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Now, why is this supposed to be especially funny in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World? Doesn’t it go without saying that money has a corrupting influence? Yes. It’s so evil, in fact, that there’s something about it that corrupts people in the worst possible way. What is the premise? The same one that made the Lucy Desi Hour episode, Lucy Hunts Uranium, so damned funny–money is the root of all evil. It’s there to set up the premise–and underlying joke–of the entire movie. The next thing the motorists knew, the money would’ve been confiscated as evidence.īecause of this thorny issue, we’re supposed to laugh at Lennie being so short-sighted when he reacts negatively to Melville Crump telling him that the money is “tax free.” However, there’s another and more important reason why Lennie makes a big stink about not paying taxes. If he and the other motorists had reported the money to the IRS, the IRS would’ve notified law enforcement, which would’ve traced the money to the actual crime. Again–why? Because the cash was stolen in a bank robbery for a criminal case that was still open. Now, there is one way to interpret Lennie’s reaction: “What a moron!” Why? Because reporting the money would’ve defeated the purpose of going after it in the first place. “Even businessmen that rob and steal and cheat from people every day! Even they have to pay taxes!” Everyone suddenly throws up their hands and rolls their eyes in exasperation, like, “What is it with this guy?” Instead of Lennie getting the memo, he is absolutely mortified at the implication–that he wouldn’t have to report his money to Uncle Sam.
As Melville Crump puts it, while the other motorists have to split their share of the money amongst themselves as couples and partners, he gets to have his entire cut all by himself. The clue is in one of the earliest scenes of the movie, when the motorists are trying to explain to trucker Lennie Pike (played by Jonathan Winters) why he’s getting a better cut than he thinks he is of the money.
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These faces are as likely to draw blank expressions on today’s viewers as Rudy Vallee and Sarah Bernhardt must have to kids of an earlier generation.Īs valid as the film’s shortcomings, I think there’s another issue that goes a long way in explaining why this movie leaves people cold, one that is sad if not downright tragic. I know older readers don’t want to hear it, but let’s be brutally honest–unless we’re talking about diehard vintage movie and comedy fans, practically no one under the age of, say, maybe 40 knows or cares who Dick Shawn, Marvin Kaplan, Andy Devine, Arnold Stang or Terry-Thomas were. Not only that, many of the stars in the film may have been legends in their time but have all but faded into obscurity. It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World might have been the epitome of hip and jazzy for its time, but much of the comedy was based on hopelessly outdated tropes (the battle-axe mother-in-law, anyone?). It wasn’t until decades later when I learned much to my surprise that many people either don’t care for the movie or outright hate it. Given how lavish and star-studded it was, I always assumed that It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World was a universally beloved comedy classic. Roper! Oh, look! That’s Henry from Alice! Oh, look–it’s Selma from Night Court! Oh, look–it’s Mr.
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For 1960s audiences, it was about spotting current and older comics from the days of radio and silent movies for me, it was trying to spot those TV stars of the 1970s and 80s who had yet to be famous, as in, “Oh, look! It’s Mr. In my case, I got two for the price of one. On top of that, I’m definitely a sucker for the corny “all star” gimmick that was all the rage in the 1960s and 70s, when part of the fun of watching the film was playing “spot the cameo”.
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There was something so cool about seeing all of them in full color at the height of the 1960s Jet Age looking and dressing “modern” (well, by 1960s standards, anyway). Before It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, I had always associated many of the comics and actors in the movie with hokey, dated black and white TV shows and movies from a past that was way before my time. So, why do I love this movie in spite of its shortcomings? First of all, seeing so many legendary 1940s and 50s actors in living color and in a 1960s setting tickled me pink.
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