ONE CUCKOO FLEW OVER THE REST

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)
dir: Milos Forman

ONE CUCKOO FLEW OVER THE REST
MAD #184, July 1976
w: Dick DeBartolo
a: Mort Drucker

Based on a novel by Ken Kesey, it's about Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), a prisoner who feigns insanity. The patients at the institution are Dale Harding (Willian Redfield), Charlie Cheswick (Sidney Lassick), Billy Bibbitt (Brad Dourif), Martini (Danny DeVito), Jim Sefelt (William Duell), and “Chief” (Will Sampson), The ward is run by Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) and her assistant Nurse Pilbow (Mimi Sarkasian). The night watchman is Turkle (Scatman Crothers).

McMurphy has been sentenced to hard labor in prison for statutory rape but pretends to be mentally ill so he will be tranferred to an institution and not have to perform labor.

Also caricatured are Vincent Schiavelli and Christopher Lloyd- McMurphy tries to teach Chief to play basketball and runs a gambling ring in the ward using cigarettes for money.

One instance of McMurphy causing trouble is when he demands to see the World Series and is denied it since it conflicts with the patients' schedules. He puts it up to a vote in therapy, is turned down, but those who voted pretend they're watching it anyway. Being there is making him feel pent-up (I'll be careful with similes like 'driving him crazy'). He feels everyone there is treated badly and tries to get them all to have more fun.

McMurphy steals a bus and takes everyone out on a fishing trip and tells the man running the marina they're doctors. He brings Candy (Marya Smalls), a prostitute, and tries to spend time alone with her, but everyone watches and the boat almost spins out of control.

Charlie throws a tantrum about having his cigarettes taken away, Chief tries to break the fight up, and the three are taken away. McMurphy finds out Chief is not really a dead-mute and then is sent away for electro-shock therapy. That night, McMurphy and Chief plan escaping and running to Canada and they throw a party for everyone. He's invited Candy who's brought her friend Rose (Louise Moritz) and bribes Turkel to let them in.

They have a party. Turkel has to hide everyone when the night nurse is walking through, and she catches him with Candy. McMurphy and Chief have stolen the keys and about to leave with the women. Billy wants to go but says he isn't ready. Candy offers to take his virginity. The next morning everyone is hung over. Nurses Ratched and Pilbow arrive at work, demand to know who's responsible, and see Billy in bed with Candy. She's friends with his mother and will tell him he was with a prostitute.

McMurphy blames Nurse Ratched for Billy's suicide and strangles her. He's taken away and later things are back to normal in the ward and there are rumors that he was killed or escaped. (That last sentence isn't used here). Chief sees him sleeping in bed that night, sees he's delivered on his promise for them to run away, then notices his lobotomy scars. Not being able to stand seeing McMurphy in this condition, smothers him and runs away himself.

Someone's holding a protest sign in the last panel saying 'End The War'. The Fall of Saigon was in April the year before and the movie came out in November. Were they expecting there would be another one?

ONE FLEW OVER THE COCKROACH NEST
Sick #117, October 1977
a: Jerry Grandenetti

Artists swipe other artists' caricatures often but with the Henny Youngman caricature he isn't even trying to assimilate his style.

Marlon Brando and Jane Fonda were famous for being allies to Native Americans.