Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad (1967)

THE CULT FILM THAT NEVER WAS

A zany black comedy about a typical family consisting of a domineering mother (Rosalind Russell), two man-eating piranhas, several Venus flytraps, a baby son - aged twenty-five! (Robert Morse), a lecherous babysitter (Barbara Harris), and a father (Jonathan Winters) who just happens to be a stuffed corpse hanging in the closet!

Based on the hit play by Arthur L. Kopit, Oh Dad is a blending of riotous comedy with dramatic elements that move within close range of tragedy. Black-as-pitch, hysterical and sadly ignored upon its initial release, the film boasts a terrific cast headed by the brilliant Russell, (Auntie Mame), who has seldom been funnier as the acid tongued Madame Rosepettle. Right in step is the incandescent Ms. Harris reprising her stage role as Rosalie the hotel babysitter -- and Madame Rosepettle's arch-nemesis.

The humor strikes unexpectedly in an incongruous world where human confusion is sensitively examined, yet treated with a marvelously irreverent and satirical touch. At turns eccentric, experimental and awful, it's a surprise that this witty attack on momism ever got made, particuarly by a major studio.

Oh Dad, Poor Dad... is the cult film that never was. June 17, 2007

If you're a if you want to wallow in the bad seek out OH DAD

I don't think I'll ever understand the 60's? What a wacky time! Somewhere between civil rights marches, Vietnam, moon landings, LSD, and the myriad of other things that came put of that time, also came some of the oddest movies ever. Major studio's seemed to be dumping large sums of money into strange films some that come to mind, Otto Preminger Skidoo, The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour, and the film I'm about to review, OH DAD, POOR DAD, MAMMA'S HUNG YOU IN THE CLOSET AND I'M FEELING SO SAD.

The film based on the stage play by Arthur L. Kopit (The Stage Musical PHANTOM, not to be confused with Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical.) and stars veteran character actor Rosalind Russell (His Girl Friday) as Madame Rosepettle. Madame Rosepettle is an eccentric overbearing women. She's the kind of women who sucks the air out of any room she's enters. She has many strange quirks like that fact that she has two Venus flytraps she loves to take care of and a tank full of Piranhas that eat Siamese cats. Oh yeah and when her husband died she had him stuffed and she keeps him in a closet.

Her son Johnathan (Robert Morse, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) is 24 years old and act like he's five. His mother keeps him indoors at all time, keeping him busy with stamp collections, edited books, and a telescope.

As the film begins we watch as Madame Rosepettle and her son land in Jamaica. They are staying at a first class resort for the summer. There they meet the beautiful Rosalie (Barbara Harris, Gorse Pointe Blank), the resorts baby sitter whom falls for Johnathan and Commodore Roseabove (Hugh Griffith, Start the Revolution Without Me) a crazy ship captain who pines for Madam Rosepettle. All these characters meet up and well, all hell breaks loose.

Did I forget to mention Johnathan Winters receives top billing in this film as Dad the Narrator?

This film is bad, but it has too much spunk to be unwatchable. It is vibrant; the story has life, and the actors all do a great job of creating these lively and humorous and malajusted characters. What weighs the film down into mediocrity is Johnathan Winters. He does narrate this film. But not the story, he narrates the action, and every time he does we see this small freeze frame of his face pop up on screen. A gimmick that stops the film cold dead in its tracks, I'll bet some Paramount bigwig said this movie makes no sense, we have one of the biggest comedians of the day why waste him in such a small role. There are perfect comedic and dramatic beats in this film destroyed by Winters banal comments.

The single greatest sequence in the film is a short silent movie narrated by Madame Rosepettle. It's so perfect, it so crazy, and it is flawless in delivery. It in of itself would make a fascinating short.

Honestly, this film is the comedic answer to Psycho. It's about a boy's relationship to his crazy mother. It's kinda funny, but Robert Morse also has a stunning resemblance to Anthony Perkins. It's not Psycho, it isn't anywhere close, but it's a lot of campy fun and in the same vein. If you like great bad movies, I'd try to track down a copy of this film.

If you're a if you want to wallow in the bad seek out OH DAD, POOR DAD, MAMMA'S HUNG YOU IN THE CLOSET AND I'M FEELING SO SADfan of camp, August 2, 2003

What happened?

This is a very funny comedy although the version available on VHS (1984 Paramount) suffers from revisons that lighten the original "darker" tone of the movie version released in 1966.

Some of the changes include: omission of the "garbage scow" sea captain, poisoning of the sea captain, and the knife murder of the...baby sitter; and (it has been years) but I don't recall the "canned sitcom" music track in the original film either, and Jonathan Winters' comments seem to have been replaced with less biting versions than the originals. What happened? June 4, 2002

"Corpse delight!"

This hysterical black, black comedy was all too soon ignored by everyone. Do yourself a favor - Roz Russell? Remember "Auntie Mame"? Well, this gal has never been better as the acid tongued mother [mild acid, you know], together with her disfunctional family [includes Robert Morse, the brilliant Jonathan Winters, Barbara Harris - another "treasure"], on vacation somewhere in the Caribbean - just watch out for the 25 year old baby! It is alive with joy, and probably in some vague way will remind you of the TV series "Dinosaurs" ["gotta love the baby!"]. Make sense? Not really, it's just there for sheer enjoyment, and a long lost jewel just waiting to be rediscovered. This is a "Must have" for any avid collector. [Based on the play by Arthur L. Kopit]. Oh, and Dad? He is somewhere, embalmed, neatly ensconced in the coffin, in the closet! Well worth watching! August 28, 2001

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