Saturday evening, November 23, 1963 — the day after John F. Kennedy was assassinated — I first saw my favorite movie. Note that I said "favorite." I'm not claiming it's the best ever made because that would involve comparing it to other movies with completely different goals and merits, and I think that's a pointless argument. I don't know what the best movie ever made is and see absolutely no reason why I have to pick one and defend my selection. But I do know which one is my favorite: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Every time I say this, someone who doesn't understand the difference between "favorite" and "best" wants to argue with me. That's like telling someone who thought their mother's meat loaf was the most delicious food that they're wrong. Or if someone said his wife was the most beautiful woman in the world and you said, 'No, no! You're absolutely wrong! She's an ugly pig!"
Yes, it's long. It's supposed to be long. Yes, it's cluttered. The length and the clutter are part of the joy for some of us. You didn't laugh once during it? Hey, that ain't my problem. You might try not watching it again.
Those of you who do want to watch it again and who live near Los Angeles are in luck. You'll have that opportunity the evening of Wednesday, November 7. Not only that but you can see it where I did on 11/23/63 in the theater in which it first opened.
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World debuted to the general public on November 7, 1963 at what was then called the Pacific Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. In fact, that was also the date that the Pacific Cinerama Dome opened to the general public. It's now the Arclight Cinerama Dome but other than that, it hasn't changed too much. And since it's the theater's 55th anniversary, they're running a number of other movies shot in Cinerama during the next month or so, like Grand Prix and How the West Was Won.
If you'd like to attend the 55th anniversary screening of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, you can order tickets right now on this page.
Rumor has it there will be some kind of program or panel that evening but I can't figure what it might be. Only three named actors from the film are still alive — Carl Reiner, Barrie Chase and Nicholas Georgiade. Mr. Reiner is 96 years old and is not committing to many (maybe any) public appearances these days…and besides, he's not that fond of the film. Ms. Chase is lovely and wonderful but she had a small role and she isn't a panel. Mr. Georgiade is retired and outta state and, again, he had a pretty small role. (He's the detective who goes down to the crash site with Norman Fell.) But if the Arclight can throw something together, great.
Yes, I will be there. In fact, I'm taking my lady friend Amber to see it for the first time. I've introduced her to a lot of wonderful movies that were made before she was born but I held off showing her Mad World on home video because, as I'm sure you know, this is a film that truly needs a big screen and a big audience.
So far, the film I've shown her that she liked best has been The French Connection but this has more laughs, a better car chase and a cameo by The Three Stooges. If by some chance she doesn't love it, then attendees will be treated to a bonus feature that evening: They can come out to the lobby afterwards and watch the two of us break up. She's beautiful and wonderful but there are things in this world that you just can't forgive.