The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder

You either loved it or hated it, I loved it. I have angered a number of friends with the car lighter bit. It was quite fun and I have been looking for a copy for years. The idea of having a Viet Nam style hooch on an on ramp to the freeway was wild. The experience of dealing with parents and siblings that didn't have a clue what you had just gone through hit close to home. I came back and went to visit my best friend, he took one look at me and asked "how many babies did you kill?" So the movie takes a sometimes dark look at what the experience was like, gives it a twist of warped humor. And besides, back then Barbara Hershey was real easy to look at!

My father, a WWII era vet, was going to the west LA VA hospital during the time of this movie. My brother and I recognized the location immediately and we had already explored the area next to the freeway. On subsequent visits we found many of the locations of the hideaway, without actually finding the underground area. It was a cool and special connection to the movie.

I first saw this movie in 1976 while serving in the U.S. Navy. I have never forgotten the title or how much I enjoyed it. I literally fell in love with the character "Zanni" played by Barbara Hershey (at that time her screen name was Barbara Seagull). In my eyes, it has always been a great romantic comedy. In the past 20+ years since I have seen it, much has happened in my life which has often brought my thoughts back to that movie including working at a V.A. hospital. I have recommended many times that if people ever have the opportunity to see it, they would not be disappointed.

Modern day whimsical tale about a offbeat Vietnam vet who resides at the local V.A. Hospital. He escapes and builds a underground fortress in a wooded area next to the highway. The place looks cleaner and better furnished than most people's apartments. He concocts a scheme that allows him to steal both electrical and phone service. This is a major consternation to the heads of the local phone and electrical company. They go on a mission to find out who he is and how he is doing it. They even go through a list of mug shots consisting of 'dangerous' looking people known to have stolen service. This actually proves to be the films funniest moment (though the tired, elderly vets who have to do a perpetual ten gun salute isn't bad either). He also creates a romantic bond with his doctors fiancee (Hershey).

The film does try to have it's serious moments, but they tend to be clumsy and draggy. However on the charm scale this thing scores very close to the bullseye. There is even a touching performance by 83 year old veteran director Marshall. Though the material is just not enough for feature film length, 1 in 20 people will probably fall in love with it. It can probably best be described as a poor man's version of A THOUSAND CLOWNS, but without the satire or sharp dialogue.

Produced by, of all people, Hugh Hefner.

In the psychiatric unit of a California Veterans Hospital, delusional (and possibly schizophrenic) young ex-soldier fresh from Vietnam wins over a pretty and fearless nurse with his unconventional charm, perplexing genius, and adorable smile. An odd project to come from very-conventional director Arthur Hiller (to say nothing of executive producer Hugh Hefner!). However, the film does have a formula agenda at heart, and the streak of sentimentality is detectable right down the line. The man's hideaway world off the hospital grounds is a terrific addition, yet the unpointed satirical asides with the Water & Power and Telephone Companies trying to figure out who is stealing their services is curiously lax. Hiller doesn't get preachy, yet he's a stalwart purveyor of Tastefulness--and his unruffled movie is so staid, it's in constant danger of turning into the cinematic equivalent of cottage cheese. Leads Timothy Bottoms (easily working his winsome boyishness) and Barbara Seagull/Hershey (easily working her youthful luminousness) are very nice to watch, but the script could've stood some additional layers. "Julius Vrooder" is likable enough, but piffle doesn't stay fresh for very long. ** from ****