SPOILERS
It was my privilege to see "Cuckoo's Nest" on its original release, in a full house in Los Angeles. The crowd reaction to so many scenes...so many MOMENTS ...was incredible. Cheering, applause, actual yelling at times. Especially at the final scene of the movie.
Now, it is possible, this being LA near the studios that there were what are known as "shills in the audience" people paid by the studio to laugh hard and cheer to create goodwill for the movie and to "nudge" the rest of the audience into laughing and cheering, too.
But I really think most people there were "civilians" who got deeply into the emotion of the movie and how it continually builds to rousing moments.
Most of the moments I recall with cheers had to do with..The Chief.
Like when he dropped his mop when he saw McMurphy being beaten and held to the floor by the orderlies. Just on the sound of that mop hitting the floor....the crowd went wild and cheered. The Chief was gonna help McMurphy. He was gonna beat up the bullies.
Or when the Chief first spoke. "Juicy fruit." HUGE laughs, and big applause -- Nicholson's on-screen euphoria became contagious.
And of course, the finale. From the emotion of the Chief mercy killing McMurphy(with love) to his being able to do what McMurphy could not(lift the water unit), the crowd went from sadness to exhilaration. On the crashing of the unit through the window...cheers to the end of the movie, to the end of the CREDITS.
A great night at the movies. I'll never forget it.
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