car stunts aren't particularly funny, you can't tell me they aren't wildly entertaining. I have yet to see an action movie with better car chases than these. And yes, the slapstick is ridiculously over the top, although I can't see how that's a problem (the gas station scene is one of the funniest in movie history, in my opinion). But underneath all the slapstick and shouting, holding the whole movie together, is that incredibly cynical message. It is a movie about kind, decent folks turning into law-breaking lunatics and ruining their lives for the sake of money. The subplot with Spencer Tracey realizing his entire life has been a waste, and then ruining what life he has left, is one of the most tragic story lines I have seen. But it's also pretty darn funny.

    All the critics need to lighten up and see this for the absurd, delirious, hysterical farce it is.

    10/10 stars.
    helpful•332
    71
    • Chromium_5
    • Mar 5, 2005

    FAQ6

    • Who are some of the stars that do a few seconds cameo appearance in this movie?
    • Jimmy Durante references "The Bulls" in regard to the money. What does that mean?
    • Chicago Opening Happened When?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 7, 1963 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Chinese
    • Also known as
      • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
    • Filming locations
      • Portuguese Point, 5500 Palos Verdes Dr. S., Palos Verdes, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Casey Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $9,400,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $46,332,858
    • Gross worldwide
      • $46,332,858
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      3 hours 30 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.76 : 1

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