Stats:

Movie:
What's Up Doc?

Stars:
Barbara Streisand
Ryan O'Neal
Madeline Kahn
Kenneth Mars
Austin Pendleton

Director:
Peter Bogdanovich

Date: 1972

Studio:
Warner Brothers

Bottom Line:
Excellent Comedy.
Highly Recommended

What's Up Doc?

Since the month of April is kicked off by April Fool's Day, I feel it is appropriate to highlight a comedy this month.

What do you get when you mix four identical suitcases, would-be jewelry thieves, secret agents, San Francisco, Barbara Striesand, Ryan O'Neal and Madeline Kahn? You get "What's Up Doc?", one of the funniest movies of the Twentieth Century and the film I feel could arguably be described as the last of the great screwball comedies. Peter Bogdanovich tried hard to recapture the spirit of the screwball comedies of the 1930s. A top-notch cast was hired and among other things, this film mark's Madeline Kahn's film debut. Most of the supporting players, including Kahn, later moved on to populate Mel Brook's classic 1970s films "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" a couple of years later.

Barbara Streisand and Ryan O'Neal are the two star-crossed lovers. To borrow from SNL's Linda Richman, Barbara and Ryan 'are like buttah'. I feel that this is Barbara's funniest film. This is also the film that gave Ryan O'Neal a reputation as a comedic actor in the 1970s. The writing is excellent. The pacing and direction are excellent as well. The costumes do date this film, but nothing else seems to. For most of the 1970s after the film's release, it became a staple on television; but sometime during the 1980s, it dropped below the radar and is rarely seen on any channel.

Barbara Streisand stars as Judy Maxwell, a scattered, but smart college student. She has at one time or another majored in every undergraduate field of study at every university in the mainland United States. Her command of the subject matter of what she has studied, would make her a force to be reckoned with on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" When asked what she wanted to become, she answers, "A graduate". Ryan O'Neal is the absent minded musicologist who is about to receive a prestigious award for his work discovering the roots of music in prehistoric man. Ryan makes the trip to San Francisco with his over-protective, over-bearing girlfriend, Madeline Kahn. Both Barbara and Ryan have the same traveling bag as well as two other guests at the same upscale hotel in San Francisco. Barbara's bag has her clothes, Ryan's bag has his musical rocks, a third bag contains secret documents, while the fourth contains valuable jewelry. Barbara sets her sights on Ryan and then all hell breaks loose. All four suitcases get switched, and then a long, inventive, incredibly funny chase ensues all over San Francisco, making excellent use of the location shoots. Bogdanovich lets Ryan snuff out the sappiness that surrounded him after "Love Story" was released while Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Elmer Fudd also get to have a well-placed cameo appearance.

I first saw this in a theatre when I was 11 years old. Even though I've grown up a lot since then, this film has always remained a favorite. Whenever I find this playing on TV, I always stop to watch. Or sometimes I stop TV and watch it on my VCR. Unknown if this is available on DVD. If you can find this at your local video store, I strongly recommend this as a rental and an excellent way to spend the evening.