Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker for this site.
Featuring Moe, Larry and Curly Joe
190 min. (Feature Film)
Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante), a crook who stole a large sum from a tuna factory years earlier, is making his break from the police and speeding along a California highway, ultimately crashing his car down a steep, craggy slope. Four vehicles stop to render aid. The first contains J. Russell Finch (Milton Berle), his wife and mother-in-law (Ethel Merman), the second has Melville Crump (Sid Caesar) and his wife, the third holds Dingy Bell (Mickey Rooney) and Benji Benjamin (Buddy Hackett), and the last contains Lennie Pike (Jonathan Winters). The five men descend the slope to look for survivors, finding Smiler near death. Smiler, realizing he is about to die, tells them of a buried treasure ("350 G's!") that's been lying under a big "W" in the Rosita Beach State Park for 15 years. The group tries to come up with a way to divide up the money, and failing that, it's every man for himself!
The trip becomes a madcap, cross-country race to the park. Captain Culpeper (Spencer Tracy) of the Santa Rosita Police Department has the group under surveillance, waiting to see who finds the dough. As they begin to converge on the park, Culpeper tries to swing a deal with the Police Chief for a bonus in solving the case, but when that fails, decides to steal the money for himself.
Filmed in UltraPanavision (Cinerama) and TechniColor.
The role of Irwin the garage mechanic, played by Marvin Kaplan, was originally offered to Joe Besser. Joe was unable to participate when Sheldon Leonard and Danny Thomas could not give him time off from his costarring role in the television sitcom, THE JOEY BISHOP SHOW.
This filmography's running time of 190 minutes refers to the film's 70mm 1963 premiere in Los Angeles at the Cinerama Theatre on Sunset Boulevard. Its original general release version, and subsequent releases to theaters and home video have resulted in shorter running times.
Spencer Tracy
Capt. Culpeper
Jimmy Durante
Smiler Grogan
Jonathan Winters
Lennie Pike
Sid Caesar
Melville Crump
Edie Adams
Monica Crump
Milton Berle
J. Russell Finch
Dorothy Provine
Emeline Finch
Ethel Merman
Mrs. Marcus
Mickey Rooney
'Dingy' Bell
Buddy Hackett
Benji Benjamin
Phil Silvers
Otto Meyer
Terry-Thomas
Algernon Hawthorne
Dick Shawn
Sylvester Marcus
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson
1st cab driver
Peter Falk
2nd cab driver
Norman Fell
1st detective at crash site
Nicholas Georgiade
2nd detective at crash site
Zasu Pitts
Gertie, switchboard operator
Madlyn Rhue
Ms. Schwartz
Charles McGraw
Lt. Mathews
Alan Carney
Police Sergeant
Andy Devine
Sheriff of Crockett County
Stan Freberg
Deputy Sheriff
Jerry Lewis
Man who runs over hat
Harp McGuire
Simmy's partner
Robert Karnes
Officer Simmy
William Demarest
Police Chief Aloysius
Nick Stewart
Migrant truck driver
Jean Sewell
Migrant's wife
Ben Blue
Pilot
Bobo Lewis
Pilot's wife
Marvin Kaplan
Irwin
Arnold Stang
Ray
Charles Lane
Airport manager
Jim Backus
Tyler Fitzgerald
Ben Lessy
George, Fitzgerald's valet
Barrie Chase
Mrs. Halliburton, Sylvester's girlfriend
Jack Benny
Samaritan in car
Selma Diamond
Ginger Culpeper, voice
Louise Glenn
Billie Sue Culpeper, voice
Mike Mazurki
Sick woman's husband
Eddie Rosson
Eddie
Leo Gorcey
Taxi cab driver
Doodles Weaver
Hardware store clerk
Edward Everett Horton
Dinkler, hardware store owner
Stanley Clements
Reporter in squad room
Ken Peters
Police dispatcher
Harry Lauter
Police dispatcher
Stacy Harris
Police radio voice F-7
Don C. Harvey
Policeman in helicopter
Tyler McVey
Police radio voice
Larry Fine
Airport Fireman
Moe Howard
Airport Fireman
Joe DeRita
Airport Fireman
Eddie Ryder
Air traffic controller
Jesse White
Air traffic controller
Carl Reiner
Air traffic controller
Paul Ford
Colonel Wilberforce
George Bruggeman
Airport spectator
Minta Durfee
Airport spectator
Buster Keaton
Jimmy
Don Knotts
Nervous driver
Roy Engel
Intersection patrolman
Paul Birch
Intersection patrolman
Sammee Tong
Chinese laundryman
Stacy Harris
Detective restraining Mr. Dinkler
John Clarke
2nd detective with Dinkler
Lennie Weinrib
Police radio voice F-14
Lloyd Corrigan
Mayor
Tom Kennedy
Traffic cop
Joe E. Brown
Rally speaker
Paul Sorensen
Rally spectator
Sterling Holloway
Fireman
Lennie Weinrib
Ladder firemen, voices
Al Haskell
Man in crowd
Al Bain
Man in crowd
Eddie Smith
Man in crowd
Charles Sherlock
Man in crowd
Harvey Parry
Onlooker pummeled by Mrs. Marcus
Lovyss Bradley
Hospital matron
Eve Bruce
Fitzgerald's girlfriend, scene deleted
James Flavin
Valley Center policeman, scene deleted
Roy Roberts
1st cop at garage, scene deleted
Chick Chandler
2nd cop at garage, scene deleted
Phil Arnold
Gas pump attendant, scene deleted
Allen Jenkins
Detective at airport, scene deleted
Cliff Norton
Reporter at airport, scene deleted
Howard Da Silva
Airport official, scene deleted
King Donovan
Airport official, scene deleted
George Barrows
Man on phone, scene deleted
Barbara Pepper
Woman on phone, scene deleted
Morey Amsterdam
Voice of Uncle Mike, scene deleted
Elliott Reid
Voice of Dr. Chadwick, scene deleted
Bill Couch
stunts, Buddy Hackett & Spencer Tracy double
Chuck Couch
stunts, Terry-Thomas double
John Hudkins
stunts, Jonathan Winters double
Jack Perkins
stunts, Jonathan Winters double
Loren Janes
stunts, Eddie Anderson double
Regis Parton
stunts, Milton Berle double
Janos Prohaska
stunts, Peter Falk & Arnold Stang double
George Robotham
stunts, Dick Shawn double
Carl Saxe
stunts, Sid Caesar double
Helen Thurston
stunts, Ethel Merman double
Jesse Wayne
stunts, Mickey Rooney double
Marvin Willens
stunts, Phil Silvers double
Carey Loftin
stunts, Terry-Thomas double
Bill Maxwell
stunts, Marvin Kaplan double
Carey Loftin
stunt driver
Frank Tallman
stunt pilot
Walt LaRue
stunts
Sol Gorss
stunts
Stephanie Epper
stunts
Max Balchowsky
stunts
Tap Canutt
stunts
Gil Perkins
stunts
Bob Herron
stunts
Dick Crockett
stunts
Philip Crawford
stunts
Alex Sharp
stunts
Paul Mantz
stunts
Dick Geary
stunts
Chuck Hayward
stunts
Richard E. Butler
stunts
Paul Stader
stunts
Wally Rose
stunts
Buddy Van Horn
stunts
Bill Shannon
stunts
Harvey Parry
stunts
Gary Epper
stunts
Fred Gabourie
stunts
George DeNormand
stunts
May Boss
stunts
Robert F. Hoy
stunts
Dale Van Sickel
stunts
John Daheim
stunts
Carol Daniels
stunts
Paul Baxley
stunts
John Indrisano
stunts
Tom Steele
stunts
Fred Scheiwiller
stunts
The Shirelles
Dance sequence singers
The Four Mads
Dance sequence musicians
Unidentified IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD 1
Santa Rosita Police
Unidentified IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD 2
Police pursuit
Unidentified IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD 3
Rancho Conejo Airport
Unidentified IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD 4
Chinese laundry
Unidentified IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD 6
Spectator crowd
Unidentified IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD 7
Prison hospital
Stanley Kramer
Director
Stanley Kramer
Producer
Anne P. Kramer
Associate Producer
Tania Rose
Story and Screenplay
William Rose
Story and Screenplay
Ernest Laszlo
Director of Photography
Irmin Roberts
Photography
Hal A. McAlpin
Photography
Robert C. Jones
Film Editor
Gene Fowler Jr.
Film Editor
Frederic Knudtson
Film Editor
Gordon Gurnee
Art Director
Rudolph Sternad
Production Designer
Joseph Kish
Set Decoration
Gordon Sawyer
Sound Supervisor
Vinton Vernon
Re-Recording
Roy Granville
Re-Recording
John K. Kean
Sound Engineer
Clem Portman
Re-Recording
Walter Elliott
Sound Editor
William Brittan
Music Recording Engineer
Ernest Gold
Conductor
Albert Woodbury
Orchestrator
Robert Helfer
Music Coordinator
Art Dunham
Music Editor
Ernest Gold
Original Music
Mack David
Lyrics
Joe King
Costume Supervision
Bill Thomas
Costume Design
Dick Smith
Stunt double masks
Lynn F. Reynolds
Makeup
George Lane
Makeup
Connie Nichols
Hair Stylist
Clem Beauchamp
Production Manager
Bud Pine
Production Coordinator
George Batcheller
2nd Assistant Director
Ivan Volkman
1st Assistant Director
Bert Chervin
2nd Assistant Director
Charles Scott
2nd Assistant Director
Carey Loftin
2nd Unit Director
James V. King
Camera Operator
Charles F. Wheeler
Camera Operator
Dick Johnson
Assistant Cameraman
Farciot Edouart
Process Photography
James B. Gordon
Photographic Effects
Linwood G. Dunn
Photographic Effects
Willis H. O'Brien
Visual Effects
Chuck Gaspar
Special Effects
Danny Lee
Special Effects
Morris Rosen
Grip
Martin Kashuk
Assistant Grip
Joseph Edesa
Gaffer
Richard Portman
Assistant Foley
Art Cole
Property Master
Marshall Schlom
Script Supervisor
Marcel Delgado
Miniatures
Jim Danforth
Miniatures
Saul Bass
Title Designer
Adrian Woolery
Animation Production Manager
William T. Hurtz
Animation Director
Art Goodman
Animator
Hugh Childs
Animator
Carl Pederson
Animator
Frank Smith
Animator
Charles Smith
Animator
Jim Danforth
Animator
Mary Mathews
Animator
Bror Lansing
Animator
Oscar Hansson
Animator
Tab Collar
Animator
Bob Carlson
Animator
Irene Wyman
Animator
Bill Melendez
Animator
Danny Smith
Animator
Beverly Robbins
Animator
Ed Levitt
Animator
Ruth Kissane
Animator
Bernard Gruver
Animator
Robert E. Blair
Dog Trainer
Carey Loftin
Stunt Supervisor
Frank Tallman
Aerial Stunt Supervisor
Paul Mantz
Aerial Stunt Supervisor
Lynn Stalmaster
Casting
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available in an effort to advance awareness and understanding of the issues involved. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information please visit: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission directly from the copyright owner.