Editorial Review:

Description:
Spencer Tracy heads a hilariously zany cast that stars Hollywood's greatest comedians (Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas and Jonathan Winters) and features cameo appearances by every joker and jester in the business from DonKnotts and Jerry Lewis to The Three Stooges. Nominated* for 6 OscarsÂ(r), It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is "an explosive motion picture experience" (Variety)! On a winding desert highway, eight vacation-bound motorists share an experience that alters their plansand their lives! After a mysterious stranger divulges the location of a stolen fortune, they each speed off in a mind-bending, car-bashing race for the loot and the most side-splitting laughfest in history.

Amazon.com:
Stanley Kramer's sprawling 1963 comedy about a search for buried treasure by at least a dozen people--all played by well-known entertainers of their day--is the kind of mass comedy that Hollywood hasn't made in many years. (Another example from around the same time is Blake Edwards's The Great Race.) After a number of strangers (including Milton Berle, Jonathan Winters, Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, and others) witness a dying stranger (Jimmy Durante) identify the location of hidden money, a conflict-ridden hunt begins, watched over carefully by a suspicious cop (Spencer Tracy). The ensuing two and a half hours of mayhem has its ups and downs--some bits and performers are certainly funnier than others. But Kramer, who is better known for socially conscious, serious cinema (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?), is in a mood for broad comic characterization, and some of his jokes are so intentionally obvious (Durante literally kicks a bucket when he dies), they'd have a place in Airplane! Watch for lots of cameo appearances, including Jerry Lewis (who had called Kramer and asked him why he hadn't been invited to participate). --Tom Keogh

This is not only a great film, but a DVD of perfect quality! Originally saw this movie in Cinerama at a theater in Kansas City while my class was on our Senior Sneak in 1964!

Average Rating:

Rating: - GREAT FLICK!
This is not only a great film, but a DVD of perfect quality! Originally saw this movie in Cinerama at a theater in Kansas City while my class was on our Senior Sneak in 1964!

Rating: - wild and funny movie
I was at work and we were talking about funny movies my choice was its mad mad mad world. The movie was from so long ago, I was surprised how many people agreed and knew of the movie.

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Rating: - DVD movie review

Saw and thoroughly enjoyed the movie a few years ago. Purchased the DVD for a granddaughter stationed in Germany.

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Rating: - A must see for everyone
This is one of the funniest movies that has ever been made. The who's who of Hollywood during this time era is extrodinary and they are all in this movie. The movie came in excellent condition and arrived right on time. If you want to laugh your fanny off with anyone this is the movie to watch. Suiteable for even the most grumpiest old farts.........

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Rating: - One Of A Kind
There are three versions of It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. A laser disc version in which they "attempted" to restore the original cut footage from the road show release. However, because over the years they treated the cut footage as garbage, the color now looks like garbage. So you have the garbage footage inter-cut with the current release print they're using.

Finally, they came out with a DVD version in 2001. That version had the bonus material that that the laser disc had, only they put it on the flip side of the main movie instead of a second disc (easier to damage). Although the picture quality is okay when compared to laser disc and VHS, it appears to be from the same master and leaves much to be desired when viewed on today's HD televisions. Another problem I've noticed with many MGM DVDs, especially those of UA releases, is that they seem to use any old release print to master their DVDs of older films from. The result is that you see dirt and scratches in the film. One particular MGM/UA DVD that was originally in Cinerama, The Hallelujah Trail, looks like they dragged the film on the floor first. To make matters worse, it was a letterboxed NON-ANAMORPHIC version. When compared to an anamorphic or as some manufacturers call it, "Enhanced for 16:9 televisions" DVD, the anamorphic DVDs have MUCH better resolution than plain letterboxed DVDs. The mystery is that it cost no more to make the anamorphic DVD master, so you have to wonder what they're thinking. While I don't know what they're thinking, I can tell you what the end result has been for me. Just to name two DVDs off hand (not MGM/UA). I bought Field Of Dreams and To Kill A Mockingbird (Universal) when they came out. Both turned out to be letterboxed non-anamorphic. The quality of Mockingbird was pretty poor. Then, a year or two later both were "released" again, however, this time they were anamorphic. And while Mockingbird still wasn't great, it was MUCH better than the original. I think I have at least 12 movies that I had to purchase twice because of this, so I wonder if it's intentional on their part.

The current DVD release is a one sided version that doesn't have the bonus material that the original 2-sided DVD release had. The only thing that was increased is the price. Just like other films that are true classics, Mad World deserves to be restored (assuming that what was used for the current release are really the best elements currently available) just like what was done for Lawerance Of Arabia, My Fair Lady, etc. and released on Blu-ray.

As for the movie itself, let me just say what the original advertising said: "Anyone who's ever been funny is in it", and I will add to it by saying and then some. This is the type of picture that should really be watched in a theatre that is full on a Saturday night. The only other caveat is that it's even funnier if you are familiar with some of the comediennes in the film. That is because somehow, the genius of Stanley Kramer has created a link between what these comediennes were famous for and their roles and appearances in the plot.

The bottom line is that this is one film that's NOT TO BE MISSED.

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