MovieChat Forums > It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) Discussion > What was Pike (Jonathan Winters) trying ...

What was Pike (Jonathan Winters) trying to do??

posted 8 years ago by johandav
4 replies | jump to latest

Early the film, just after they heard about the Big W but before they started talking about it, the truck driver, Pike, slowed his car down and everyone thought the he was doing something very crafty. I've never been able to figure out what he was supposedly trying to do. Pike even started confessing and said something like, "I was just trying to . . . aw, heck. Ya got me."

But I can't figure out how he was supposed to be tricking them by stopping behind them on the road. Any ideas?

Why couldn’t I be Governor of Idaho? Kill a few potatoes; who’d care?

[–] steely3000 8 years ago

Yeah I often wondered that myself. I guess he wanted to make the others think he was giving up the chase, was turning off the road because he had truck trouble. I think he just wanted to lose them, then figure out a way to get to the state park on his own. When he was caught, he knew he couldn't make anything up so he hemmed and hawed. I don't think he had any immediate plan on what to do, except leave the others.

[–] McCartney42 8 years ago

I always thought that Pike pulled over hoping that the others would stop to see what was going on. Then with everyone out of their cars, he could just start up his truck and drive by the others and be in front because he caught the others off guard.

[–] millsey72 (10259) 2 years ago

I don't think Pike even knew. Lets just call it a plot hole

[–] Motleycruefan73 (25) 2 years ago

My first thought was he was going to wait til they were gone and then turn around.