IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

In the 1970s, Norman Lear was the king of television satire, creating and producing such legendary shows as All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and Fernwood Tonight.  While Lear left his biggest mark on the landscape of television, he also dabbled in motion pictures, penning a few screenplays, and even directing a single feature.  That sole directorial effort, Cold Turkey (1971), is a savage satire of American values, which is as funny as it is biting.

The story kicks off when an executive at Valiant Cigarettes (Bob Newhart) suggests staging a publicity stunt, offering $25 million to any American town that can quit smoking for 30 days.  He assures his fellow executives that the company can enjoy the free publicity without actually dispensing the money, as he’s confident that no town can actually pull such a thing off.  What he doesn’t count on is level of financial despair in Eagle Rock, Iowa, which will push the nicotine-addicted townsfolk to do anything to kick-start their economy.  Led by a sanctimonious minister (Dick Van Dyke), the townspeople take on the challenge, which leads to withdrawal-fueled conflict, unexpected celebrity, exploitation, and self-serving leeches of every conceivable kind.

While the tobacco industry is the prime target of Lear’s satire, the screenplay also takes aim at religious hypocrisy, right-wing fringe groups, political corruption, commercialism, the celebrification of news anchors, gun violence, and American life in general.  It is a very ugly portrait of America, and unfortunately, a fairly accurate one.  In fact, the satire is so bleak, that United Artists had cold feet about releasing the picture.  Filming was completed in 1969, but the movie was not released until 1971, after Norman Lear’s television fame made a profitable release more assured.  Still, while the comedy begins dark and moves inevitably to a pitch-black conclusion, it is always slyly funny.

The cast is excellent from top to bottom.  Dick Van Dyke gives a fearless lead performance, playing against type, in what is probably the most unlikeable role he was ever asked to assay.  He is supported by a enviable cast of comedy pros, including Bob Newhart ( in a surprisingly manic performance), Vincent Gardenia, Jean Stapleton, Tom Poston, Barbara Cason, Paul Benedict, Edward Everrett Horton (in his last role), and the team of Bob & Ray (playing multiple roles, as a gaggle of TV newsmen and radio announcers).  Special mentions should be given to Pippa Scott, who does wonders with a near-silent role as the reverend’s put-upon wife, and Graham Jarvis who is consistently hilarious as an oblivious doofus who leads a know-nothing right-wing group (in a send up of the John Birch Society).  However, top comedy honors go to the always outstanding Barnard Hughes as the twitchy Doctor Proctor and Judith Lowry as the foul-mouthed, Commie-hating, old lady, Odie Turman.  They steal every scene in which they appear.

It is a shame Lear didn’t direct more movies, as his instincts are spot-on; and he wrings maximum effect from the material.  He wisely shot the film on location in Greenfield, Iowa, using real dilapidated storefronts, the local high school band, and townspeople as background extras.  This adds greatly to the authentic feel of depressed small-town America that he was trying to convey.  One has to wonder if the locals were ultimately happy with they way they were depicted.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the production was that Cold Turkey launched singer-songwriter Randy Newman’s second career as a soundtrack composer.  Newman was the perfect choice to write the music, as his pop-rock albums are often even more acidly satiric than Norman Lear’s satire.  For the  Cold Turkey soundtrack, Newman performs the memorable, mock-religious ode “He Gives Us All His Love,” which opens and closes the film, and he fills out the score with his own brand of instrumental Americana.  Of course, Newman has gone on to write dozens of scores, and has to-date tallied 20 Academy Award nominations and two wins.

While the use of cigarettes has greatly diminished in the years since Cold Turkey was produced, Lear’s satire is more relevant than ever.  Admittedly, this is a bit depressing, as his other satirical targets — commercialism, media celebrity, religious hypocrisy, ulta-right wing fringe groups, and gun violence have all gotten worse in the following years.  Odie Turman put it best when she said, “It’s all a big bullshit.”

US/C-99m./Dir: Norman Lear/Wr: Norman Lear, William Price Fox/Cast: Dick Van Dyke, Pippa Scott, Vincent Gardenia, Barnard Hughes, Bob Newhart, Barbara Cason, Jean Stapleton, Graham Jarvis, Judith Lowry, Tom Poston, Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding, Edward Everett Horton, Sudie Bond, Helen Page Camp, Paul Benedict, M. Emmet Walsh, Peggy Rea

For Fans of: If you like Norman Lear’s satirical television shows, such as All in the Family and Maude, then you will probably enjoy this too.

Video: Olive Films has upgraded Norman Lear’s satire to HD with their Cold Turkey [Blu-ray]. The image isn’t absolutely pistine (there are occasional speckles), but the picture is sharp and very colorful. It is easily the best the title has ever looked on home video. While there are no extras, beyond subtitles for the hearing impaired, I am extremely happy to have this title in my home library in beautiful HD quality.

Streaming: While the film is not currently available as a video stream on any of the major subscription services, you can rent or buy Cold Turkey in digital form. However, the quality will not likely be as high as the Olive Films Blu-ray.

More to Explore: Dick Van Dyke also starred in another satire written by Norman Lear (but directed by Bud Yorkin), Divorce American Style (1967).  Lear earned a “Best Original Screenplay” nomination for that one.

Trivia: If you look quickly, you can spot Norman Lear in the film, seated on a park bench, crying from nicotine withdrawal.

For More Info: In 2014, Norman Lear released a memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, which covers his entire career, including the making of Cold Turkey.