by David C. Terr

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Title: High Anxiety

Director: Mel Brooks

Starring: Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, Dick Van Patten, Howard Morris

Release Date: Dec. 25, 1977

Running Time: 94 min

Genres: Comedy, Thriller

 

Commentary
High Anxiety is one of many hilarious comedy movies starring, written and directed by Mel Brooks. High Anxiety is a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock, who'd died earlier in 1977, the year the movie was released, as well as a spoof of many of his films, including the following:

• Spellbound (1945)
• Vertigo (1958)
• Psycho (1960)
• The Birds (1963)

Many of Hitchcock's techniques are also spoofed in this film, including the following:

• the use of dramatic orchestra music
• pan shots in and out of windows
• nasal-sounding intercom voice

Plot Summary
Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke (Mel Brooks) arrives in Los Angeles where he is has become appointed as the administrator for the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous. He has a strong fear of heights, which his old mentor, Professor Littloldman (Howard Morris), diagnoses as "high anxiety". He also ends up getting framed for murder by Nurse Diesel (Cloris Leachman) and Dr. Charles Montague (Harvey Korman). In order to clear his name, he must conquer his high anxiety, which turns out to be fear of parents, not heights.

Movie Spoofs
As mentioned, High Anxiety spoofs many movies, mainly Hitchcock films. Here are some:

• Vertigo: Dr. Thorndyke's high anxiety is portrayed very similarly to John Ferguson's acrophobia and many of the same locations are used.
• Spellbound: The psyciatric institute is similar to the one used in Spellbound. Also, Prof. Littloldman is very similar to Prof. Brulov.
• Psycho: The bellhop at the Hyatt Hotel attacks Dr. Thorndyke with a newspaper in the shower in a very similar way to Marion Crane's murder in Psycho.
• The Birds: Dozens of pigeons poop all over Dr. Thorndyke in Golden Gate Park in a similar way to the seagull attack in The Birds.
• Blowup: Dr. Thorndyke's assistant Brophy blows up a shot of Dr. Thorndyke's framed murder several times in order to get to the truth.

Movie Clips

Here are the opening credits along with some footage of Brophy, Thorndyke's driver.

 

Here's a clip of the unusual murder of Dr. Wentworth (Dick Van Patten).

 

Here's a spoof of the shower attack scene from Psycho.