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Actors: Barbara Streisand, Ryan O'Neal
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about What's Up, Doc? |
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The plot involves four identical suitcases being accidentally switched and mixed up: case #1 contains rocks belonging to a musicologist Howard Bannister (Ryan O'Neal); suitcase #2 is full of diamonds belonging to Mrs Van Hosten, an elderly millionaire; suitcase #3 has clothes, nothing special, belonging to the sexy Judy Maxwell (Barbra Streisand), and suitcase #4 has confidential government papers.
The fun starts when the owners of all these four cases arrive at the same hotel. The hotel staff wants to steal the diamonds, an FBI agent wants to get a hold of the government documents, and Judy Maxwell wants to win Howard Bannister's heart, not at all discouraged by the fact that he is traveling with his fiancée.
--Laura Southcombe, Resident Scholar
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Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal and Madeline Kahn in her hilarious film debut in a stunning slapstick chase around San Francisco involving five identical travel cases, each containing a variety of objects that the other two dozen featured characters in the story want to get their hands on.
--Steven J. Urbanowicz, Resident Scholar
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Howard Bannister, professor of musicology (O'Neal), has come to San Francisco to compete for a research grant. He has in tow a red plaid suitcase full of igneous rocks (his theory is that primitive humans made music with them). Wild and unpredictable college dropout Judy Maxwell (Streisand), who sows chaos wherever she goes, espies this promising hunk of manhood and decides he's the guy for her -- never mind the stuffy fiancee named Eunice (Kahn) who's with him. Judy's suitcase is identical red plaid. But that's not all: other guests at the Hotel Bristol include a wealthy woman with a red plaid suitcase full of jewelry, and a government whistle blower carrying stolen top secret papers in -- you guessed it -- a red plaid suitcase. Jewel thieves and government agents steal the latter two suitcases, but they naturally get mixed up with the first two, and a huge chase across the city ensues. Kenneth Mars plays Howard's rival, Hugh Simon. Watch for Randy Quaid as Professor Hosquith, and M. Emmet Walsh as an arresting officer. Despite an impressive pedigree -- the characters of stuffy prof and wild damsel come from "Bringing Up Baby" and Buck Henry and Robert Benton were among the writers of the script -- this 1972 film directed by Peter Bogdanovich is a hilarious but lightweight and forgettable piece of fluff.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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A 1970's remake of "Bringing Up Baby". Judy, a professional student, decides to get a free meal out of a hotel by pretending to be a guest. There she meets Howard, a musicologist attending a music convention at the hotel, and commences the distruction of his engagement to his overbearing fiance, Eunice. Judy's travel bag full of underwear happens to be identical to Howard's bag full of igneous rocks, which is identical to a bag full of jewels the hotel detective is trying to steal from a rich lady, as well as a bag full of secret government documents a journalist is trying to steal. Normally all would have turned out as could be expected, the bags of jewels and docutments stolen by their respective theives, but since Judy brings a bit of chaos everywhere she goes, all the bags are mixed up and a humourous chace ensues from the hotel through the streets of San Fransisco from the slums to a ritzy mansion, through a chines dragon, off a pier, and finally to a court room, where Judy's true identity is revealed and all bags are returned to their rightful owners. A funny movie.
--sayruh, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of What's Up, Doc? |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Comedy, primarily
Yes
Time/era of movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Kind of comedy
- romantic comedy
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- unemployed
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn straight
Body type
- (woman) ample bosom & buttocks
Events of movie makes character more...
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (man) short/standard wavey
Body type
- (man) muscular
Unclothed?
- chest
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- general circumstances
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
City?
Yes
City:
- San Francisco
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- full of laughter
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
Any profanity?
- None
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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