Alice's Restaurant (1969)

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writers:

Arlo Guthrie (song)
Venable Herndon (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 August 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Where the heads of all nations meet

Plot:

A cinematic adaption of Arlo Guthrie's classic song story.

Plot Keywords:

Drug Addict | Melodrama | Drug Addiction | Based On Song | Conscription

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Arlo Guthrie	...	Arlo Guthrie
Patricia Quinn	...	Alice Brock (as Pat Quinn)
James Broderick	...	Ray Brock
Pete Seeger	...	Himself
Lee Hays	...	Himself - Reverend at Evangelical Meeting
Michael McClanathan	...	Shelly
Geoff Outlaw	...	Roger Crowther
Tina Chen	...	Mari-chan
Kathleen Dabney	...	Karin
William Obanhein	...	Himself - Officer Obie
Seth Allen	...	Evangelist
Monroe Arnold	...	Blueglass
Joseph Boley	...	Woody Guthrie
Vinnette Carroll	...	Draft Clerk
Sylvia Davis	...	Marjorie Guthrie
Simm Landres	...	Private Jacob aka Jake
Eulalie Noble	...	Ruth
Louis Beachner	...	Dean
MacIntyre Dixon	...	1st Deconsecration Minister
Arthur Pierce Middleton	...	2nd Deconsecration Minister (as Rev. Dr. Pierce Middleton)
Donald Marye	...	Funeral Director
Shelley Plimpton	...	Reenie
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Group W Sergeant
Ron Weyand	...	Cop #1 (as Ronald Weyand)
Eleanor D. Wilson	...	Landlady (as Eleanor Wilson)
Simon Deckard	...	Medic
Thomas De Wolfe	...	Waiter (as Thomas DeWolfe)
Judge James Hannon	...	Himself
Graham Jarvis	...	Music Teacher
John E. Quill	...	Cop #2 (as John Quill)
Frank Simpson	...	Sergeant
Alice Brock	...	Suzy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ray Brock

Directed by
Arthur Penn

Writing credits
Arlo Guthrie		(song The Alice's Restaurant Massacree)
Venable Herndon		(screenplay) and
Arthur Penn		(screenplay)

Produced by
Hillard Elkins	....	producer
Harold Leventhal	....	associate producer
Joseph Manduke	....	producer (as Joe Manduke)

Original Music by
Arlo Guthrie

Cinematography by
Michael Nebbia

Film Editing by
Dede Allen

Production Design by
Warren Clymer

Set Decoration by
John Mortensen

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Irving Buchman	....	makeup artist
Phil Naso	....	hair stylist (as Philip Naso)

Production Management
Willard W. Goodman	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William C. Gerrity	....	first assistant director (as William Gerrity Jr.)
Frank Simpson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Shelly Bartolini	....	scenic artist (as Shelley Bartolini)
Merle Eckert	....	chief carpenter
Thomas Wright	....	property master

Sound Department
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor
Sanford Rackow	....	sound editor
Abe Seidman	....	sound mixer
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recordist (as Richard Vorisek)
Stephen Fitzstephens	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Morton Gorowitz	....	gaffer
Victor J. Kemper	....	camera operator (as Victor Kemper)
Charles Kolb	....	key grip
Muky	....	still photographer (as "Muky")

Costume and Wardrobe Department
George Newman	....	wardrobe supervisor
Marilyn Putnam	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Gerald B. Greenberg	....	associate film editor (as Gerald Greenberg)
Richard Marks	....	assistant editor
Stephen A. Rotter	....	assistant editor (as Stephen Rotter)

Music Department
Fred Hellerman	....	musical director
Garry Sherman	....	composer: additional music
Garry Sherman	....	music arranger
Garry Sherman	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Ed Bowes	....	assistant to production
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Rhona Kane	....	unit publicist
Diane Katz	....	production secretary
Gene Lasko	....	production associate
Bill Liberman	....	assistant to production
Florence Nerlinger	....	assistant to producer
Milton Olshin	....	process projectionist
Barbara Rittenberg	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Florin

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• United Artists (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1970) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1969) (USA) (theatrical)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | USA:GP (edited for re-rating) (1970) | USA:R (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Florin

Trivia:

Arlo Guthrie's costume in the party scene is meant to be the King of Cups from a pack of tarot cards.

Goofs:

Continuity: The narration speaks of 27 8x10 color glossy photos, yet all the 8x10's shown are black and white.

Quotes:

Officer Obie: Want your wallets and your belts. Put everything on the desk.
Arlo Guthrie: I can understand you wanting our wallets, so we don't have any money to spend in the cell, but what do you want our belts for?
Officer Obie: Kid, we don't want any hanging.
Arlo Guthrie: [pause] Obie, do you think we're gonna hang ourselves for littering?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

Soundtrack:

Peer Gynt

The First Full-Length Motion Picture Music Video?

ALICE'S Restaurant (3+ outta 5 stars) Maybe not one of the best movies of the '60s but it is definitely worth checking out... as a sort of time capsule if nothing else. This was an "establishment" movie designed to cash in the popularity of the then-popular folk song by Arlo Guthrie. They got Arlo to star as himself... as well as several of his actual friends and acquaintances of the time... even the actual police officer who arrested him for the incident described in the song. Considering its mercenary intent the movie is a lot better than it has any right to be. This may not be one of director Arthur Penn's best movies but he definitely gets the most out of the concept. Guthrie now says that the movie is more of a version of what the straight world *thought* the hippie movement was all about rather than what it was *actually* about... with that in mind the movie still paints a pretty good picture of the times. Guthrie is a low-key performer but he definitely has some screen charisma... resembling a baby-faced Bob Dylan at times. This could be considered one of the first full-length motion picture music videos.