High Anxiety (1977)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Mel Brooks

Writers:

Mel Brooks (written by) &
Ron Clark (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 September 1978 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

The Master of Comedy takes on The Master of Suspense!

Plot:

Dr. Richard Thorndyke arrives as new administrator of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, VERY Nervous to discover some suspicious goings-on...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Directed By Star | Impostor | Hitchcock Spoof | Dominatrix

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes.

Cast

Mel Brooks	...	Richard H. Thorndyke
Madeline Kahn	...	Victoria Brisbane
Cloris Leachman	...	Nurse Diesel
Harvey Korman	...	Dr. Charles Montague
Ron Carey	...	Brophy
Howard Morris	...	Professor Lilloman
Dick Van Patten	...	Dr. Wentworth
Jack Riley	...	The Desk Clerk
Charlie Callas	...	Cocker Spaniel
Ron Clark	...	Zachary Cartwright
Rudy De Luca	...	Killer (as Rudy DeLuca)
Barry Levinson	...	Bellboy
Lee Delano	...	Norton
Richard Stahl	...	Dr. Baxter
Darrell Zwerling	...	Dr. Eckhardt
Murphy Dunne	...	Piano Player
Al Hopson	...	Man Who is Shot
Robert Ridgely	...	Flasher (as Bob Ridgely)
Albert Whitlock	...	Arthur Brisbane (as Albert J. Whitlock)
Pearl Shear	...	Screaming Woman at Gate
Arnold Soboloff	...	Dr. Colburn
Eddie Ryder	...	Doctor at Convention
Sandy Helberg	...	Airport Attendant
Fred Franklyn	...	Man (as Fredric Franklyn)
Deborah Dawes	...	Stewardess
Bernie Kuby	...	Dr. Wilson
Billy Sands	...	Customer
Ira Miller	...	Psychiatrist with Children
Jimmy Martinez	...	Waiter
Beatrice Colen	...	Maid
Robert Manuel	...	Policeman at Airport
Hunter von Leer	...	Policeman at Airport (as Hunter Von Leer)
John Dennis	...	Orderly
Robin Menken	...	Cocktail Waitress
Frank Campanella	...	Bartender
Henry Kaiser	...	New Groom
Bullets Durgom	...	Man in Phone Booth
Joe Bellan	...	Male Attendant
Mitchell Bock	...	Bar Patron
Jay Burton	...	Patient
Bryan Englund	...	Orderly #2
Anne Macey	...	Screaming Woman
Alan U. Schwartz	...	Psychiatrist

Directed by
Mel Brooks

Writing credits
Mel Brooks		(written by) &
Ron Clark		(written by) &
Rudy De Luca		(written by) (as Rudy DeLuca) &
Barry Levinson		(written by)

Produced by
Mel Brooks	....	producer

Original Music by
John Morris		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Paul Lohmann		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John C. Howard

Production Design by
Peter Wooley

Set Decoration by
Richard D. Kent		(as Richard Kent)
Anne MacCauley

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris

Makeup Department
Sugar Blymyer	....	hair stylist
Terry Miles	....	makeup artist
Linda Trainoff	....	hair stylist
Thomas Tuttle	....	makeup artist (as Tom Tuttle)

Production Management
Ernest B. Wehmeyer	....	production manager (as Ernest Wehmeyer)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Johnson	....	second assistant director
Jonathan Sanger	....	assistant director
David Sosna	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bill MacSems	....	property master
Edward Richardson	....	assistant art director
Hendrik Wynands	....	construction coordinator
Claudia Gilligan Ivanjack	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	production sound mixer (as Gene Cantamessa)
William Hartman	....	sound effects
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Sperber	....	sound effects
Raul A. Bruce	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jack Monroe	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Albert Whitlock	....	special visual effects (as Albert J. Whitlock)
Henry Schoessler	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Edmond L. Koons	....	camera operator (as Ed Koons)
Elliott Marks	....	still photographer
J. Michael Marlett	....	gaffer (as Michael J. Marlett)
Guy Polzel	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jered Green	....	costumer
Wally Harton	....	costumer
Nancy Martinelli	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Thomas G. Jingles	....	apprentice editor
Mary Scott	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ralph Burns	....	orchestrator
John R. Harris	....	music editor
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
John Morris	....	conductor
John Morris	....	orchestrator
Nathan Scott	....	orchestrator
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (as Danny Wallin)

Transportation Department
Jerry F. Johnson	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Roslyn Chaitoff	....	assistant: Mr. Brooks
Ron Clark	....	production consultant
Stuart Cornfeld	....	assistant to producer
Abe Glazer	....	production accountant
Marie Kenney	....	script supervisor
Harold Michelson	....	continuity sequences
Ray Berwick	....	bird trainer (uncredited)
Richard 'Bongo' Mitchell	....	animal wrangler (uncredited)

Thanks
Alfred Hitchcock	....	dedicated to: the Master of Suspense

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as 20th Century Fox)
• Crossbow Productions (producer)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1977) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Video (1986) (Belgium) (video)
• Fox Video (video)
• Key Video (video)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Canada) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Pacific Titles & Optical

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• Melnick/Holstra  casting
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Panavision  filmed with (as Panavision Equipment®)
• TWA  airline services
• Transcord  transportation
• Twentieth Century Fox Music  original music copyright (as Twentieth Century Music Corp.)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Italy:VM14 (original rating) | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG (Approved No. 25032) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The bird droppings were actually mayonnaise and chopped spinach. However, Mel Brooks reported to Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" that the helicopter spraying the fake bird droppings scared the pigeons so much that he believed half of the bird droppings were real.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Dr. Thorndyke is undressing for his shower, you can see his boxer shorts when he removes his robe.

Quotes:

Nurse Diesel: Those who are tardy do not get fruit cup.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Kate & Allie: High Anxiety (#3.18)" (1986)

Soundtrack:

If you love me baby, tell me loud

Dizzy parody is Brooks at his height.

Though often overlooked in favor of Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein, I believe this to be the pick of Brooks' parodies. Whether you share this opinion would depend on your familiarity with all things Hitchcockian.

It is not only Vertigo, as the title suggests, that gets the Brooks treatment here, but The Birds, Spellbound and Psycho are all parodied to various degrees of subtlety. Many of these films key scenes are simply re-enacted with comic touches, whilst the Hitchcock formalae is very much in evidence. The style is particularly amusing in its parody. Highlights include a probing camera becoming all too literally intrusive when it crashes through a pane of glass in the window, and a dramatic sound composition turning out to be merely the didactic passing bus load of a touring philamonic orchestra.

Resisting the out and out farce of his earlier effort, Blazing Saddles, and managing not to evolve into simply being a one joke movie such as the tendency of his recent efforts, High Anxiety is Brooks at his most clever. The cast, mainly consisting of Brooks regulars, all display splendidly entertaining and aptly silly impersonations of recognisible Hitchcock stereotypes. It is Brooks' finest hour however, with not only directing, writing, and acting to his credit but singing as well!!!