What's So Bad About Feeling Good?

What's So Bad About Feeling Good?
Directed by George Seaton
Produced by George Seaton
Written by Robert Pirosh
George Seaton
Based on novel "I Am Thinking of My Darling" by Vincent McHugh
Starring George Peppard
Mary Tyler Moore
Jeanne Arnold
Dom DeLuise
Gillian Spencer
Music by Frank De Vol
Cinematography Ernesto Caparrós
Edited by Alma Macrorie
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release dates
  • 1968 (1968)
Running time
 94 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $2 million[1]

What's So Bad About Feeling Good? is the title of a 1968 comedy film, starring George Peppard, Mary Tyler Moore, Jeanne Arnold, Dom DeLuise and Gillian Spencer.

A box office disappointment, it was directed by George Seaton, whose next film, Airport, would become the second highest-grossing film of 1970.

The film has never been released on video or DVD.

Plot

Pete (George Peppard) is a former advertising executive living a Beatnik–Bohemian life in a loft in New York City. Since living in the commune, Pete has turned into a cynical, misanthropic artist. The members of the commune are seemingly aimless, indolent or melancholy while waiting for the world to end; one member (Gillian Spencer) lives her life in a burlap sack, with only her bare feet protruding.

One day, a wayward toucan arrives at the loft. The toucan, which stowed away on a Greek banana boat from South America, carries a unique and highly contagious virus. The virus causes intense feelings of giddiness, happiness, and kindness in anyone affected by it.

Pete and the members of his loft all catch the virus and in an outbreak of euphoria, suddenly sense a purpose in their lives. They keep the toucan, nicknaming it "Amigo". They then decide to spread the virus to as many people as they can in New York City. Pete's girlfriend Liz (Mary Tyler Moore) doesn't know it, but she is the only loft member immune to the virus. Pete, also not knowing that Liz is immune, plans to trick her into getting infected. He pretends to be the nihilist German philosopher leader of a doomsday cult, popular in the commune, and convinces Liz to let him kiss her. She remains physically immune, but psychosomatic symptoms take over and she responds in kind.

The virus is quickly spread across New York City. Rude telephone clerks are suddenly polite and understanding. Those immune to the virus are also nice, as almost everyone else acts nice to them. Pete shaves, puts on his suit, and returns to his job as an advertising executive. Pete insists, however, all the ads be honest, which gets him fired.

Government leaders determine that the spread of the virus threatens the economic lifeblood of New York City; residents suddenly stop buying alcohol, tobacco or drugs, and the stock exchange and business districts are threatened with collapse if everyone is happy and nice to one another.

J. Gardner Monroe (Dom DeLuise) is sent by the government to New York to stop the outbreak. He arrives wearing a space helmet. After several attempts, a cure is found and the vaccine is dumped into New York's water and gasoline supply. Cured New Yorkers return to their nasty ways, but those immune to the virus, and who only acted nice because others were, remain nice.

Pete, now "cured", desires a return to the loft, while Liz declares she can no longer live in such a way, and liked Pete better when he was "sick". Liz plans to rescue the toucan from the zoo and release him once again. The plan almost fails, but Pete shows up and realizes that feeling good is great. Liz pretends to be pregnant to rescue Amigo and they all escape from the zoo.

Cast

Production

The film was the first in a three-picture deal between Seaton and Universal. The script was written by Seaton and Robert Pirosh who had last worked together on A Day at the Races (1937). Filming was meant to start in 1966 but was pushed back until the following year. "For those of us who've been in analysis, it'll be a lot of fun," said George Peppard, who signed to play the male lead.[2] His so-star was Mary Tyler Moore, then under long term contract to Universal.

"This picture is now comedy, influenced by the new wave," said Seaton. "There's not so much emphasis on the story and everything tying in anymore. Sometimes there's a scene almost extraneous but if it is entertaining or extraneous audiences accept this. Today's comedy writing mirrors the times. It's much harder to make people laugh today because of the world conditions. The young certainly don't have much to laugh about. So humor in film has to be so wild, so outlandish, that you can't help but laugh. The sophisticated humor of 20 years ago, the Noel Coward type of thing is not today. Not now."[3]

The film was shot entirely on location in New York. The co operation of Mayor John Lindsay meant it was the first film to be shot in New York City Hall.[3]

Analysis

What's So Bad About Feeling Good? represents juxtaposition of the concepts of "normal" and "sick." The "sick" people are the ones who act nice, while the normal ones are mean and cutthroat. The film is also a slight departure from Mary Tyler Moore's candy-coated image. The film, made between the end of The Dick Van Dyke Show and the premier of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, features Mary, at least in the opening scenes, living together with a man in a hippie commune, pretending to be pregnant in order to hide the toucan, and has, perhaps the only time in her career, a sex scene. (The screen is black and only the audio is heard.) Several actors in this film went on to successful TV careers including Moore, Peppard (The A-Team), Cleavon Little (Temperature's Rising), Dom DeLuise (Candid Camera) and Susan St. James (McMillan and Wife). Catskills comedian Morty Gunty has a small role as a policeman named Officer Gunty.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Reed, Rex (4 June 1967). "Two Beatniks Become Better People". New York Times. p. X11.
  2. ↑ Reed, Rex (10 July 1966). "A Nice Guy, Cast As a Movie Star". New York Times. p. 81.
  3. 1 2 Wigle, Shari (14 Apr 1968). "George Seaton Turns On Manhattan in New Comedy: Seaton Turns Manhattan On". Los Angeles Times. p. n16.
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