Was I born too late?

Yeah it definitely wouldn't appeal to everyone in the younger generations I am 25 and grew up with alot of 90's slapstick like home alone and baby's day out and even jackie chan. I used to watch some of the older westerns on amc and tcm with my grandfather and kinda got hooked on all types of older films. I think it is refreshing. It was a very different time and it shows but come on you gotta atleast be impressed with some of the stunts especially for that time.

I was born in 1996 (I am 19 years old) and I just watched this for the first time on TCM yesterday. At first I was very impressed and was enjoying it quite a bit (I thought it was pretty funny) but after Spencer Tracy took the money it just started to drag way too much for me.

Other than the film being a bit too long and drug out I thought it was very good and I found it quite humorous. I also love the look of 65mm and thought the film was beautiful, although I'm not overly fond of the 2.76:1 aspect ratio.

A) Humor is so subjective.

B) When you say "the funniest scene was when they were all in casts laughing at the nurse" you convince me that you weren't actually paying attention when the movie was on. That wasn't a nurse, it was Milton Berle's character's mother-in-law.

People in every generation seem to have a memorable film (or song or TV show or recording artist or actor/actress) from their younger days that might not click for other generations. Although I still laugh when I see the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup, even though it was made long before I was born, I can understand why much younger viewers might not like it.

I saw It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World during its original theatrical release and remember laughing so hard that I had tears in my eyes; but decades later, watching an early DVD, I didn’t think that it held up as well as I hoped it would. Instead of hearty laughs and occasional howls, I had only occasional smiles while watching it in my older years. I still like it, especially for how Stanley Kramer managed to gather a cast of comedy all-stars for a film whose star, Spencer Tracy, was considered to be among the best, serious acting talents in film.

For me, there still are enough memorable moments in the film to make it remain among my 25 or so favorite comedies, like M*A*S*H, another film that I saw during its original theatrical release. Just out of curiosity, marc-faure, what you do consider to be the best comedies you’ve seen?

If it is what it is, what is it?

Watching a long movie like this on AMC with all their commercials is not the way to go.

I was born in 82 and I love this movie. I love it for what it is. It's a summer blockbuster with almost every comedy actor of that time popping up. Good script? No. Great entertainment? Of course.

A big part of the appreciation of this film is the collaboration of so many stars, which I'm pretty you wouldn't recognize most of them. The film had more stars in it than any other film. Even the smallest part had a big star, such as the man trying to park Spencer Tracy's car in the garage at the sea; that was Buster Keaton, one of the biggest silent film stars ever. Or Jerry Lewis who makes a quick drive by cameo near the beginning. Without knowing all the stars the film certainly does not have the same impact.

Ethyl Merman probably annoyed you throughout the film, but to people who knew her well from films like Anything Goes and There's No Business Like Show Business she was a riot.

Take 40 current stars and put them in some whacky comedy and it would almost instantly become classic because of the all the stars.

Over the years many have thought to recreate this film, but they all realized it would near impossible because of the star magnitude needed. Rat Race was a feeble attempt to make a film which was kind of like this one. Now if you want to watch a lame film Rat Race would be it.

And let's not forget the film was released in 1963. The stunts for that time were amazing! Did you that guy get almost hit by the car? No CGI here.

Most of the stars now have passed leaving only a few right now, but this film, right from the start, was an homage to these brilliant comedians and Spencer Tracy.

Sure you don't get it, but would some 80 year old appreciate "Neighbors"?

btw, M*A*S*H is an extremely exceptional film, not just a comedy, it is a comedy/war drama. The film is so amazing because it does a great job of mixing such different genres. An such an exceptional spun off into a tv series which was amazing in it's own right winning many awards over the years.

I think you could use a film class, in order to appreciate films not from your own era?

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, made in 1963, had no rival in it's time and stands the test of time for those who appreciate the art of film. It is a jewel that will last forever.

btw, check out how often people write on this board. How many other films from 1963 receive so much attention?

I remember as a kid in 1963 seeing this movie, and thinking it was one of the funniest movies ever. But I thought so probably because I knew most of the actors from TV or other movies. So perhaps someone born in 1977 wouldn't really know Ethel Merman or Sid Caesar, etc. and so not find this movie amusing from that aspect.

I think one day I will sit down with this movie with an 11-year-old and watch it with him, and see how long he stays to watch the movie. I'll stay the whole time I'm sure.