High Anxiety
Short description
High Anxiety follows Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke, a psychiatrist who takes over as head of a Los Angeles institute for the very, very nervous. He soon notices that the staff behave strangely and that troubling events surround the place, including the suspicious circumstances in which his predecessor left. When Thorndyke is accused of a crime, he must clear himself while wrestling with his own fear of heights.
Mel Brooks directed, produced and stars in the film, which he wrote with Barry Levinson and Ron Clark. It was his fifth feature as director, arriving after Silent Movie and before History of the World: Part I. Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, Ron Carey and Howard Morris round out the main cast. Brooks plays the lead himself, the anxious doctor, rather than leaving the central role to another performer.
Made for about 4 million dollars, the comedy took in roughly 31 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.6 out of 10 from around 26,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.4 from just over 400. A critics' score of 6.7 from 31 reviews places it slightly above the audience figure on IMDb. The film mixes comedy with crime, mystery and thriller elements.
What's left behind the scenes
- Alfred Hitchcock wanted to add a scene to the film where the protagonist, played by director, writer, and producer Mel Brooks, attempts to escape from a killer. While running, he jumps into a moving boat, only to quickly realize it is heading toward the shore. Brooks liked the idea, but budget and time constraints prevented it from being implemented.
- Alfred Hitchcock's only critical remark concerned the shower scene: when the curtain is ripped down, it is held by 13 rings, whereas in the similar scene from his horror film "Psycho" (1960), there are only 10.
- For the production of this film, director, writer, and producer Mel Brooks hired the same bird trainer who had worked for Alfred Hitchcock on the horror film "The Birds" (1963).
- The protagonist, played by Mel Brooks, is informed that a certain "Mr. MacGuffin" has requested a different room. For Alfred Hitchcock, "MacGuffins" were plot devices that helped drive the story forward but carried no additional inherent meaning.
- Albert Whitlock appeared in a small role on screen. This was also one of the many references to Alfred Hitchcock, as Whitlock had acted in several of Hitchcock's horror films.
- Gene Wilder was initially planned for the lead role, but he was unable to participate due to his commitments to other projects.
- Instead of bird droppings, mayonnaise mixed with finely chopped spinach was used.
- Once, a nanny hired by producer Jonathan Sanger to look after his children gave him a script written by her acquaintance and his friend. Sanger liked the script and passed it on to Mel Brooks. David Lynch directed the film "The Elephant Man" based on it in 1980, with Sanger and Brooks serving as producers.
- As a tribute to the work of the famous director Alfred Hitchcock, the film contains references to a dozen of the master's pictures. Before the film's release, director, screenwriter, and producer Mel Brooks arranged a special screening for Hitchcock. Hitchcock left the screening without saying a word to him. Brooks assumed that he didn't like the movie. A few days later, Brooks received a case of wine sent by Hitchcock in the mail. Hitchcock knew that Brooks was a wine lover and connoisseur. Upon opening the case, Brooks realized that his first impression had been wrong.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
