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	....	matte crew (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:

In yet another reference to Alfred Hitchcock, Dr. Thorndyke is told that a "Mr. MacGuffin" changed his room reservation. Hitchcock's MacGuffins were objects or devices which drove the plot but which were otherwise inconsequential and could be forgotten once they had served their purpose.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the S&M scene, one of Dr. Charles Montague's handcuffs is not properly closed.

Quotes:

Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke: [ripping duct tape off Brophy's mouth] Where is Brisbane?
Brophy: They took him to - WAAAAAAOWWWWW!

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

If you love me baby, tell me loud

Very funny Mel Brooks spoof/homage to Hitchcock

Mel Brooks is a very funny man, and though sometimes I think his comedy is a little on the low side, "High Anxiety" has some truly hilarious moments. Mel riffs on Hitchcock, right down to Madeline Kahn's gray suit a la Kim Novak in Vertigo. He combines scenes from "Spellbound," "Vertigo," "Foreign Correspondent," "The Birds," "Psycho," "Dial M for Murder," and "North by Northwest" in this story of a man taking over as the head of a mental sanitarium, replacing a man who is murd - uh, dead. Kahn is the Hitchcock blonde whose father is in the asylum. To give you an idea of this place where the lunatics have definitely taken over - Cloris Leachman plays a nurse who's into S&M with Harvey Korman. Both of them are a riot. Mel plays it straight which makes him even funnier.

I have two favorite scenes - the first is Mel, doing a perfect imitation of Sinatra's style, singing "High Anxiety" to Kahn. He's fabulous, and the look on Kahn's face is delicious. My other favorite scene is when Brooks and Kahn disguise themselves as elderly people to get through airport security. Psychiatric expert Brooks thinks the more noise you make, the less people notice you. The two of them do a fabulous skit which is priceless.

We really lost a treasure when we lost Madeline Kahn, one of the all-time great talents. It's wonderful to see this and remember her. I do believe that because of the humor, the film can be enjoyed without having seen the Hitchcock films spoofed, but of course, it's all the better if you have. A delightful film.