Crazy Mama (1975)

86% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
33% of users liked it
(830 ratings)

Cloris Leachman stars as Melba, a woman with whom violence is a way of life, in Jonathan Demme's high-pitched "B"-movie Crazy Mama. The film spans three decades in the violent life of Melba, beginning in Jerusalem, Arkansas in 1932, when law enforcers kill her father (Clint Kimbrough), turning her… More Cloris Leachman stars as Melba, a woman with whom violence is a way of life, in Jonathan Demme's high-pitched "B"-movie Crazy Mama. The film spans three decades in the violent life of Melba, beginning in Jerusalem, Arkansas in 1932, when law enforcers kill her father (Clint Kimbrough), turning her mother Sheba (Ann Sothern) into a bitter widow. Mother and daughter take off to Long Beach, California, and the time jumps to 1958, when the two are thrown out of their beauty salon for non-payment of back rent. Melba now has an attractive (and pregnant) teenage daughter Cheryl (Linda Purl). The three generations take to the road, stealing cars and creating general mayhem across the United States, robbing a motorcycle racetrack box office and a bank. But in 1959, Melba and Cheryl are picked up again, running a Miami Beach snack bar, their lives wasted in free-living terror. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 22 min.
Directed By: Jonathan Demme
Written By: Robert Thom
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1975 Wide
On DVD: May 28, 2002

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Pure exhilaration
John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Opening nine months after the R-rated 'Big Bad Mama,' the PG 'Crazy Mama' substituted comedy for sex and a 1950s Mad magazine/rock-and-roll vibe for 1930s rusticity.
Sean Axmaker, Parallax View
... relies more on momentum and personality than narrative but that's just fine for this misfit crime spree road comedy.
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD
The film wonderfully tears down the conventions of '50s womanhood, while providing loads of quirky fun along the way.

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

This movie has a lot of action, mostly gun fights and car chases, but the acting is average and the story is like Big Bad Mama, just with more characters. I was expecting a dark comedy, as the summary says, but there are very few laughs, and it's not very dark either. It's… More
This movie has a lot of action, mostly gun fights and car chases, but the acting is average and the story is like Big Bad Mama, just with more characters. I was expecting a dark comedy, as the summary says, but there are very few laughs, and it's not very dark either. It's not a horrendous movie, though, it just needed more work.

Cast

            Cloris Leachman as Melba

            Stuart Whitman as Jim Bob

            Ann Sothern as Sheba

            Tisha Sterling as Sheba-1932

            Jim Backus as Mr. Albertson

            Don Most as Shawn

            Linda Purl as Cheryl

            Merie Earle as Bertha

            Sally Kirkland as Ella Mae

            Clint Kimbrough as Daniel

            Vince Barnett as Homer

            John Aprea as Marvin

            Carmen Argenziano as Supermarket Manager

            Charles Beach Dickerson as Desk Clerk

            Bryan Englund as Snake

            Dinah Englund as Melba 1932

            Ralph James as Sheriff 1932

            Bill McLean as Bank Manager

            Dick Miller as Wilbur Janeway

            Harry Northrup as FBI Man

            Bill Paxton as John

            Barbara Walters as Lady Teller

            Saul J. Krugman as Col. Snodgrass

            Warren Miller as Justice of the Peace

            Robert Reece as Mover

            Mickey Fox as Mrs. Morgan

            Hal Marshall as Bartender

            Dennis Quaid
            
See full cast