RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

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

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
77 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:26

Fresh:20

Rotten:6

Average Rating:6.7/10

Runtime: 3 hrs 12 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: This wacky comedy classic directed by Stanley Kramer features one of the largest collections of American comedians ever brought together on celluloid, resulting in the kind of far-out comic gem... This wacky comedy classic directed by Stanley Kramer features one of the largest collections of American comedians ever brought together on celluloid, resulting in the kind of far-out comic gem that only the 1960s could dish out. Filled with sharp one-liners, plenty of pratfalls and double takes, and unstoppable slapstick humor, this film never stops entertaining. The laughs come mostly from vehicle accidents of all kinds: car crashes, bike accidents, airplane failures, and almost everything else imaginable. But a good amount of humor is also lent to major wrestling matches, terrible mix-ups and misunderstandings, and increasingly absurd personalities such as Mrs. Marcus (Ethel Merman), the screeching and impossible mother-in-law. The film even laughs at itself, showing its flimsy cardboard sets as characters punch out walls or accidentally explode whole boxes of dynamite. The cast includes such favorites as Jonathan Winters, Phil Silvers, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Sid Caesar, Spencer Tracey, Terry-Thomas, and Dick Shawn, among countless others. Brilliantly simple, the plot concerns a caravan of motorists who witness a terrible accident on a dangerously windy California highway. The auto-crash victim (Jimmy Durante) reveals in his dying words that he has hidden a fortune of stolen cash, sending the drivers on a rambunctious race to see who can claim the loot first! [More]

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Ethel Merman, Buddy Hackett

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Ethel Merman, Buddy Hackett, Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, Jimmy Durante, Dick Shawn, Jonathan Winters, Terry-Thomas, Phil Silvers, Carl Reiner, Dorothy Provine, ZaSu Pitts, Buster Keaton, Sterling Holloway, Leo Gorcey, Paul Ford, Peter Falk, Edward Everett Horton, William Demarest

Director: Stanley Kramer

Director: Stanley Kramer
Screenwriter: William Rose, Tania Rose
Producer: Stanley Kramer
Composer: Ernest Gold

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Aug 5, 2008

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • 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 Oscars®, 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.
  • Source: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

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

    • T-Meter Critics
    • Top Critics
    • RT Community
    • My Critics
    • My Friends
    • DVD
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
    Text View | 1 2 >> >|
    Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
     
     

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

    Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment 1 Comment
    11/07/07
    Don Druker
    Don Druker
    Chicago Reader

    No review available.

    comment 1 Comment
    07/04/05
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com

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

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    02/09/06
    Time Out

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

    Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
    11/07/07
    TV Guide's Movie Guide

    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.

    Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
    11/07/07
    Channel 4 Film

    An overblown elephant of a comedy. Not very funny and dated.

    comment Comment
    08/21/02
    Bob Bloom
    Bob Bloom
    Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

    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.

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    05/09/05
    Bosley Crowther
    Bosley Crowther
    New York Times

    The ensuing adventures stretch the definition of the word madcap.

    Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
    02/13/01
    Christopher Null
    Christopher Null
    Filmcritic.com

    Funny and energetic, but a long way from Kramer's best work.

    comment Comment
    07/27/02
    Chuck Rudolph
    Chuck Rudolph
    Matinee Magazine

    This movie defines the words "comic romp."

    comment Comment
    12/05/05
    Cole Smithey
    Cole Smithey
    ColeSmithey.com

    Bloated mega-comedy best for its many cameos

    comment Comment
    02/11/05
    Daniel Eagan
    Daniel Eagan
    Film Journal International

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    07/23/04
    Daniel M. Kimmel
    Daniel M. Kimmel
    Worcester Telegram & Gazette

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    07/23/08
    Frank Swietek
    Frank Swietek
    One Guy's Opinion

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    02/17/03
    Jeffrey Westhoff
    Jeffrey Westhoff
    Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    12/11/07
    John A. Nesbit
    John A. Nesbit
    Old School Reviews

    Favorite line: "Why don’t we just shoot ‘em down and be through with it.

    Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
    10/02/01
    John J. Puccio
    John J. Puccio
    DVDTown.com

    We just lauged and laughed -- in Cinerama, no less.

    comment Comment
    08/13/02
    John Urbancich
    John Urbancich
    Sun Newspapers of Cleveland

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    11/07/03
    Jon Niccum
    Jon Niccum
    Lawrence Journal-World

    A huge cast wasted in this interminable mess

    comment Comment
    07/30/02
    Ken Hanke
    Ken Hanke
    Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    12/28/04
    Michael Dequina
    Michael Dequina
    TheMovieReport.com
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
    Text View | 1 2 >> >|
    all

    Latest News for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

    February 14, 2007: Zombie Keeps Adding Bodies to His "Halloween" Cast
    At this point it feels like Rob Zombie is doing a remake of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" instead of a "Halloween" reboot. We have some more casting news... More...

    See All

    More DVDs

    Close
    Top Rentals
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    66% 66% Public Enemies
    83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
    44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
    75% 75% Julie & Julia
    32% 32% Terminator Salvation

    More Rentals…

    New On DVD This Week
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    90% 90% District 9
    86% 86% 500 Days of Summer
    63% 63% Extract
    06% 06% All About Steve
    78% 78% It Might Get Loud

    More New Releases…

    See All

    RT On Current TV

    The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

    DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

    Learn how you can be part of the show

    More...

    What’s Hot On RT

    Sherlock Holmes

    Sherlock Holmes

    New clips from the detective reboot!

    Iron Man 2

    Iron Man 2

    Watch the brand new trailer now!

    Awards Tour

    Awards Tour

    Keep up with latest nominations and awards!

    Did you see Avatar?

    Did you see Avatar?

    Rate/Review the film on RT now!

    Other News

    Close
    • Top Stories
    • Popular
    • Interviews
     
     

    Comments

     
     
    Top Stories
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Danny Trejo Talks Machete, Possible Sequels Source: Collider.com
    8
    • It's Official: Jackass 3-D Coming in 2010 Source: Collider.com
    16
    • Bryan Singer Returning to X-Men for First Class Source: Superhero Hype
    102
    • Mark Strong Talks Kick-Ass, John Carter, and Robin Hood Source: Collider.com
    1
    • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
    19
    • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
    32
    • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
    28
    • Tobey Maguire Refutes Hobbit Rumors Source: Hollywood Reporter
    9
    • Prince of Persia Featurette Posted Source: Yahoo! Movies
    4
    • Trailer Bulletin: Robin Hood Source: ComingSoon.net
    61
    Popular
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Critics Consensus: Avatar Is Certified Fresh
    308
    • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar Soars to #1 Spot
    186
    • Awards Tour 2009: Golden Globe Noms Here!
    145
    • Brittany Murphy: 1977-2009
    90
    • Total Recall: James Cameron Movies
    89
    • Awards Tour 2009: SAG Nominations Are In!
    43
    • Weekly Ketchup: Bryan Singer Teaches X-Men: First Class
    37
    • Friday Harvest: Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes, and more!
    14
    • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Inglourious Basterds and a Hangover
    9
    • What We're Watching on Blu-ray from Paramount Pictures!
    4
    Interviews
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
    1
    • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
    21
    • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
    2
    • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
    17
    • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
    12
    • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
    23
    • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
    8
    • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
    15
    • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
    24
    • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
    9
     
     

    Sponsored Links

    Around The Network

    • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World at Rotten Tomatoes
    • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World at IGN

    Fresh Links

    Featured
    MSN's Year in Review
    MSN's Year in Review External Link

    Take a look at MSN's choices for the Top 10 films of 2009.

    Moviefone's Year End Poll
    Moviefone's Year End Poll External Link

    What were your favorites? Least favorites? The funniest and scariest? Moviefone wants to know!

    Tarantino's Characters
    Tarantino's Characters External Link

    Hollywood.com explores why QT's characters resonate so well with audiences.

    Top 10 Movies of 2009
    Top 10 Movies of 2009 External Link

    TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

    Top 20 of the Decade
    Top 20 of the Decade External Link

    Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!

    Promos
    Follow RT on Twitter
    Follow RT on Twitter External Link

    Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

     
     
    About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
    IGN Logo

    IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
    TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
    AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


    By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
    Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
    IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
    Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.