After incurring the wrath of the mob, a comic flees Detroit for Chicago taking the name "Mickey One." As he returns to the stage and becomes successful, he fears that the mob will track him down. He wishes to square himself with the mob, but doesn't know what he did to anger them or what his debt is.

Comments:
'Author: Infofreak from Perth, Australia


Director Arthur Penn and Star Warren Beatty were the team behind 'Bonnie And Clyde', a movie which literally exploded on to Hollywood screens in 1967, and caused some serious repercussions still being felt today. There's no argument from me that 'Bonnie And Clyde' is a milestone, and definitely a modern classic. But I have heard hardly anyone mention Penn and Beatty's previous collaboration 'Mickey One' released two years earlier. In its own way this movie is just as stunning, yet it is almost forgotten and unseen. I had been curious about the movie for some time and was ecstatic when I stumbled across an old VHS copy in my local video store (apparently it was never released on video in the US, this is certainly not the case here in Australia). I must say this was one of the most original and surprising movies I've ever seen. It reminded me in some ways of Boorman's 'Point Blank' and Seijun Suzuki's 'Tokyo Drifter' and 'Branded To Kill' ( all of which it predates by the way) in the way that it uses a genre crime film as an excuse for some mind-blowing visuals and ideas. 'Mickey One' shares a similar stylized surrealism and hip approach to the aforementioned, though they are all quite different films in other ways. Warren Beatty is an actor I have long lost interest in, but the movie reminds you of just how good he was in his heyday. The rest of the cast is eclectic and interesting and includes Canadian beauty Alexandra Stewart, veteran character actor Jeff Corey and an unforgettable appearance by Kamatari Fujiwara as an enigmatic performance artist in one of the movies most striking sequences. Beatty plays "The Comic" a wise-cracking comedian in the Lenny Bruce/Mort Sahl mold who finds himself on the run from the mob. He drifts along keeping an extremely low profile and doing odd jobs, before the lure of the stage proves to be too strong to ignore. He starts performing again under the name Mickey One, but as his reputation increases he becomes extremely paranoid wondering where/if/when his past will catch up to him with (presumably) fatal consequences. I see others who have seen this film have mentioned Kafka, others Fellini, and many have commented on the jazz influence (Sax legend Stan Getz is a featured soloist on the soundtrack). I can see what everyone is getting at, but those comparisons and the others I have made, really give you little idea of just how special and unique this movie is. If you get the opportunity to watch it please do so, as I believe you will be impressed. There are many contenders for "the great lost 1960s movie" and 'Mickey One' is as good as any. A truly remarkable movie that deserves to be rediscovered. '

Directed by
Arthur Penn

Writing credits
Alan M. Surgal

Cast (in credits order)
Warren Beatty .... The Comic/Mickey One
Alexandra Stewart .... Jenny
Hurd Hatfield .... Castle
Franchot Tone .... Rudy Lopp
Teddy Hart .... Berson
Jeff Corey .... Fryer
Kamatari Fujiwara .... The Artist
Donna Michelle .... The Girl
Ralph Foody .... Police Captain
Norman Gottschalk .... The Evangelist
Richard Lucas .... Employment Agent
Jack Goodman .... Cafe Manager
Jeri Jensen .... Helen
Charlene Lee .... The Singer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dick Baker .... Boss at Shaley's
Gus Christy .... Bartender
David Crane .... Art Gallery Patron
Denise Darnell .... Stripper
Benny Dunn .... Nightclub Comic
David Eisen .... Desk Clerk
Tom Erhardt
Michael Fish .... Italian Restauranteur
Jason Fithian .... Jake Duffy
Dink Freeman .... Xanadu M.C.
Boris Gregurevitch .... Kismet Comic
Bill Koza .... Art Gallery Patron (as William Koza)
Greg Louis .... Bartender
Jan Marsh .... Dancer
James Middleton .... Iggie
Lew Prentiss .... Kismet Boss
Robert Sickinger .... Policeman
Helen Witkowski .... Landlady

Runtime: 93 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Sound Mix: Mono
Certification: Finland:K-16 / Sweden:15

Awards: 1 nomination
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