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What's Up, Doc?

A screwball comedy. Remember them?

1972 · 93 min · Comedy
7.4 Modest
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Comedy Crime Romance

The accidental mix-up of four identical plaid overnight bags leads to a series of increasingly wild and wacky situations.

Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Year
1972
Studio
Saticoy Productions · Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia & behind the scenes

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Origins

The project began when production head John Calley asked Peter Bogdanovich what kind of film he would make with Barbra Streisand, and Bogdanovich proposed a screwball comedy in the style of Bringing Up Baby, featuring a daffy girl and a square professor.

Origins

The film was intended as an homage to comedy films of the 1920s-40s, especially Bringing Up Baby and Warner Bros. Bugs Bunny cartoons, and is only very loosely based on Herman Raucher's 1971 novel A Glimpse of Tiger, using just a few character traits.

Origins

Due to tight scheduling constraints from Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal's other commitments, the script had to be written quickly, with only about three months between commissioning and the start of shooting; two separate writing teams (Robert Benton and David Newman, then Buck Henry) each produced three drafts.

Filming

The San Francisco setting was specifically chosen to allow the filmmakers to stage an elaborate comic spoof of the famous car chase from the 1968 film Bullitt.

Filming

Director Peter Bogdanovich claimed the film's chase sequence alone accounted for one-fourth of the movie's $4 million budget.

Filming

The production did not have city permission to drive cars down the concrete steps of Alta Plaza Park in San Francisco, and the steps were badly damaged during filming, with the scars still visible afterward.

Filming

During filming of the scene where most characters end up in San Francisco Bay, actor Sorrell Booke almost drowned.

Music

As in Bringing Up Baby, all the music in the film is diegetic, meaning there is no non-diegetic underscoring anywhere in the film.

References

The film's final scene shows a screening of the original Looney Tunes cartoon What's Up, Doc?, from which the film's title and Bugs Bunny catchphrase are taken.

Reception

Critic John Simon, known for his harsh reviews, was reportedly the inspiration for the character Hugh Simon in the film, according to director Bogdanovich.

Memorable quotes

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...you are not Burnsy. Burnsy is Burnsy, I mean Eunice is Burnsy, I mean she isn't Burnsy. Nobody is Burnsy.

Dr. Howard Bannister Confused about who Eunice really is.

Do you see this yellow pill? You know what it's for? It's to remind me to take this blue pill!

Judge Maxwell About his medication routine.

For God's sake, don't shoot me, I'm part Italian.

Hugh Simon Pleading for his life.

Snakes, as you know, live in mortal fear of tile.

Fritz Explaining snake behavior.

Tell them to bring straight jacket! In assorted sizes!

Judge Maxwell Losing control of the situation.

You've made me smash my Life Savers.

Judge Maxwell After an accident.

What do you think I am, a piece of ripe fruit you can squeeze the juice out of and cast aside?

Judy Maxwell Expressing indignation.

Well, there's not much to see actually, we're inside a Chinese dragon.

Dr. Howard Bannister Explaining their predicament.

The point is, the point is... oh god, I've forgotten my point.

Dr. Howard Bannister Mid-explanation.

Don't kick those rocks, you Philistine!

Eunice Burns Defending the rocks.

The slight mistake, Mesdames and Messieurs, is in the so-called identity of these alleged colleagues. I don't know who he is, but she is definitely not herself.

Hugh Simon Making a revelation.

I know how you feel, mister. I hate it when my igneous rocks are even touched!

Taxi Driver Commiserating about rocks.

I will get to the bottom of this if it takes me the rest of my life, which may end at any minute!

Judge Maxwell Determined but morbidly minded.

There is no Hans. There is only me, Fritz.

Fritz Revealing his identity.

It so happens, Mr. Simon, that Howard has had discussions with Leonard Bernstein about the possibility of conducting an avalanche ... in E flat.

Judy Maxwell About Howard's musical ambitions.

I find that story as difficult to swallow as I do this potage au gelée.

Hugh Simon Skeptical about a story.

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