Mickey One (1965)

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writer:

Alan M. Surgal (written by)

Release Date:

27 September 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

...and the name of the game is Mickey!

Plot:

After incurring the wrath of the mob, a comic flees Detroit for Chicago taking the name "Mickey One."...

Plot Keywords:

Debt | Night Club | On The Run | Stand Up Comedian | Jazz

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Warren Beatty	...	Mickey
Alexandra Stewart	...	Jenny
Hurd Hatfield	...	Castle
Franchot Tone	...	Rudy Lopp
Teddy Hart	...	Berson
Jeff Corey	...	Fryer
Kamatari Fujiwara	...	The Artist
Donna Michelle	...	The Girl
Ralph Foody	...	Police Captain
Norman Gottschalk	...	The Evangelist
Dick Lucas	...	Employment Agent
Jack Goodman	...	Cafeteria Manager
Jeri Jensen	...	Helen
Charlene Lee	...	The Singer
Benny Dunn	...	Nightclub Comic

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:Not Rated | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Florin

Trivia:

Studio publicity claimed actor Kamatari Fujiwara created the large kinetic sculpture, called "Yes" in the film, but the work was actually done by Robert Fields, a industrial design student at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. The sculpture was set up on the ice rink of the Marina Towers apartment complex.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

The fact someone had the guts to make such an uncompromising and bizarre film with little to no commercial prospects in the mid-60s is amazing

"Mickey One" is a Hollywood film produced by a major studio starring Warren Beatty and directed by Arthur Penn (before either went on to "Bonnie and Clyde"). Its also one of the most surreal films I've seen, rivaling anything by either David Lynch. Who would've thought? The fact someone had the guts to make such an uncompromising and bizarre film with little to no commercial prospects in the mid-60s is amazing. These kind of existentialist head pictures would've been in vogue for at least another five or ten years in Hollywood. This all makes "Mickey One" incredibly ahead of its time. Its also a fascinating and unique American picture. Its a shame this hasn't been put out yet onto DVD and its one of the most unfortunately overlooked films from a decade that produced many.

This is one of those films that seems to work on its own inner logic. The plot is slightly confusing (set up by an absolutely brilliant montage at the beginning) but the skill put into the project make it all worthwhile. Warren Beatty hasn't made any really good films in a while, but back in his heyday he was one of the best actors working. This is as good as his performance in either "Bonnie & Clyde" or "The Parallax View". The fact that the film is so experimental and yet manages to make his (and Alexandra Stewart's) characters sympathetic amidst the madness and supporting caricatures is no small feat. The interesting thing to wonder at the end is if Mickey's paranoia is justified or not. While the hyper-kinetic style can grow thin occasionally, this is still a daringly original film. I feel this will improve with each viewing. (8/10)