Crazy Mama is a 1975 American action comedy film, directed by Jonathan Demme, produced by Julie Corman and starring Cloris Leachman. It marked the film debuts of Bill Paxton and Dennis Quaid.
Crazy Mama | |
---|---|
Directed by | Jonathan Demme |
Screenplay by | Robert Thom |
Story by | Frances Doel |
Produced by | Julie Corman |
Starring | Cloris Leachman Stuart Whitman Ann Sothern Linda Purl Jim Backus Donny Most |
Cinematography | Bruce Logan |
Edited by | Allan Holzman Lewis Teague |
Music by | Snotty Scotty and The Hankies |
Distributed by | New World Pictures |
Release date | June 1975 |
Running time | 83 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $2.3 million[1] |
Box office | $2.3 million (United States and Canada rental)[2][3] |
The film focuses on a beauty parlor owner and her family, who lose their belongings to repossession. The trio of women soon start a crime spree. Their confrontation with law enforcement officers ends in a shootout.
In 1958 Long Beach, California, Melba Stokes is a beauty parlor owner, living with her mother Sheba and daughter Cheryl. They flee when landlord Mr. Albertson comes to demand the back rent and repossess their belongings.
On the road, heading back to Arkansas to reclaim the family farm, the Stokes women begin a crime spree. They rob a gas station first, then head for Las Vegas. In pursuit of pregnant Cheryl is her boyfriend, Shawn, while Melba meets up with a runaway Texas sheriff, Jim Bob Trotter. Further battles with the law along the way eventually lead to a shootout in which Jim Bob and others are killed. Melba is left alone, on the lam, but begins life again in a new town with a new look.
The original director was Shirley Clarke but she was fired ten days prior to filming and Demme (who had been preparing Fighting Mad for Corman[4]) took over. Among the changes Demme made was to the ending, which was originally to have all the leading characters die. Producer Julie Corman gave birth to her first child during production.[1]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 12 reviews are positive, and the average rating is 6.5/10.[5]
On December 17, 2010, Shout! Factory released the title on DVD, packaged as a double feature with The Lady In Red, as part of the Roger Corman Cult Classics collection.[6]