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It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 6.9/10
Reviews Counted: 28
Fresh: 22 | Rotten: 6

It's long, frantic, and stuffed to the gills with comic actors and set pieces -- and that's exactly its charm.

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 1

It's long, frantic, and stuffed to the gills with comic actors and set pieces -- and that's exactly its charm.

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Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 20,663

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Movie Info

With this all-star Cinerama epic, producer/director Stanley Kramer vowed to make "the comedy that would end all comedies." The story begins during a massive traffic jam, caused by reckless driver Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante), who, before (literally) kicking the bucket, cryptically tells the assembled drivers that he's buried a fortune in stolen loot, "under the Big W." The various motorists setting out on a mad scramble include a dentist (Sid Caesar) and his wife (Edie Adams); a henpecked

G, 2 hr. 41 min.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics, Comedy

Directed By: Stanley Kramer

Written By: Tania Rose

In Theaters: Nov 7, 1963 Limited

On DVD: Sep 18, 2001

United Artists

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Trailer & Photos

Cast

Spencer Tracy
Capt. C.G. Culpepper
Milton Berle
J. Russell Finch
Sid Caesar
Melville Crump
Buddy Hackett
Benjy Benjamin
Mickey Rooney
Ding Bell
Ethel Merman
Mrs. Marcus
Phil Silvers
Otto Meyer
Dick Shawn
Sylvester Marcus
Jimmy Durante
Smiler Grogan
Buster Keaton
Jimmy the Crook
Jonathan Winters
Lennie Pike
Edie Adams
Monica Crump
Dorothy Provine
Emmeline Finch
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderso...
Cab Driver
Ben Blue
Airplane Pilot
Alan Carney
Police Sergeant
Barrie Chase
Mrs. Haliburton
William Demarest
Chief of Police
Peter Falk
Cab Driver
Paul Ford
Col. Wilberforce
Leo Gorcey
Cab Driver
Edward Everett Horton
Dinckler
Don Knotts
Nervous Man
Carl Reiner
Tower Control
Andy Devine
Sheriff Mason
Sterling Holloway
Fire Chief
Marvin Kaplan
Irwin
Charles Lane
Airport Manager
Charles McGraw
Lieutenant
Zasu Pitts
Switchboard Operator
Madlyn Rhue
Police Secretary
Arnold Stang
Ray
Jesse White
Radio Tower Operator
Lloyd Corrigan
Mayor
Selma Diamond
Culpeper's Wife
Stan Freberg
Deputy Sheriff
Louise Glenn
Billie Sue
Ben Lessy
George the Steward
Bobo Lewis
Pilot's Wife
Nick Stewart [Nicodemus]
Truck Driver
Sammee Tong
Chinese Laundryman
Norman Fell
Detective
Nicholas Georgiade
Detective
Jim Backus
Tyler Fitzgerald
Paul Birch
Patrolman
Joe E. Brown
Union Official
Chick Chandler
Stanley Clements
Howard Da Silva
Airport Officer
Curly Joe DeRita
Fireman
Minta Durfee
Roy Engel
Larry Fine
Fireman
Don C. Harvey
Helicopter Observer
Moe Howard
Fireman
Allen Jenkins
Police Officer
Harry Lauter
Radio Operator
Mike Mazurki
Sarge
Cliff Norton
Barbara Pepper
Roy Roberts
Eddie Ryder
Tower Radioman
Terry-Thomas
J. Algernon Hawthorne
Doodles Weaver
Salesman
Jerry Lewis
Mad Driver
Tom Kennedy
Traffic Cop
John Zaccaro

Critic Reviews for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

All Critics (29) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (25) | Rotten (6) | DVD (14)

Stanley Kramer strikes out again with this elephantine 1963 attempt at uproarious comedy.

November 7, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comments (3)

Don Druker

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

The comic competition is so keen that it is impossible to single out any one participant as outstanding.

November 7, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

So many excellent actors and stunt men do so much in this film that it is beyond my space allowance to begin to credit them.

May 9, 2005 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Top Critic

[VIDEO] A classic example of the Screwball Comedy genre.

January 22, 2012 Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com

| Comment

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

What can you say about a comedy where the Three Stooges are the most sedate people on screen?

December 12, 2010 Full Review Source: Film Snobbery

| Comment

Phil Hall

Film Snobbery

It's a long, long, long, long classic comedy chase-epic.

December 8, 2009 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Charles Cassady

Common Sense Media

Spencer Tracy, Sid Caesar, Mickey Rooney and host of good-old-fashioned-comedy chums cram in the action, but miss the laughs in this frantic bank caper comedy.

November 7, 2007 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

This comic extravaganza starts off funny, but exhausts rather than delights.

November 7, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Kramer's 'comedy to end all comedy' stretches its material to snapping point but offers happy hours of star-spotting.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Time Out

This movie defines the words "comic romp."

December 5, 2005 Comment (1)

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Bloated mega-comedy best for its many cameos

February 11, 2005 Comment

Daniel Eagan

Film Journal International

Still the funniest star packed comedy ever.

January 2, 2005 Comment

Steve Crum

Kansas City Kansan Source: Kansas City Kansan

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

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This is the perfect example of an epic comedy, one that spans time, venues, and types of comedy. Other films of this genre include The Blues Brothers and Blazing Saddles, though unlike those this is far more tame. This was in the days of family humor, and epics were per usual with movie going crowds. Still, the

July 23, 2010

Spencer S.

Super Reviewer

Don't hesitate to see this movie just because it's extremely long, it's worth it. This movie is really hilarious, and it's got a great story. It has action and excitement, and an intermission! This movie is enjoyable, I really liked it, and I highly recommend it.

September 5, 2010

AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Quotes

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1. Police Officer: Is something wrong?
– Submitted by Forrest P (9 months ago)

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