Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn and one crazy Seville

[colinlikens]

I remember finding this really amusing when I first saw Mel Brooks' "High Anxiety" decades ago.  But I was just reminded of it. The absurdity of the Louis Vuitton-style paint job still cracks me up. 

Whether it is your first time seeing this or perhaps a reminder of a memory I hope it gives you a laugh too.  We need them as much as ever right now.

All the best.

[TJ Hopland]

Was it paint?   Or some sort of predecessor to vinyl wrapping?   

[James Landi]

Colin, thanks so much for posting... as you likely recall, the entire film was a parody of Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, and part of the entertainment and comedic value for the audience was being able to recognize and identify all of the " Hitchcock films" within the Brooks film.  Yet, one of the most brilliantly funny sequences featured Mel Brooks singing the title song of the movie as if he were Frank Sinatra-- still give me the giggles just thinking about it.   Gratefully James

[colinlikens]

Glad you enjoyed it James!  For you, or anyone else, here's a (not so high quality) video clip of the same scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_euAhdMk1ok

I tried to research how they did the paint effect.  I had no success but if anyone has ideas about what they would have been able to do around 1977 when the film was released I'd love to know!

[TJ Hopland]

With movies you never know how good or temporary they went with something like that.   It could have been done using all the latest technology and products and really made to last or it could have been water colors done by the B units B team's interns cousins neighbors and they just hoped it didn't rain during shooting. 

I do wonder if it would have been a wrap of sorts?   They had custom printing technology for products like fabric and wallpaper.  Maybe it was basically wallpaper?  Again hope it didn't rain during shooting? 

[colinlikens]

Funny things that you learn in cases like this.  I sent the High Anxiety photo to a friend who used to work as a finance exec for Vuitton -- just for a laugh. He shared it with a friend who still works there and was told that Vuitton wasn't even making clothing until 1998.  So that means that Mel Brooks or others working on the movie dreamed up both Madeline Kahn's jumpsuit and the car's matching paint treatment.  Somehow to me that makes the whole thing just a little bit funnier.

In the meantime it reminded me of the various Gucci Sevilles that actually did get produced...

[TJ Hopland]

If they made it all up then maybe it was all fabric?  Maybe they just glued the same fabric they made the costume out of to the car?