Sign-In
Cart
Comedy is a Grim Business: The Making of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Paperback
Publisher: Emmarac Editions
Published: Jun 30 2026
Pages: 412
Weight: 1.21
Height: 0.84 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
It was the most audacious idea ever for a movie-four hours long, with two intermissions, a glittering all-star cast, and a world-class moviemaker-produced at a cost completely unheard of for, of all things, a comedy. And not just any comedy, but the comedy to end all comedies.
To make such a film a reality, it would take a director with stature, assurance, and, most importantly, a deal that would effectively allow him to make whatever he wished. A man without fear, a man with a gambling spirit and a go-for-broke attitude. And, as it turned out, a man who had never before directed a comedy.
Covering a span of more than sixty years, this is the incredible story of a movie unlike any other-from inspiration to gestation to funding, casting, production, international release, and, eventually, restoration. A picture so big an equally unique theater, the first of its kind in the world, had to be designed and constructed just to hold it. And then came an improbable afterlife that carried it well into the next century.
The epic comedy that was It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World premiered amid an explosion of hard ticket roadshow attractions, movies with overtures, intermissions, reserved seats, and extravagant running times.
The cast list of Mad World read like a who's who of twentieth century comedic greatness. Eddie Rochester Anderson, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Jimmy Durante, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, and Jonathan Winters were among the principals, as were relative civilians Spencer Tracy, Peter Falk, Ethel Merman, and Dorothy Provine. Among those appearing in supporting parts and cameos were Jim Backus, Ben Blue, Joe E. Brown, William Demarest, Andy Devine, Paul Ford, Leo Gorcey, Sterling Holloway, Edward Everett Horton, Don Knotts, Buster Keaton, and The Three Stooges. Minta Durfee Arbuckle, the first wife of silent clown Fatty Arbuckle, worked as an extra on the picture. Jack Benny and Jerry Lewis made their appearances without billing.
The success of such a movie was in no way guaranteed. Now, for the first time, Comedy is a Grim Business tells the whole surprising story of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the three extraordinary people at the creative center of the project, the pitfalls of attempting such a thing, the timing that was critical in making it happen, and the span of events that stretched from 1951 to the year 2014. And it's a lasting tribute to screenwriters William and Tania Rose and producer-director Stanley Kramer that Mad World is still convulsing audiences wherever it is shown.
Also from
Curtis, James
Machine Learning for High-Risk Applications: Approaches to Responsible AI
Hall, Patrick
Curtis, James
Pandey, Parul
Paperback
Resume Writing 2016: Get the Job You Actually Want-An Ultimate Guide on Resume W
Curtis, James
Paperback
Also in
Filmmaking
Martin Scorsese All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
Schaller, Nicolas
Bousquet, Olivier
Devillard, Arnaud
Hardcover
Godzilla: The First 70 Years: The Official Illustrated History of the Japanese Productions
Ryfle, Steve
Godziszewski, Ed
Hardcover
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
Iger, Robert
Hardcover
Guillermo del Toro: Cabinet of Curiosities [Reissue]: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions
del Toro, Guillermo
Hardcover
Home But Alone No More: A Memoir From the Owner of the House That Made Movie History
Abendshien, John
Paperback
Creativity, Inc. (the Expanded Edition): Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Wallace, Amy
Catmull, Ed
Hardcover
F1 the Movie: The Making of the Most Authentic Racing Film of All Time
Salisbury, Mark
Medland, Chris
Hardcover
Directing Actors - 25th Anniversary Edition: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television
Weston, Judith
Paperback
Barrymore: The Spectacular, Tumultuous Life of America's Prince of Players
Shulman, Terry Chester
Hardcover
Wes Anderson All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
Narbonne, Christophe
Hardcover
Jurassic Park: The Official Script Book: Complete with Annotations and Illustrations
Crichton, Michael
Koepp, David
Mottram, James
Hardcover
Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation
Napier, Susan J.
Paperback
The Making of Wicked: The Amazafying Behind-The-Scenes Magic of Wicked & Wicked: For Good
Bennett, Tara
Hardcover
The Museum of Wes Anderson: His Movies and the Works That Inspired Them
Chiaramonte, Johan
Mathieu, Camille
Hardcover
Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen
Katz, Steve D.
Paperback
Rebel Without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker with $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player
Rodriguez, Robert
Paperback
Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Library Edition)
Katz, Steve D.
Paperback
Shoot Like Wes: A Practical Guide to Creating Your Own Wes Anderson Photography
Woodward, Adam
Paperback
Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking
Atkins, Annie
Paperback
The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age: Fifth Edition
Ascher, Steven
Paperback
Easy Riders Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-And Rock 'n Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
Biskind, Peter
Paperback
Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood's Hidden Genius
Courogen, Carrie
Paperback
The Filmmaker's Eye: Learning (and Breaking) the Rules of Cinematic Composition
Mercado, Gustavo
Paperback
Notes on Directing: 130 Lessons in Leadership from the Director's Chair
Hauser, Frank
Reich, Russell
Paperback
Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only: The Life of America's First Black Filmmaker
McGilligan, Patrick
Paperback
Confessions of a Casting Director: Help Actors Land Any Role with Secrets from Inside the Audition Room
Rudin, Jen
Paperback
Producer to Producer 2nd Edition: A Step-By-Step Guide to Low-Budget Independent Film Producing
Ryan, Maureen
Paperback
The Visual Story: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, Tv, and Digital Media
Block, Bruce
Paperback
Steven Spielberg All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
Devillard, Arnaud
Schaller, Nicolas
Bousquet, Olivier
Hardcover
The Making of Hoosiers: How a Small Movie from the Heartland Became One of America's Favorite Films
Johnson, Gayle L.
Paperback
Jaws 2: The Making of the Hollywood Sequel: Updated and Expanded Edition (hardback)
Smith, Michael A.
Pisano, Louis R.
Hardcover
Sonido Para Directores: Una Guía de Cómo Dirigir el Sonido de tu Película
Alatriste Gamba, Sealtiel
Paperback
Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema
Sonnenschein, David
Paperback
Nights of Dan Curtis, Second Edition: The Television Epics of the Dark Shadows Auteur
Thompson, Jeff
Paperback
Make Your Own Movies: A Beginner's Guide to Filmmaking with Whatever Equipment You Have
Parga, Migue
Paperback
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Steven Spielberg's Classic Film
Morton, Ray
Paperback
Be the Train: The Mindset and Tools You Need to Make Your First Feature Film
Ringel, Selina
Paperback
The Skillful Huntsman: Visual Development of a Grimm Tale at Art Center College of Design
Yamada, Mike
Yoon, Felix
Le, Khang
Paperback
I Got You Covered: The Premier and Fun Guide to Script Coverage, Notes, and Story Analysis
Neufeld, Beverly
Paperback
Rise of the Filmtrepreneur: How to Turn Your Independent Film into a Profitable Business
Ferrari, Alex
Paperback
Hollywood Dealmaking: Negotiating Rights and Talent Agreements for Film, Tv, and Digital Media (Fourth Edition)
Appleton, Dina
Yankelevits, Daniel
Paperback
Future Perfect: An Imaginative Ethnography of Mediterranean Illegalised Migration
D'Onofrio, Alexandra
Hardcover