Wednesday, August 14, 2019

The "Follow That Car" Gag 



Duck Soup (1933)

This is one of Duck Soup's most well-known gags.  Groucho hops into the sidecar of a motorcycle driven by Harpo.  He announces, "I'm in a hurry!  To the House of Representatives!"  Harpo drives off, but Groucho is left behind.

 
 

Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)

Nora Charles (Myra Loy) flags down a cab and tells the driver, "Follow that car!" The cab drives off after the car — without Nora.

 
 
 

The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1945)

Daffy Duck doesn't have Myrna Loy's looks, but he makes up in energy what he lacks in beauty. 

 
 

The Lady Takes a Sailor
(1949)

Dennis Morgan: "Follow that car!" 

 
 
 

A Shot in the Dark (1964)

Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) steps up to a police car and tells the driver, "Back to town!"

 
 

Casino Royale (1967)

In this instance, a chauffeur instantly takes off in pursuit of the car without bothering to get into his vehicle.  Race car driver Stirling Moss is the running chauffeur.

 

Get Smart ("A Man Called Smart, Part 3," April 22, 1967)

Casino Royale's variation of the gag is repeated here.  Max yells, "Larabee!  Follow that car!" Larabee promptly runs after the car on foot.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Carry On Loving (1970)

Sidney James hands a scrap of paper to a cab driver and instructs him, "Go to that address.  Quick as you can." 

 
 
 
 

M*A*S*H
("The Consultant," January 21, 1975)

Colonel Henry Blake tells his driver, Radar, "Okay, Radar, back to camp!"

 
 
 

The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

Peter Sellers returns to this gag for a third time. 

This is my favorite version of the gag because the cab driver bothers to climb out of the cab to chase after the other car.


Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

Steve Martin tells a cab driver, "It's three bucks if you can get this cab to 46 Bay Court in ten minutes."

 

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