QUICK CHANGE: Blu-ray (Warner Bros., 1990) Warner Archive

Bill Murray, Gena Davis, and, Randy Quaid play a trio of butterfingered cons in Quick Change (1990), an almost ignored and thoroughly downplayed comedy gem, written by director, Howard Franklin, produced by its star, Bill Murray, and co-directed by both. This one is stacked to the rafters in cameo performances by a hit parade of familiar faces, some – alas, no longer with us. Co-starring the late Jason Robards, as burned out Police Chief Walt Rotzinger, absolutely determined to end his long career on a high note by apprehending this triumvirate of bank robbers, Quick Change also features memorable appearances by Tony Shalhoub (absolutely hilarious as a non-English-speaking New York cabbie), Stanley Tucci (mafia hood, Johnny Skelton), the late Victor Argo (Johnny’s boss/uncle Mike), the late Phil Hartman (jaded New Yorker, Hal Edison), the late Philip Bosco (a laid-back, but anal-retentive bus driver) and finally, the late Bob Elliott as a chicken-livered security guard who later espouses his imagined heroism to Rotzinger and his assistant, Lieutenant Dennis Jameson (Richard Joseph Paul, who – outside of a handful of movie roles has primarily carved his career niche in television). Quick Change ought to have been a big hit for Bill Murray, except that his otherwise promising career had experienced a major slump right after his biggest hit of the eighties, Ghostbusters (1984). This was supposed to be a ‘big year’ for Murray. He appeared in 3 more movies, none to recapture the exhilaration of the aforementioned sci-fi comedy, and, further compounded by his epic failure in a costly remake of The Razor’s Edge (1984), fatally aimed to expand his acceptability as a dramatic actor.

Quick Change is far better than competently rendered, with good, solid performances from Murray, Davis and Quaid. They make a fairly winning team of bumblers who, having actually pulled off the perfect heist, cannot seem to make the simplest trek from lower Manhattan to JFK airport for their planned getaway. There is an infectious chemistry at work. All three are believable – the core of this comedy, invested in that quietly sentimental bond of friendship. As their ringleader – Grimm, Murray displays all of the lovable trademarks to have endeared himself in our hearts as a slick and subversive jester of genius. His particular brand of yuk-yuks never hits across the chops with a flagrant spank of slapstick, demanding to be noticed. Rather, it is Murray’s understated, careworn, ample derision of humanity in all its mad, inhuman noise that reaches from behind and affects us so completely. His Grimm is just a guy with no axe to grind, exceedingly tired of the life he has led up to this point. This leaves gal/pal, Phyllis (Gena Davis) off kilter and reluctant to reveal her pregnancy to him. On the one hand, Phyllis is deeply in love with Grimm. On the other, she sincerely worries he lacks the compassion to truly love her back. The third wheel, Loomis, is supplied with overwrought admiration, but a hapless streak of simple-mindedness by Randy Quaid. We need Quaid’s bizarre and colorfully bombastic outbursts to offset Murray’s lugubrious charm – the outrageous ‘yang’ to his tempered ‘yin’.    

Based on Jay Cronley’s 1981 novel of the same name, Quick Change had previously been made into the barely seen Canadian feature, Hold-Up (1985) starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and sexpot, Kim Cattrall.  While having Bill Murray dressed as a clown to commit a robbery is indigenous to the novel, Cronley’s concept was likely inspired by infamous bank robber, Willie – ‘the actor’ – Sutton who employed many disguises during his endeavors to keep the police guessing as to his true identity. Murray was exceedingly optimistic about the picture’s appeal, suggesting at the time of its release, “Everyone will enjoy this movie. But New Yorkers will enjoy it especially because they know how bad their city really is.” Indeed, much of the picture takes place in the half-abandoned remnants of Queens, looking very much like a suburb to have experienced its own nuclear holocaust the week before shooting this movie began. And ‘yes’ – everyone ought to have enjoyed Quick Change as a light-hearted romp, expertly written, produced and co-directed by Murray (in both his debut and, regrettably, swan song in the director’s chair). Initially, Johnathan Demme was hired to direct. But when Demme backed out, Franklin and Murray could find no one interested to replace him, electing instead to do the heavy-lifting themselves. While Quick Change received relatively good notices, and some backhanded praise by the critics, it was all but ignored by the public and quickly faded from theater marquees. Mercifully, the picture has continued to acquire new admirers and a solid fan base ever since.  

Quick Change’s end credits dedicate the movie to Helen Scott, a longtime associate of noted French filmmaker/critic, François Truffaut and the indie producer who brought Cronley’s novel to the filmmakers’ attention. Indeed, Quick Change was the third and final movie to be based on a Cronley book in as many years, the other two being the Chevy Chase comedy, Funny Farm (1988) and Let It Ride (1989) – to star Richard Dreyfuss. Invariably, Quick Change has been cleverly referenced as ‘Clown Day Afternoon’ – an homage to 1975’s Dog Day Afternoon, and compared in its irreverence to the Marx Bros. Animal Crackers (1930) and heist classics, Topkapi (1964) and How to Steal a Million (1966). All are fitting, though Quick Change has a uniquely dour and engaging quality all its own. Running only a scant 89-minutes, Quick Change covers an awful lot of ground, with never a wasted moment or superfluous scene, meant merely to connect the dots and move the story along. We begin with Grimm’s arrival at a bank in midtown Manhattan. It’s closing time. But Grimm pushes past an aged security guard in full clown garb, gun drawn, and, after a few cordial attempts to gain the potential hostages’ attention, fires off a few rounds to ensure they know he means business. Among the terrorized attendees are two plants, Phyllis and Loomis, each, heavily disguised. She plays a buxom blonde who outspokenly admonishes Grimm for staring at her breasts, while he pretends to be a piss-frightened fop, cringing and creating a scene, so much as to force the others to offer Loomis up as the first hostage to be released once negotiations on the outside with Rotzinger have begun.

Skillfully shooting out the bank’s security cameras before ushering everyone into the vault, Grimm releases Loomis, then Phyllis into Rotzinger’s care. He then taunts Rotzinger by telephone with the promise to blow up the bank with explosive charges he has, presumably, already rigged, not only to his own person, but also key entry points into the building, lest the police get any heroic ideas about charging in before his devious plan has been accomplished. While the others have been detained in the vault, Grimm has been strapping down Phyllis and Loomis with money. After their successful release, Grimm does the same to himself before changing into civilian clothes and strolling out the front door with a million dollars all told – as, presumably, yet another hostage released in good faith. While Rotzinger is mired in his attempts to provide Grimm with all the modes of escape he made in his demands, including a helicopter, bus and monster truck, Grimm and his accomplices slip through the police barricades and move on to their next plan of action – making their way to JFK International for a flight to the tropics. However, if the heist proved relatively effortless, to be carried off without a single hitch, getting to the airport will be something of an experiment in terror.    

For kick-starters, all of the signage directing their getaway to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway has been removed for construction work. Stopping to ask for directions, our trio is held up by a Ratzinger’s car-jacker (Jamey Sheridan) who, nevertheless, overlooks the cash strapped to their bodies and merely steals their luggage from the trunk of their car. Making a pitstop at Phyllis’ apartment, Grimm, Loomis and Phyllis are confronted, and held at gunpoint by the incoming and stressed-out tenants, the Edesons. Simultaneously, a fire breaks out across the street. As Loomis has parked their getaway car in front of a fire hydrant, the fire department now pushes the vehicle aside to gain access. The brakes fail and the car slides down the embankment, into a ditch. Grimm flags down a taxi, but the non-English-speaking driver causes Loomis to get hysterical. He leaps from the moving vehicle and is catapulted into a nearby newsstand, knocking himself unconscious.  The frantic cabbie summons the police, believing he has killed Loomis. Bringing the badly injured Loomis to his feet, Grimm and Phyllis attempt to drag him aboard a bus. But the anal-retentive driver insists on exact change, forcing Grimm to hurry to a nearby convenience store where he narrowly escapes being detected by police. Now, the trio suffer another run-in, this one with the mob. Grimm talks his way out of the situation by pretending to be the new bagman for notable mafia kingpin, Mr. Lombino. The ruse works, momentarily – until the real bagman arrives to collect his payoff. Narrowly making their escape aboard the bus, Grimm observes as Rotzinger arrests the real bagman and the cabbie for disturbing the peace.

Grimm is relieved. But now, he learns Phyllis has been keeping her pregnancy from him, concerned he does not genuinely love her and will not be there for her and the baby. Grimm is deeply wounded by her secrecy and vows, despite Loomis’ claim he was ‘born’ for a life of crime, to be a devoted lover, presumably husband and father. Phyllis remains unconvinced. Arriving at the airport, Grimm and Loomis board the plane. Phyllis, however, does not appear to be coming along for the ride. Grimm confesses to Loomis he is desperately in love with Phyllis and, despite placing their entire plan in jeopardy, he cannot leave the United States without her. At this juncture, his protestations are met with a glib rebuke from fellow passenger, Russ Crane (Kurtwood Smith) who, along with his slinky wife (Susannah Bianchi) appears very nervous. Grimm realizes Rotzinger and Lt. Jameson are aboard the plane and advancing in his direction. However, in a gracious whim of fate, Crane is exposed as Lombino – the crime boss on the lam.  Rotzinger and Jameson wrestle Lombino to the ground. Stepping out from the washroom, Phyllis reveals herself to Grimm and Loomis. Counting their good fortune, Grimm, Phyllis and Loomis depart JFK for their tropical destination. Only after the plane is in the air does Rotzinger suddenly realize how close he came to actually apprehending the bank robbers he has been pursuing since the outset of our story.

Quick Change is a fairly amusing comedy. That it miserably failed to find its audience in 1990 is a shame as, in retrospect, the picture gives us a miraculous opportunity to see some of the industry’s most gifted comedians ply their craft in bit parts that stand out in relief from the central narrative and truly augment the story in meaningful ways. Virtually all of these cameos are memorable and hilarious. Quick Change’s ‘quick’ exit from the marquee in 1990 all but ensured it being overlooked as a gem in Bill Murray’s filmography. The picture’s delicious launch – a clown robbing a bank – eats up the first 20-mins. But then, the story segues into a far more introspective, and delightfully whacky spoof, richly populated by all manner of boob, moron, and white-collar goombah out to dismantle and detour an otherwise seemingly simple trip to the airport. Howard Franklin’s screenplay affords Murray an ever-evolving repertoire of wry zingers, but equally lends Jason Robards’ bumbler/cop a modicum of self-effacing dignity. The situations, however outlandishly executed, nevertheless seem entirely plausible. Better still, at just 89-mins., the picture moves like gangbusters through its vignettes, without appearing forced, rushed or wanting for something intelligent, or at least, decisively glib to say. And, cinematographer, Michael Chapman, who previously transformed New York into a nightmarish landscape for vigilante, Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976), brings an air of similarly variegated darkness to Quick Change’s advancing immediacy, as our triumvirate struggles with their inability to quietly slip away undetected.

Quick Change arrives on Blu-ray via the Warner Archive. No specific details have been provided as per the utilization of original film elements for a new scan. And certainly, Quick Change looks every bit as good and up to WAC’s usually high standards. Is this a 2K or 4K remaster? Personally, I don’t care, as the results speak for themselves. The image is very film-like with exceptionally vibrant colors, beautifully rendered flesh tones, pluperfect contrast and film grain, with zero black crush in the expertly lit night sequences. In short, there is absolutely nothing to complain about here.  The image is crisp and clean, with an impressive depth of field. The 2.0 DTS mono audio is a bit of a head-scratcher. Original poster art for the picture advertises the Dolby logo and I really cannot recall an instance where the purveyors of stereophonic sound did anything but ‘stereo’ soundtracks for the movies – certainly, none as late as 1990. That said, Quick Change’s Blu-ray mono mix sounds accurate and balanced with no complaints, and, no distortions generally associated with mono. I would differ to the studio on this one, except Warner Home Video is in a bit of a mess right now, owing to ‘new’ management, and thus none of my queries have thus far been addressed. Was Quick Change released theatrically in stereo? Or was it actually mono? Hmmm.  The only extras here is a theatrical trailer.  Too bad. Bottom line: Quick Change is a highly enjoyable farce with far more guts and bite to recommend it. This Blu-ray looks and sounds wonderful and should be considered a ‘must have’ for Bill Murray fans.  These days, we are all very much in need of a good laugh. Quick Change delivers!

FILM RATING (out of 5 – 5 being the best)

4.5

VIDEO/AUDIO

5+

EXTRAS

0