MovieChat Forums > I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1968) Discussion > I Love You Alice B. Toklas memories.....

I Love You Alice B. Toklas memories.....

posted 21 years ago by imdb020106
4 replies | jump to latest

When I was at summer camp in the early 70's, they'd show us films..some of them were pretty current and not necessarily appropriate for our age group. I remember one time they showed "Wait Until Dark" to the 7 to 9 year old girls..they came out screaming and crying while we waited in line for the later show!

Of course, "I Love You Alice B. Toklas" was way over my head when I saw it in 1970. I always wanted to see it again, it was never on TV. I like seeing films I was too young to understand when I first saw them..so I'm making a real tour of all those late 60's, early 70's films!! Next is "The Last Picture Show" ILYABT was at Film Forum in NYC recently as part of a Peter Sellers festival..and I missed it! So, I bought the video at half.com (you can find ANYTHING on the net!)

I remember the film as being fairly racy and wild..I remembered the brownie scene take for take - I didn't understand about the pot, but thought that sitting and eating all the brownies you wanted was absolutely naughty!

Of course after all these years, the film seemed staid and stagy (except for that brownie scene!). It felt like it must have been a play at one time..This was from the era when if you wanted to make characters exotic, you made them Jewish. Now they're made homosexual.

Speaking of homosexuals, I remember 13 year old chubby-thigh me being wildly attracted to Peter Seller's brother in the movie, Herbie, played by David Arkin. He was only in a few films after that in minor but often crucial-to-the-plot parts, such as the chauffer in Nashville, and Sgt. Vollmer/PA announcer in MASH. He was born Dec 24, 1941 and as I sadly found out, died on Jan 14, 1991 - a suicide. (Sort of eerie considering the theme song from MASH was "Suicide is Painless").

I wish I could find more on his career and life, but his name is too typical and draws thousands of references..Sometimes a minor player in a film has a greater effect on your life than some of the major ones!!

David

[–] JaneLane-2 19 years ago

ILYABT on a big screen sounds fun -- especially while, uh, not sober. It would make a good double feature with, among many others, Harold and Maude (neither of which I've ever seen cinematically). The brownie scene is my favorite, too. "And do you know what Herbie diiiid?...He came out of the baaaaaathroom!...Don't say 'bathroom' and I won't laugh!... I said it!" (Does Mrs. Fine remind anyone else here of Bev (Grandma) Harris on Roseanne?) A close second is Herbie covering the face paint with his hands and "Take that farkatke feather outta yer hair!" (Delivered somewhat akin to the cop in Withnail and I: "Getinthebackofthevan!")

Speaking of memories, I found some of Leigh Taylor-Young's on her site, LTY.com -- not just about this film but about working with/meeting Warhol, Avedon, and of course Ryan O'Neal. Her ABT story begins here (http://www.lty.com/alicebtext1.htm), and some photos of her at her hippie loveliest are at http://www.lty.com/60s.htm.

Me, I had the dubious pleasure of living in Venice Beach 31 years after this film's release. Didn't look like it had changed much. The 405 freeway looks pretty brand-spanking-new and uncrowded in the film, though.

[–] beatle1909 17 years ago

Twenty years ago I lived up the street, on Larrabee. Sellers' law office was on the corner of Larrabee and Sunset, in West Hollywood.

[–] crystalrope 14 years ago

I was 9 when I first saw the film. For reasons I don't recall, I begged my father to take me to see it in the theater because there was a brownie in the newspaper ad. And for other reasons I don't recall, my father actually took his 9-year old daughter to see this movie.

All I remember of the film is being shocked that it was rated M (as you might expect, I was the only child in the theater), and the scene with the chickens. Clearly a lot went right over my head.

[–] jarth-2 11 years ago

Speaking of homosexuals, I remember 13 year old chubby-thigh me being wildly attracted to Peter Seller's brother in the movie, Herbie, played by David Arkin.

His name was SELLERS, not Seller! Jesus Christ on a bike!