8mm Forum: It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (Digest)

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Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 06, 2016, 07:49 PM:

”There’s all this DOUGH! -three hunnert and fifty jeees! It’s under this big dubbayuh…”

It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (Digest)(2x400’ or 1x600’, Color, ‘Scope, Sound, Derann Film Services)

Have you ever gotten the creeping feeling that this thing we call civilization is just a fragile veneer? -that not very deep beneath the surface of each of us a savage is standing wild-eyed, spear in hand, just waiting for his (or her...) moment to break free and sack a village, maybe even our own?

There are a lot of stories like this, both fictional and true, about ordinary people being shipwrecked, snowbound in mountain passes without enough food or finding themselves three weeks after atomic armageddon, where all bets are off as far as respect for others or even one’s own self. To greater and lesser extents we get little hints of this every time a line moves too slowly, electric power fails or they run out of coffee.

It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is one of these stories, but this is not “Lord of The Flies”: it’s a comedy! –so instead of things like cannibalism and murder we get a completely unhinged tale of nicely dressed middle-class people blazing a devastating trail of assault, theft, vandalism, recklessness and generalized mayhem across southern California. Their savages pick up spears because of $350,000 cash that was still missing after a thief (Jimmy Durante) robbed a tuna factory and served his time. He crashed his car and confessed the location to these (until then) solid citizens on his deathbed (…actually a rock). It’s not your typical story: sure, there are protagonists and antagonists, but no good guys, only bad guys and worse guys by the busload!

It’s often called “the epic comedy”. Stanley Kramer sought to round up as many famous comedians as he could and form an on-screen mob. Many did come, for anything from a cameo to a full reign of terror. Jack Benny stops by in his Essex, the Stooges are there to fight a fire, but an aging Stan declined to appear without the not very long deceased Ollie. Some of the greats (Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason) were considered but also didn’t appear. Groucho was planned for the ending, but wanted too much money. Bob Hope was locked out by contractual obligations.

The original cut was three and a half hours! The theatrical cut still two and a half. Derann’s extract version whittles this to a razor-thin 40 minutes!

Derann’s digest edit is what I would call “jumpy”. I’m not sure if it’s better to know the full version or not in this case: characters appear out of nowhere and jump among different vehicles as if Mr. Scott is behind the scenes with his Transporter! I guess it’s fair to say since the story is pretty simple you get the basic idea. Where this suffers is all the subplots! This story starts at a point and ends at a point, but everywhere in-between small sub-groups of characters are traveling their own little journeys of calamity, and a lot of these are either gone entirely or severely lacerated. For example, the Crumps’ (Edie Adams, Sid Caesar) destruction of the hardware store is sadly missing! This choppiness applies mostly to the first reel, which ends when they reach the Big “W”, find the loot and learn the Cops were watching the whole time. The second reel is a lot more intact, all the way from exiting the park to Captain Culpepper (Spencer Tracy) crashing through the pet shop window. This loses points with me for cutting the very last scene at the hospital: Ethel Merman and the banana peel have always brought me a sense of…primitive justice! (-Maybe that’s MY savage!)

This is a ‘Scope print: very, VERY ‘Scope!. The scenes of very reckless driving on dangerous mountain roads shown wide screen are by themselves worth the price of admission!

The color and sharpness are excellent. The sound is mostly too. There are scenes here and there that come across a little muffled sounding, but don’t run back and crank the volume: the next scene’s audio comes back with a vengeance and your neighbors may just wind up standing at their windows!

Many people would (-and should) appreciate this for the army of classic comedians on screen. I also love it for the cars! At this advanced date it pays to remember this movie started life the very same month I did! To me even the newest cars are “old”. What great cars they are too! -back from the days of 19 cent gas when even a coupe the size of an aircraft carrier was very much to be expected. Old car fans beware though, pretty much every vehicle that really becomes involved gets at least creased. –only that neat red VW beetle cabriolet survives completely unscathed! (Where is it now?!)

This edition was later issued by Derann using thinner stock on a single 600 foot reel. As someone who only owns a single anamorphic lens and uses a 600’ projector for scope, I know what I would choose if it actually was a choice. As it is I take the built-in intermission and be glad I have it at all!

[ January 06, 2016, 09:09 PM: Message edited by: Steve Klare ]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on January 07, 2016, 05:37 AM:

The second part of this (and the start on 35mm) was shown at the last Blackpool convention. the Super 8 version stood up very well with the 35mm in terms of colour and sharpness. Brightness, of course was not as good.

Posted by Paul Suchy (Member # 80) on January 07, 2016, 06:48 AM:

Great review, Steve. I have the old 2x400 version and the color is fading. You are right about the second reel (spool); it plays well because it's basically an extract of the final chase sequence. The task of cramming all that plot with as many characters as a Robert Altman film into a 20 minute first reel is a daunting task to say the least. Would a 3x400 be better? How about a 4x400? Considering the chances Derann took on certain titles, I'm surprised that MMW was not released in a feature length version. I prefer the general release version anyway and that's probably what Derann was working with (I think the roadshow version is superfluous and takes too much time to get to the point).

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on January 07, 2016, 06:50 AM:

My print came on two 400 foot reels...with reel one having better color than the slightly faded second reel. And Steve is right---the shots taken from moving vehicles almost gave me the same feeling as when I saw this film when it opened in Cinerama. And yes, the original feature was well over 21/2 hours , not including the intermission. The editors did as good a job as possible. The only disappointments I had : 1. the one little 10 second shot of the Three Stooges as firemen is not there...and 2. The ending with Merman getting her comeuppance is not there. otherwise...not bad. A VERY fast moving digest that at least sets up the situation so that we know why everyone is flying around frantically. It's one of those digests I would not sell. Best if seen on a screen at least 4 feet wide, and best if viewed close enough so that the picture takes up most of your view. Then you really get that sense of exciting motion on the chase scenes. I found myself doing what I did in the theater--actually leaning with each curve and move the cars made. Lots of fun.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on January 30, 2016, 02:26 AM:

very good review steve, i watched our 2 x 400 footer last night, we have the scope edition and so far the colour is fine, very good release on 8, pity as many have said it wasn't an extra 400ft or so but then we could go like that about most condensed version i guess. [Wink]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on January 31, 2016, 06:39 AM:

I forgot to post the Blackpool screen-shots of this here is the Super 8 print (a bit of camera shake due to lower shutter speed:-

And here the 35mm one:-

Faded compared with shots above but very similar overall.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 31, 2016, 08:11 AM:

Full Disclosure:

-My "screen shots" came from Google Images and not from my own screen!

(-mostly for atmospherics!)

I definitely agree another 400 feet would have made this digest twice as good. There are a lot of short scenes missing which would have really gotten to the heart of the story. For example: in the digest Captain Culpepper just shows up at the park to steal the money. If we had not even five minutes more to show him on the phone with hs wife and daughter we'd understand why (maybe even have some sympathy. After all, he started out that day as one of the good guys!).

-at the very least, the scene in the hospital at the very end (two minutes...three?) is a must see. (A bunch of dogs licking Spencer Tracy's face doesn't really feel like a "conclusion"!)

Besides, who wouldn't plunk down another 40 GBP to see the ultimate obnoxious In-Law encounter Justice's Banana Peel!

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on February 01, 2016, 11:18 AM:

Here's the ending I'd like the digest to have!

Peel Away!!!!

I just can't imagine anything in the existing edit I would sacrifice to make this happen. I can't help but wonder if Derann's goal was to fit it all on 2x400' and this great sequence was the last thing to fall to the cutting room floor.

-the reels are pretty full as it stands.

Posted by Del Phillipson (Member # 513) on February 24, 2016, 10:16 AM:

Just managed to pick up the 600" of this, gorgeous colour and booming sound, what a fantastic cutdown, I do agree about the ending though, finishes very abruptly. I love the film and have it on Blu Ray and for those who love this film get it, it's the best quality blu ray I have seen yet, Del.

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