After their successful partnership in Silver Streak, comic duo Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder reteamed for this wacky prison comedy under the direction of Sidney Poitier. Originally intended as a film entitled "Prison Rodeo", the film eventually got released under the title Stir Crazy - complete with a catchy title tune sung by Wilder himself - and was a big hit for its two stars. In truth, it is considerably short of the brilliant standard set by Silver Streak.... while that film was witty, charming and exciting, this one is very broad with lots of outright silliness. But having said that, Stir Crazy is still totally enjoyable in its harmless way.
New Yorkers Skip Donahue (Wilder) and Harry Monroe (Pryor) decide to head out west, dreaming of a new start away from the Big Apple. En route, they stop off in various small towns and take on part-time jobs to fund their trip. In a town called Glenborough, Skip and Harry are hired by a bank manager to dress up in woodpecker costumes and entertain the waiting customers with a song-and-dance act. However, a couple of rednecks steal their costumes and rob the bank while Skip and Harry are on their lunch break.... when the unsuspecting pair return to work, they are promptly arrested for the robbery they didn't even commit. It isn't long before the innocent duo are locked up in the penitentiary, with a 135-year sentence hanging over them! Skip impresses the prison warden by riding a bucking bronco (mechanical bull) at full speed, and is later approached to represent the prison in a forthcoming annual rodeo show. The rodeo provides Skip and Harry, plus a few of their new convict pals, with a chance to attempt an audacious prison break....
Stir Crazy is more entertaining during the opening two-thirds than the final third. The comedy aspects seem to run out of steam, and the last half hour is dedicated purely to the jail break sequence. While the escape is tolerable enough to watch, it isn't really in keeping with the zany tone established earlier in the movie. Wilder and Pryor are good together (despite their well documented on-set differences.... it was around this time that Pryor was getting out of control with drugs); the supporting actors have amusing moments along the way too, especially Erlind Van Lidith as a mass murderer who develops an unlikely affection towards Harry and Skip. The film is quite episodic in some ways, especially during the middle section when the prison guards try various nasty strategies to intimidate Skip into joining the rodeo team. The funniest moments are the more spontaneous bits, where Wilder and Pryor's chemistry is thrust to the fore (the scene where they "get bad" upon first entering a jail is a wonderful example of this). All in all, Stir Crazy has much to enjoy but just runs out of gas on its final lap.
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