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Set up and wrongfully accused, two best friends will be sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit. However, no prison cell could keep them locked in.

Director:

Sidney Poitier
1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Wilder ... Skip Donahue
Richard Pryor ... Harry Monroe
Georg Stanford Brown ... Rory Schultebrand
JoBeth Williams ... Meredith
Miguel Ángel Suárez ... Jesus Ramirez (as Miguelangel Suarez)
Craig T. Nelson ... Deputy Ward Wilson
Barry Corbin ... Warden Walter Beatty
Charles Weldon ... Blade
Nicolas Coster ... Warden Henry Sampson
Joel Brooks ... Len Garber
Jonathan Banks ... Jack Graham
Erland van Lidth ... Grossberger (as Erland Van Lidth De Jeude)
Lewis Van Bergen ... Guard #1
Karmin Murcelo Karmin Murcelo ... Teresa Ramirez
Franklyn Ajaye ... Young Man in Hospital
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Storyline

Skip and Harry are framed for a bank robbery and end up in a western prison. The two eastern boys are having difficulty adjusting to the new life until the warden finds that Skip has a natural talent for riding broncos with the inter-prison rodeo coming up. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor dress up as woodpeckers and get framed for robbing a bank... and when they discover that prison life is for the birds they go... Stir Crazy See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Crime

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was the sixth film that Sidney Poitier directed, but it was the first one in which he also did not star. See more »

Goofs

Bank robbery is not automatically a federal crime. It depends on whether bank is federally insured or not. Also state and feds may agree to allow the state to prosecute depending on circumstances; as an example, state penalty may be more severe than federal. As a retired police detective I've personally investigated numerous bank robberies where the state has been the primary prosecutor. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Skip Donahue: Who needs Hollywood? I hear they're really nuts out there.
[singing]
Skip Donahue: Give me a town like old New York, With lots of trees and clean fresh air, I need a place where love is everywhere, They say I'm Crazy, just a little bit out of whack...
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Alternate Versions

The original 1999 DVD and the current Blu-Ray by Image Entertainment restores bits of footage absent from previous video versions.(the VHS copies were transferred from a slightly damaged 35mm print of the film and the print damage caused this), during the transition from the prison cafeteria to the activity yard in which after Harry is told by Rory that he killed his stepfather by slapping his hand in which Harry takes his hand and pats it lightly a few times and then a shot of the prison yard before cutting to the various outside activities with the inmates. See more »


Soundtracks

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
(uncredited)
Composed by Michael Masser and Randy Goodrum
Produced by Michael Masser
Sung by Kiki Dee
Courtesy of Ariola Records, Ltd.
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User Reviews

 
Pryor and Wilder Behind Bars
1 July 2005 | by EmperorNortonIISee all my reviews

"Stir Crazy" once again brings together the comedic talents of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Here, they play Skip and Harry, two hapless slackers in New York who decide to go west to find their fortunes. On the way, they stop in Arizona, and get framed for a bank robbery. This lands them behind bars. This movie is loaded with screwball comedy, and it shows Gene Wilder at his most manic. His methods at pretending to be insane and keeping his spirit from being broken will elicit the big laughs. It all climaxes with a prison rodeo, and an elaborate breakout scheme. "Stir Crazy" is a comedy classic, and reminds us all of the comedy team of Pryor and Wilder.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 December 1980 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Prison Rodeo See more »

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Tucson, Arizona, USA See more »

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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,691,886, 14 December 1980

Gross USA:

$101,300,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$101,300,000
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures See more »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (theatrical cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »

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