Description:
Covering a span of more than sixty years, this is the incredible story of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World-a movie unlike any other-from inspiration to gestation to funding, casting, production, and international release.
Brief description: James Curtis is the author of acclaimed biographies of James Whale, Preston Sturges, W.C. Fields, Spencer Tracy, and Buster Keaton. He has also written "William Cameron Menzies: The Shape of Films to Come" and "Last Man Standing: Mort Sahl and the Birth of Modern Comedy". He and his wife, Kim Geary, are longtime residents of Brea, California.
Review Quotes:
"Just shy of 400 pages, Curtis (Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life) delivers a splendid, heavily researched, and jumbo-sized definitive history of the making of the epic-length 1963 all-star comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. After directing serious 'message' pictures like Judgment at Nuremberg, Stanley Kramer decided to make his first comedy. But he wanted a comedy to end all comedies, a modern event picture with an all-star cast and sweeping spectacle. He originally planned it as a four-hour feature with two intermissions... Film buffs will devour the shot-by-shot behind-the-scenes tales, ranging from balancing the egos of more than a dozen comics in leading roles and managing special effects and stunt work to Spencer Tracy's fragile health. VERDICT: Packed with photos and fascinating backstage tales, this impressive recounting of filming Mad World is a film buff's treasure." -- Kevin Howell, Library Journal (starred review)
"Curtis goes behind the scenes of one of the least likely cinematic success stories of the 1960s... With this definitive history, the author tells the unlikely story of how such a monumental project came to be. Readers will meet Kramer, an unlikely choice to helm such a movie, given his reputation for the dramatic 'message picture, ' as well as the remarkable Tania Rose, who served in Britain's Ministry of Information during the Second World War and was the perfect writing partner for her depression-prone husband, Bill. Their quest to juggle the greatest comedy cast of all time proved as madcap and messy as anything that made it on screen... Rich in detail and behind-the-scenes color, the book offers a look at the making of a singular movie and a film industry caught in the midst of a generational transition. A deeply researched and reliably entertaining making-of book about a comedy classic." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Comedy is a Grim Business is a dazzling, meticulous, and detailed account of the making of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. It's also a heartbreaking, humorous, and enlightening story of what the studio put Stanley through to achieve his visionary masterpiece. As his wife of thirty-five years--later in his illustrious career--I always felt that I missed out on most of his creative journey. This fascinating book fulfilled and alleviated that emptiness. I expected a very good book, but not a great book. I was wrong. This is a great book." -- Karen Sharpe-Kramer
"I want to give a shout out and a major plug to my friend Jim Curtis for his great new book on the making of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. I highly recommend the book-especially if you love the movie as I do. It's the entire story of how the film came together, the epic shooting schedule, all the casting stories, the animated titles, the stunt work, and stop motion climax... its various edits and its after-life status as both a massive hit AND a beloved cult film. I can't think of an aspect not covered. As usual for Jim's books, it's beautifully written and a major informational resource." - Jerry Beck