WHAT'S UP, DOC? (1972) ** Ryan O'Neal, determinedly acting as nerdly as he can possibly figure out (it's obvious enough that he never paid any attention to them), nontheless has Madeline Kahn and Barbra Streisand fighting over him. I give up. In an apparent effort to inject the farce with any sense of reality they dress Madeline up in a tent, and give her the dumbest bangs ever. Barbra, on the other hand, is presented a hybrid of Bugs Bunny and a San Francisco libertine. If I had to say, I'd say that Babs had a bit more difficulty with the former. Kenneth Mars disupts, more than steals, his scenes by behaving so boorishly that it's almost funny. Mabel Albertson finally gets a role in which she wrestles a house detective through the hallways of a posh hotel, and throws a hissy fit in its lobby wearing only her nightclothes. Liam Dunn portrays everyjudge, all at the same time. For all the notable actors, the primary imprimatur on the piece is that of Peter Bogdanovich, perhaps two drinks beyond the moment of impending imbalance between being witty, and perceiving one's self as witty. Still, you have to give them a point or two for obiviousness: a '72 San Francisco film that never even mentions Jerry!? Also notable for the Chinese dragon chase, and an anarchist's conception of civil procedure.
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