Folk singer Arlo (Arlo Guthrie, who does quite well in his film debut), a talented young man of exceptionally undistinguished appearance, is waiting to be called up for military service. On account of his long hair and guitar, he is continually persecuted by the police.
He joins his friends, Ray (James Broderick) and Alice (Patricia Quinn) in the church they have bought to use as a hippy hideout. After a Thanksgiving dinner, Arlo takes the garbage and dumps it by the side of the road. He is had up and fined.
When Arlo is summoned for his medical examination he tells the authorities about this ‘criminal’ record and is rejected for military service.
A drug-addicted friend dies, so does Arlo’s father, Woody (speechlessly played by Joseph Boley). Ray and Alice have a second wedding in their church but Ray spoils the party by getting drunk.
In this meandering, colourless tale there are a few funny moments – the whole sequence of the medical examination, for example, in which everyone involved seems temporarily shaken out of a long period of sedation.
Patricia Quinn is excellent as the warmhearted, gullible Alice, who slowly realises the truth of the square old adage that a woman’s work is never done.
The movie was inspired by Guthrie’s popular song of the same name. The movie was filmed on location in Van Deusenville MA, and originally released with an X rating. The theme is rather flimsy, but director Arthur Penn succeeds in wringing charm, energy, and comedy from the material.
Alice Brock (the real Alice who was paid $8,000 for her story) appears as Suzy.
Arlo
Arlo Guthrie Alice
Patricia Quinn Ray
James Broderick Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger Lee Hays
Lee Hays Shelly
Michael McClanathan Roger
Geoff Outlaw Mari-chan
Tina Chen Karin
Kathleen Dabney Officer Obie
William Obanhein Evangelist
Seth Allen Blueglass
Monroe Arnold Woody
Joseph Boley Marjorie
Sylvia Davis
Director
Arthur Penn
Related Posts
Where Has Poor Mickey Gone? (1964) Three young Cockney louts - Mickey (John Malcolm) Ginger (Ray Armstrong) and Tim (a youthful John Challis who would go…
Alice in Acidland (1969) A psychiatrist (director Donn Greer) begins narrating the sad tale of Alice Trenton (Sheri Jackson), a nice college student who…
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) Paul Mazursky made his directing debut with this old-fashioned romantic comedy loaded with all sorts of "happening" 60s situations: wife-swapping,…
Carry On Again, Doctor (1969) Or "Where there’s a pill there’s a way", or "The bowels are ringing". . . Carry On Again, Doctor was a…
Alice, Sweet Alice (1977) Religious overtones run through this offbeat, multilayered whodunnit horror movie, telling the tale of a devout New Jersey family's struggle…
Love-Ins, The (1967) From teen exploitation wizard, producer Sam Katzman, The Love-Ins gleefully rips off Timothy Leary, the Haight-Ashbury hippie movement and everything in sight,…
Man For All Seasons, A (1966) King Henry VIII was used to getting his own way and, on those rare occasions that he didn't, he merely…
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1975) Ellen Burstyn won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as strong-willed 35-year-old widow Alice Hyatt, trying to forge a…
