A Big Chuck Retro Review: “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) (VIDEO)

Maybe the greatest cast of comedians ever assembled for a movie up until 1963.  "It's A Mad, Mad....World" was a zany chase flick filled with one-liners, broad performances (could anything have been more broad than Ethel Merman's performance?), sight gags and more.

I really enjoyed this movie.  The humor was just off-kilter enough to tickle my 14-year old funny bone.  I didn't know who a lot of these actors were but that didn't matter.  They were all funny.  And talk about an A-list:  Jonathon Winters (remember him destroying the filling station?), Phil Silvers (careening down the hill in that rickety old car?), Sid Caeser and Edie Adams, Mickey Rooney, Spencer Tracy, Jimmy Durante  (literally kicking the bucket?), Buddy Hackett, Don Knotts, Jerry Lewis, Buster Keaton and so many more.

The American Film Institute named it one of the Top 25 greatest comedies of all time.  The stellar cast did not come cheap, though.  The movie made almost $50-million dollars but cleared a profit of any $2-million dollars, due in large part to salary demands from the stars.

I give this movie 4-meatballs.  It was good for a laugh back when I was a teenager and I think I might want to revisit it again 50 years later!

Jonathon Winters had the funniest scene ever.  I am smiling just thinking about it. Take a look!