I recently had the chance to catch this on the small screen. Bizarre, but very worthwhile, I hope this one soon receives a deluxe restoration DVD treatment (or any really, I don't think it's ever been released in any format in the US). I really like Penn's 60s-70s work quite a bit, although this was quite unlike any of his other films; there's a definite French new wave influence and the story is told in an extemporaneous manner, quite like Stan Getz's improvisational sax solos which are liberally featured throughout.

Penn's first collaboration with Beatty is pretty great -- seeing this makes me wish for an alternate-world version of Little Big Man with Beatty taking on the Hoffman role (he was only a few months older than Dustin; certainly would have made the scene with Mrs. Pendrake even more interesting). In Mickey One, Beatty shines as the paranoid comedian on the run from the mob and Penn use that premise as an existential study of a man whose only crime is "being guilty of not being innocent." I think a case can be made that this little-seen effort provided a blueprint of sorts for many of the conspiracy theory films produced in subsequent decades.

Ghislain Cloquet's black and white cinematography is some of the best I've seen. The surreal touches and quirky characters were unexpected but a nice touch. The bit with the Japanese performance artist was especially inspired. Would like to hear more thoughts on this film. Has anyone here seen it?

A very underrated film -- attacked in its time for being "arty." Well good. "Arty" is teriffic. Though Beatty didn't produce this is very much his movie and I'm sure he had more than a small hand in everything. In some ways the story might be likened to the Kafka version of The Lenny Bruce Story.

Cloquet's cinematography is indeed terrific, as its the Eddie Sauter/Stan Getz score. It's also one of Alexandra Stewart's few important english language films and Hurd Hatfield is amazing.

Teddy Hart is Lorenz Hart's brother -- and looks quite like him.

Is best enjoyed as a double feature with Skolimowski's Bariera.

Also worthy of honorable mention Hurd Hatfield (reprised from the Left Handed Gun) who plays the gay bar manager.

The extremely repressed gay bar manager. Actually it's a night club. He wants Mickey but can't bring himself to act upon his desires.

I was reading about this film recently in Robert Kolker's somewhat clinical, though thoroughly absorbing study of contemporary American Cinema - A Cinema of Loneliness and it certainly sounds intriguing. Ghislain Cloquet was one of great French cinematographers and this film was the first of only three english language films that he shot. In addition to the French New Wave, Citizen Kane is said to have been a massive influence on the film's style and like that film, Mickey One was deemed to be far too self-indulgent by many critics and in those days, there was nothing critics hated more than a self-indulgent film and it never had a wide release. In November 1995, Columbia, with the assistance of the UCLA Film Archives, released a 1.85:1 Laserdisc which must have had very few pressings as it seems to be very rare.

Arthur Penn made some fascinating and powerful films, but he got fucked around a lot - fired from The Train; Mickey One barely being released; the softening of the script of The Chase; Brando monkeying around on The Missouri Breaks and I think he became very disillusioned with it all, which is a shame as he was clearly a unique talent.

http://ehrensteinland.com/htmls/bride/g ... penn.shtml

is a remarkable and ill-used talent. His last film was the barely released Penn and Teller Get Killed.

I was playing back Penn's commentary track on the Warner Left Handed Gun - he's still pretty punchy and interesting, but sounds alarmingly like he's in ill health. He has a terrible wheeze and breathlessness rather like Marius Goring's emphesymic bit of commentary on the Criterion Red Shoes.

You had me at hello. Now I've gotta see this.

I was surprised to see that Left Handed Gun has a track by Penn, as I was under the impression that he was averse to doing them. Warner should have asked him to record one for Night Moves - perhaps they did. If Mickey One ever finds its way to home video again - which I doubt, as its Sony - I'd really love to hear Penn's thoughts on the film and its reception.

Actually I'm not surprised in that Gore Vidal, who wrote the original screenplay, hates the film. That's why he had it remade as Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid a few years back.

A beautiful new print of Mickey One started at MoMA tonight with Penn introducing the film. It plays for a week, kicking off the museum's "Jazz Score" exhibit that lasts until September.

The opening ten minutes of Mickey One is on You Tube. Looks great - striking composition, deep focus and expressive locations. Yeah, I snap up a DVD of this in a millisecond.

A great film, whose greatness deepens as the years go on. Though he didn't produce it you can sense Warren Beatty's input throughout. This isn't just another performance. Ghislan Cloquet's black and white cinematography is as exquisite as the score. Hurd Hatfield, Alexandra Stewart and Teddy Hart (Lorenz Hart's kid bother) are perfect.

Basically it's the Franz Kafka version of the Lenny Bruce Story.

"Is there any word from the Lord?"

Arthur Penn interview at The Speakeasy about the MOMA screening of Mickey One which starts at the 36:50 minute mark.

Now on Hulu for free viewing!