March 9, 2006

I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1968) huge finale


The Harold Fine residence


"Kiss my eyes...kiss....my ankh...










"How old are you kid?"


"I am 35 years of age, sir. I am 35 years old. That's my age."




"It's my car. I bought it with money I earned while I was leading a terrible life."


Harold: You don't have to do what you're doing, you know. You don't have to wear a gun on your hip. I used to wear a gun in my heart, not on my hip. Where are you going? Do you know who you are? Flower in the crannied wall, I pluck you out of the crannies...

Cop: Oh, pluck yourself, Jack. Why don't you get a haircut and an apartment?

Harold: But I have an apartment. I had an apartment. I chose to be here.

Cop: Well you'd better not be here when we come back.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE REAL WORLD:

"What you've just been through is a long engagement. What you need is a hot affair...enjoy yourself. Have some sex."

Murray, no doubt, has someone specific in mind.



"Free press!"


"Hi, would you like a free press...Murray!


"Harold!!"

Harold returns home, to Nancy, at his reclaimed apartment.

According to Leigh Taylor-Young's website, those jeans were "provided by Warner Bros wardrobe department," and, "worn by James Dean during filming of Rebel Without a Cause."

He didn't look quite as hot in them.

Pics via Leigh Taylor-Young's website


Harold's apartment has gone through the same transformation he has.


Can you find Brian Jones?


Nancy's mixin' up some of those groovy brownies.



Nancy wants to go see the latest Warhol flick, Mondo Teeth (not a real film). All Harold wants to do is take a bath.

Rudy Vallee: Heigh Ho
Ho Chi Minh: Hi Rudy


Harold's bath is interrupted by, from left to right, El Greco, Big Bear, and Lovelady. Harold is beginning to see that being a hippie may not be all it's cracked up to be.

The following three pictures are per fuzzball's request:



You're welcome. In advance.

The hippies begin to pile up.







a fine mess


Harold: Hey Herbie (his little brother).

Herbie: Hi, Harold.

Harold: When did you get here?

Herbie: Last Thursday. Very, very, very, very groovy scene.


Harold: Why are you painting him?

Nancy: Because I like him.

Harold: I thought you liked me.

Nancy: I like you too.

The hippies are crawling out of the woodwork.



Hunter S. Thompson's older, wormier brother?


That was a very married scene out there (his confronting her about the body painting), Harold. It was very unhip."


"Don't tell me about hip. I'm so hip, it hurts! That's how hip I am!"


Big Bear doesn't miss a meal.


Mom arrives.


Mom: Some of those delicious brownies!

Harold: Hey, don't eat those, ma. Those are Alice B. Toklas brownies!

Mom: Mmmm, I love you, Alice B. Toklas! Who was Alice B. Toklas?

Harold: Gertrude Stein's friend, ma...

Mom: I know Gertrude Stein. She used to live on Oakwood.

AND NOW, HAROLD FINE HAS A BAD TRIP:


Back to normal. Back to earth.


Perhaps Harold has learned that freedom without responsibility isn't groovy, man.




Harold and Joyce pick up where they left off, trying to make the earth move.


Their wedding-a day, take two.


Harold looks a bit uncertain...


Herbie, wearing a traditional Indian wedding ritual outfit, watches Harold, closely.


Here we go?


....and, no. Harold tucks tail and runs. Again.




"I knew it. I knew it!"




Paul Mazursky, in another cameo, asks: "Hey! Where you going, man?"


"I don't know...I DON'T know!"


"I don't know, and I DON'T CARE!!"



10 comments:

Chris said...

Yes, yes I am. I am a bad, bad man.

You might like the movie if you actually saw it, as opposed to my take. But, it was pretty weird. I love Peter Sellers (hairy back, and all). Without him, it would have been awful.

Anonymous said...

Wow ! Well done !

Chris said...

Muchas gracias!

Anonymous said...

awesome recap! this is one of my favorite films...let's see what else ya' got!

Chris said...

hey gertrude. thanks! its one of my faves as well. i need to redo the videos for this post.

Unknown said...

Just watched this on DVD after not seeing it for decades.

My girlfriend interpreted the ending differently -- she thought that everything after the first wedding had happened only in Harold's mind, that the second wedding was really still the first wedding. She pointed out that everyone was dressed the same way. (I didn't check, I'll take her word for it.) Does anyone know for sure what the writer/director intended?

Anonymous said...

What a groovy way to spend my Saturday morning!

Chris said...

I glad you dug it, kenna!

Anonymous said...

Worship you for doing this!
My favorite 60's movie ever. I may have missed it, but in case you didn't say it, the wedding scenes are shot upstairs at Canter's and he's running down Fairfax towards the news stand in the last shot...if he kept running one more mile, he'd be at Farmer's Market where Paul Mazurski still regularly hangs out 40 years later!

Shell said...

Loving all the screencaps. Just saw the movie tonight. It was interesting.