Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2761 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-03-11
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Spanish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 148 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Stanley Kramer's 1963 It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is a sprawling 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 has recently come back to the for-front of Hollywood with the film Rat 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 sketches 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 could have derived from the Airplane! reject bin. Watch for lots of cameo appearances, including Jerry Lewis. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
When an auto-crash victim (Jimmy Durante) reveals that he's hidden a fortune of stolen cash, a star-studded traffic jam of motorists sets out ot uncover the money. The film features one of the largest collections of American comedians (and Brit Terry-Thomas) ever put together on celluloid, resulting in a wacky, far-out treasure hunt filled with sharp one-liners, plenty of pratfalls and double takes, and unstoppable slapstick humour, led by Jonathan Winters, Phil Silvers, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Sid Caesar, and Ethel Merman, among countless others. Spencer Tracy stars as the straight cop who wouldn't mind retiring with his own little nest egg. Directed by Stanley Kramer, this film of a thousand laughs was nominated for half a dozen Academy Awards.

Customer Reviews

All time favourite
I first saw this film 40 years ago when it was first released in Cinerama. It blew my socks off then and still does now in this DVD version. In the meantime I have seen it on TV and on video. Both were disappointing because what this film needs is to be shown in its original wide-screen ratio. This together with pin sharp picture and superb stereo sound recreates the original cinema experience although you need to sit very close to the screen to get the Cinerama effect!

One of the best things about the film is the total lack of CGI. Most of the stunts were done for real and there are plenty of them. There was some process photography by Farciot Edouart which was ahead of its time. The car stunts were care of Carey Loftin (the truck driver in Spielberg's "Duel") and have rarely been bettered.

This film has been severely underrated in the past and for some reason is one I cannot do without it. I thoroughly recommend.

Timeless Comedy Classic
It's A Mad...World is one of the finest comedies evr and an all time classic. I rmemeber seeing this for the first as young boy when shown on TV. I loved it then and continue to love it whenever I put it on, which is very regularly.

The basic plot revolves around a car accident, where the driver, Jimmy Durante, tells a group of fellow drivers who se him crash and go to his aid about hundres and thousands of dollars in cash buried under a 'Big W' in a park in California hundreds of miles away.

Mayhenm ensues as all the rescuers race for the cash using any form of transport they can can beg, steal or borrow.

The script is sharp, with several sub-plots keping the action moving right to the climax of the movie when all the cast come together at the park under the 'BIG W' where the treasure is supposdly buried.

The cast is superb, with some very well known stars of the time on show, includong Phil Silvers, who basically plays the role of Bilko (another great classic comedy), a sharp, fast talking opportunist. Milton Berle (Mr TV in America), a hen pecked husband supported by Ethel Merman as a loud brash mother in-law. Other stars include Mickey Rooney, Jonathon Winters, Sid Ceasar and terry Thomas playing a very typical English gentleman, a role he often played to great effect.

There are seveal cameo appearances by very well known actors, Buster Keaton, Jerry Lewis to name two.

One of the starring roles goes to Spencer Tracey in one of his last roles as a totally despondent Police Chief about to retire after 40 years service with a measly pension, who sees the opportunity to set himself and his wife up for retirement by taking the buried treasure from the motley crew after they discover it sating he is going to hand it in.

Obviaously this doesn't go down well and once the rescuers work out that they have been tricked, a chase and more mayhem ensues.

Who ends up with the money...Buy the film and find out. You won't be dissapointed.

A Perfect Film To Cheer The Whole Family.
I first saw this film over 10 years ago and laughed until I cried, as did my husband and daughters. It starts out with a collection of four very different vehicles each on their own way until a car crashes. The dying man states there is hidden loot under the big W in a park. The personality changes, showing human nature in all it's faces, greed,obsession,anger and frustration. They are unaware that every move is being watched by the police, waiting for them to find the money! The film contains everything,mother in law, slimy salesman, innocent female and drunken pilots who leave an inept person in charge! I can guarantee you will laugh until you cry, whatever you do, do not miss the fery end of the film, it has to be seen to be believed.