Mickey One (1966)

Plot: A Night-club comedian fears for his life when he owes the Mob $20,000
Stars:  Warren Beatty, Alexandra Stewart,  Hurd Hatfield
Best Quote: What are you guilty of? 
Mickey One: I'm guilty of not being innocent

You've got to give Arthur Penn some credit, this is one interesting movie for about 20 minutes. Beatty's on the run and lives a downscale existence. There are striking images, grotesque character actors, and crisp B&W photography. I loved the location shots of skid-row Chicago.  But once Beatty hooks up with Alexandra Stewart (who's a bore) the movie goes into a repeat loop and the amount of pretentious twaddle becomes unbearable** Penn uses Fellini's techniques*** - without his talent.

Best Scene:     Hatfield tries to convince Mickey One to leave town -  but Beatty wants answers.
Worst Scene:  Every single one with the Damn Mute Clown.

Why was this movie made?
Given the script/story, this movie could never have been more than an art-house curiosity. Yet it was bankrolled for $1 million and Arthur Penn given complete artistic freedom.  Why? I'd love to see a film on *that*.

Warren Beatty
Often described as Beatty's worst film performance, I think that's unfair. He's miscast. The part calls for energetic rage, paranoia, and deep-seated fear.  But Warren can't supply those kinds of fireworks - he's too controlled and mannered. Nor is he flamboyant/funny enough to be a credible nightclub comedian.  Or to put it more simply: The film needed Gene Hackman or George C. Scott and it got Warren Beatty.

Summary:  Different doesn't always mean good as Mickey One shows. While interesting at first and beautifully photographed -, its badly cast.  And without a strong story, the movie gets bogged down in pretentious symbolism and repetitive situations. After the half-way point it became an endurance contest.  Mickey One - Audience zero.

 **- what's up with the endless shots of a  mime in a wagon?  And why do we see him set fire to an art exhibit?
*** - depending on who you read, Penn was either imitating  Godard's non-linear plots, Fellini's surrealism, or Antonioni's preference for mood/image over narrative. Other's have called the movie Kafkaesque while Penn later stated the movie was an attack on McCarthyism ( well, okey-dokey).