It was the most audacious idea ever for a movie-four hours long, with two intermissions, a glittering all-star cast, and a world-class moviemaker-produced at a cost completely unheard of for, of all things, a comedy. And not just any comedy, but the comedy to end all comedies.
To make such a film a reality, it would take a director with stature, assurance, and, most importantly, a deal that would effectively allow him to make whatever he wished. A man without fear, a man with a gambling spirit and a go-for-broke attitude. And, as it turned out, a man who had never before directed a comedy.
Covering a span of more than sixty years, this is the incredible story of a movie unlike any other-from inspiration to gestation to funding, casting, production, international release, and, eventually, restoration. A picture so big an equally unique theater, the first of its kind in the world, had to be designed and constructed just to hold it. And then came an improbable afterlife that carried it well into the next century.
The epic comedy that was It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World premiered amid an explosion of hard ticket roadshow attractions, movies with overtures, intermissions, reserved seats, and extravagant running times.
The cast list of Mad World read like a who's who of twentieth century comedic greatness. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Jimmy Durante, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, and Jonathan Winters were among the principals, as were relative civilians Spencer Tracy, Peter Falk, Ethel Merman, and Dorothy Provine. Among those appearing in supporting parts and cameos were Jim Backus, Ben Blue, Joe E. Brown, William Demarest, Andy Devine, Paul Ford, Leo Gorcey, Sterling Holloway, Edward Everett Horton, Don Knotts, Buster Keaton, and The Three Stooges. Minta Durfee Arbuckle, the first wife of silent clown Fatty Arbuckle, worked as an extra on the picture. Jack Benny and Jerry Lewis made their appearances without billing.
The success of such a movie was in no way guaranteed. Now, for the first time, Comedy is a Grim Business tells the whole surprising story of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the three extraordinary people at the creative center of the project, the pitfalls of attempting such a thing, the timing that was critical in making it happen, and the span of events that stretched from 1951 to the year 2014. And it's a lasting tribute to screenwriters William and Tania Rose and producer-director Stanley Kramer that Mad World is still convulsing audiences wherever it is shown.
About the Author :
James Curtis is the author of acclaimed biographies of James Whale, Preston Sturges, W.C. Fields, Spencer Tracy, and Buster Keaton. He has also written "William Cameron Menzies: The Shape of Films to Come" and "Last Man Standing: Mort Sahl and the Birth of Modern Comedy". He and his wife, Kim Geary, are longtime residents of Brea, California.
Review :
"Just shy of 400 pages, Curtis (Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life) delivers a splendid, heavily researched, and jumbo-sized definitive history of the making of the epic-length 1963 all-star comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. After directing serious 'message' pictures like Judgment at Nuremberg, Stanley Kramer decided to make his first comedy. But he wanted a comedy to end all comedies, a modern event picture with an all-star cast and sweeping spectacle. He originally planned it as a four-hour feature with two intermissions... Film buffs will devour the shot-by-shot behind-the-scenes tales, ranging from balancing the egos of more than a dozen comics in leading roles and managing special effects and stunt work to Spencer Tracy's fragile health. VERDICT: Packed with photos and fascinating backstage tales, this impressive recounting of filming Mad World is a film buff's treasure." -- Kevin Howell, Library Journal (starred review)
"Curtis goes behind the scenes of one of the least likely cinematic success stories of the 1960s... With this definitive history, the author tells the unlikely story of how such a monumental project came to be. Readers will meet Kramer, an unlikely choice to helm such a movie, given his reputation for the dramatic 'message picture, ' as well as the remarkable Tania Rose, who served in Britain's Ministry of Information during the Second World War and was the perfect writing partner for her depression-prone husband, Bill. Their quest to juggle the greatest comedy cast of all time proved as madcap and messy as anything that made it on screen... Rich in detail and behind-the-scenes color, the book offers a look at the making of a singular movie and a film industry caught in the midst of a generational transition. A deeply researched and reliably entertaining making-of book about a comedy classic." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Comedy is a Grim Business is a dazzling, meticulous, and detailed account of the making of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. It's also a heartbreaking, humorous, and enlightening story of what the studio put Stanley through to achieve his visionary masterpiece. As his wife of thirty-five years--later in his illustrious career--I always felt that I missed out on most of his creative journey. This fascinating book fulfilled and alleviated that emptiness. I expected a very good book, but not a great book. I was wrong. This is a great book." -- Karen Sharpe-Kramer
"I want to give a shout out and a major plug to my friend Jim Curtis for his great new book on the making of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. I highly recommend the book-especially if you love the movie as I do. It's the entire story of how the film came together, the epic shooting schedule, all the casting stories, the animated titles, the stunt work, and stop motion climax... its various edits and its after-life status as both a massive hit AND a beloved cult film. I can't think of an aspect not covered. As usual for Jim's books, it's beautifully written and a major informational resource." - Jerry Beck
