Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- irreverent
- exuberant
- breezy
- lazy sunday
- classic comedy night
What critics said
Critics and exhibitors broadly recognized the film's capacity for laughs and strong first-run appeal, while reactions varied sharply according to tolerance for Olsen and Johnson's deliberately broad comic style.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Olsen and Johnson are rejected by Universal and respond by renting a lot to produce their own pictures, creating a comic production crisis.
The film foregrounds Olsen and Johnson's established slapstick persona and buffoonish screen energy.
Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson are credited as playing themselves, making their celebrity identities part of the comic premise.
The protagonists seek studio backing, rent an independent movie lot, and rely on a supposedly wealthy financier who is actually broke.
Films like Crazy House, and why
Hellzapoppin'
shared anarchic slapstick, musical-comedy energy, and performers playing heightened versions of themselves
The Cocoanuts
shared studio satire, backstage chaos, and exuberant musical comedy
The Great Dictator
shared old-Hollywood show-business setting, broad comedy, and musical performance numbers
Movie Details
- Director
- Edward F. Cline
- Release Date
- 1943-10-08
- Runtime
- 80 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (4)
Cast
- Ole Olsen
- Chic Johnson
- Cass Daley
- Martha O'Driscoll
- Patric Knowles
- Percy Kilbride
- Hans Conried
- Shemp Howard
- Basil Rathbone
- Nigel Bruce
Common questions
- What is Crazy House about?
- A riotous Olsen and Johnson musical comedy turns rejected studio hopefuls, a rented movie lot, and a bogus millionaire into an engine of cinematic mayhem.
- What is Crazy House like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Crazy House as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Crazy House violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Crazy House.
- What did critics think of Crazy House?
- Critics and exhibitors broadly recognized the film's capacity for laughs and strong first-run appeal, while reactions varied sharply according to tolerance for Olsen and Johnson's deliberately broad comic style.
- Which films are like Crazy House?
- Films with a similar feel include Hellzapoppin', The Cocoanuts, and The Great Dictator.
- How long is Crazy House?
- Crazy House runs 80 minutes.
