Get Crazy - Production

Production

Arkush later said that everything based in the film was "based on real stuff, and I wish I could remake it as a realistic movie. But the only way I could get it made at the time was to do the Airplane! version of it. My second film, Heartbeeps (1981), had been a complete failure, and I was desperate to do a movie about something I really knew and cared about." He claims that producer Herbert F. Solow "was pretty much of a jerk. Whatever I’d suggest, he’d counter with another suggestion. It was just the way he was: everything he heard, he said “no” to… but he would take the germ of what you said, and put his own spin on it." In particular, the director claims he wanted to cast Mariska Hargitay, Jerry Orbach and Tom Hanks in the parts ultimately played by Stacey Nelkin, Allen Garfield and Daniel Stern, but Solow refused.

Concert scenes, as well as exterior shots of the marquee, were filmed at the historic Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The theatre had been poorly maintained for years prior to filming, and was about to undergo a major restoration to return it to its former glory. According to Malcolm McDowell, "We trashed it just before they restored it. They knew we were going to do it, so they didn't mind."

All actors performed their own vocal tracks, although none (except Lou Reed) wrote their songs. Malcolm McDowell specifically requested that he be allowed to sing as a condition of his contract.

Director Allan Arkush appears during "Auld Lang Syne", throwing frisbees from the wings while wearing his Fillmore East usher's t-shirt.

A few actors featured in the 1982 film Eating Raoul also appear in Get Crazy, including: Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, Susan Saiger and Ed Begley, Jr., as well as the stunt crew Bruce Paul Barbour and Rick Seaman.