I saw this at the theatre when I was a kid. I am sure most of it was over my head and I watched it again today. I was cracking up. Dick Van Dyke looked so good. Also, you can tell it was a Norman Lear production because most of the characters popped up in his future television features.
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I also saw this movie during its original theatrical release when I was a kid and remember cracking up during most of it. An original and deftly mounted comedy from the people that brought you ALL IN THE FAMILY. Van Dyke delivers one of his strongest performances as a small town minister who organizes everyone in his town to give up smoking for 30 days so that the town can win this huge amount of money. The catch is Van Dyke's character is an ex-smoker and the town's smokers don't think he knows what they'e asking so until the contest starts, he agrees to start smoking again until the contest begins. What I love about this film and about Van Dyke's character in particular is that the character he plays, even though he's a minister, is drawn in shades of gray and goes to certain dark places throughout the film. This is a comedy with a little brains behind it, but not so much that you can't appreciate the humor. One of the great unsung black comedies.
shareThis movie was a riot from start to finish...a true comedy classic.
shareI saw this on TV several times during the 1970s, when it seemed to be a staple. It's too bad it's fallen into relative obscurity. Fortunately, I was able to find it on VHS. It's well-written and acted, with a great mix of slapstick and satire.
share I saw this at the drive-in theater. Our parents took us to see a double feature. For some reason I've forgotten what the other movie was. But I never forgot this one! Actually I only found it mildly amusing back then since I was only a kid. What I enjoyed was my parents screaming with laughter. They were (and still are) big smokers and I suppose you have to be a smoker to relate to the misery of trying to quit.
Now as an adult and still non-smoker, I've watched this film and gotten a big kick out of it.
This would be an interesting feature for a drive-in. You were so lucky to see this there. I always begged my parents to take me to the drive-in, but it wasn't their thing. Instead my brother took me when he was old enough. I could see my parents loving this movie, though.
Instead, I saw this a few times when it would air on television in the '70s, and I now have it on video. Great mix of slapstick and satire, brilliantly executed.