What’s Up, Doc? (1972) 94 Minutes

October was ushered in with the first Movienight in history to feature a film

that no one but the Selector had seen. *Though the film is Officially registered

as a Nubs pick, Nubby had graciously offered his Selection to long time

Movienight associate Pat Towne. Sadly, Pat’s pick screened for one of the

smallest audiences the Back Yard has seen in quite some time.

With Coolbaugh and Wiener on the road, only Nubs, Tooda, Netti, and Jaja

were there to enjoy the first true screwball comedy ever to grace the Stucco.

The moon was near full and the air was crisp, and though the film’s start was

delayed to allow Nubs to arrive, everyone assembled seemed to enjoy this mad cap adventure.

Pat began his preamble suggesting that the film’s star would likely never again appear at Movienight, and he is probably right. Barbara Streisand’s very presence in this film provoked suggestion that this was a ‘chick flick,’ but those attending strongly disagree with that assertion.

In fact, Pat’s pick provoked debate about the very nature of Movienight’s ‘chick flick’ By-Law. Prior to Pat’s Pick Peter Spoerl texted Tooda to let it be known that he thought the ‘chick flick’ By-Law should be abolished. Absent a quorum of the Crew, that debate has been tabled till we are all next assembled. But it seems clear as our canon grows, the term ‘chick flick’ may need to be more specifically defined.

The great Madeline Kahn made her film debut with this Peter Bogdanovich classic, but she was already familiar to Movienight from her wonderful turn in ‘Blazing Saddles.’ The beleaguered judge, Liam Dunn, another ‘Saddles’ alum, makes his third Movienght appearance since his debut in ‘Papillon.’ Randy Quaid, who debuted in our other prison film, ‘Midnight Express,’ makes his second appearance here. The legendary Ryan O’Neal and Kenneth Mars (best known for ‘Young Frankenstein’) both enter the canon with this pick. Michael Murphy and Austin Pendleton, a favorite teacher of Movienight associate Andy Kottler, round out the list of those making their first appearances.

“I know I'm different, but from now on I'm going to try and be the same.”

Written by: Buck Henry and David Newman & Robert Benton

Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich

BBD Comments:

Boy am I glad Pat got a pick. It is very safe to say that none of the Founding Crew would have ever brought this wonderful film to the Back Yard.

I admit that I had doubts about what we were going to see when I saw Barbara Streisand’s name come up on the screen. She has become such a strident figure in my mind. Her political outspokenness while perhaps admirable, has all but erased any memories of why she became such a super star in the first place. It is easy to understand after watching her in her prime. She is so unique. While hardly the greatest actress I have ever seen, she has such an infectious energy that even if you resist her, she wins in the end. She oscillates between clown and sexpot with such precision that she leaves little question as to how she became so popular. Ryan O’Neal is equally winning as the straight man to all this madness, and his daring leap on to a moving delivery bicycle must still be a source of pride.

For as wonderful as both of the lead’s work is in this film, ‘What’s Up, Doc?’ has two performances that outshine its stars. Namely the masterful work of director Peter Bogdanovich and the gasp inducing brilliance of Stunt Coordinator Paul Baxley.

Bogdanovich first came to my attention when I saw his classic ‘The Last Picture Show’ at the Brattle Theatre as a teenager. ‘What’s Up, Doc?’ is his follow up to that film, and the two could not be more different. Unlike many cinematic tributes to fading forms (Brian De Palma’s Hitchcock tributes come to mind) ‘What’s Up, Doc?’ doesn’t merely pay homage to the screwball comedy, it takes its place alongside ‘It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’ as one of the pinnacles of its genre.

One of the things that elevates this film for a modern viewer is the sheer artistry of its stunt work. From the major car crashes that demonstrate the trouble Judy causes wherever she goes, to the sublime and obligatory plate glass/ladder sequence, the stunt work throughout the film leaves you breathless. The elaborate chase through San Francisco that serves as the film’s climax rivals any “serious” car chase I have ever seen on screen. It is all the more amazing for how rare such stunts are today. The ability to generate stunt set pieces on a computer has allowed us to forget how brilliant these fine craftsmen were at their jobs. The visceral jolt of the acrobatics and mayhem put together for this film is nothing short of awe inspiring.

Pat shared with us a film that none of us had seen, and expand our canon in an unexpected way for the trouble. I only wish Wiener and Coolbaugh had been there, because on paper (Barbara Streisand Movie) this sounds like a much less inspired choice than it was.

Well done, Mr. Towne.

Netti Comments:

Yeah, we all saw Barbara Streisand's name appear. Uh-oh. However, before I stewed in my chair, I thought about my trust of Pat Towne. He's got taste.

I've worked with Pat on many occasions. He was my Master, Dr. Philip Philippovich Preobrazhensky, I was his dog, Sharik in an adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's “Heart of a Dog”, at the Ivan Franco Theatre in Kiev, Ukraine. We were two drunken Chicago sports fans in the back of a cab, in “Hellcab.” I was a young Salvador Dali and he was my father, in “Pathe X.” He was a great supporter of my work in “Go True West.” Our greatest achievement though had to be hanging the lights at Improv Olympic's new space (strangely Pat was never on the ladder).

We've walked in underground churches and catacombs populated by corpses and ascetics. We've eaten authentic borst; we were sexually harassed by the same aging ingenue; and we've stomped our feet in unison, submitting ourselves to a maniacal theatrical guru's punishing methodology in service of becoming a stronger, present performer. I've written stuff for him that he doesn't know about (i'm sure i'm not the only one). So all those experiences with Pat softened the landing of the Babbs-bomb that was dropped on us. In fact, the subsequent film cut loose those experiences into my consciousness from the brambles of my sometimes lazy memory. ‘What's Up, Doc?’ is a live cartoon. The performances are huge, ridiculous, hysterical, and sincere.

Yep...no surprise that came from Pat.

next >

< previous