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Cold Turkey

Play trailer Poster for Cold Turkey PG-13 1971 1h 39m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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57% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In the depressed town of Eagle Rock, Reverend Brooks (Dick Van Dyke) spearheads his community's effort to rise to the Cold Turkey challenge. The Valiant Tobacco Company has promised a $25,000 cash prize to any town in America that can quit smoking for 30 days. So Brooks leads the charge in this Battle of the Butts, hoping to become the local hero in the process. However, when ad executive Merwin Wren (Bob Newhart) shows up to undermine his efforts, this wicked comedy kicks into high gear.
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Cold Turkey

Critics Reviews

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Margaret Hinxman Daily Telegraph (UK) 03/17/2020
The special agony that grips Cold Turkey by the windpipe is how to stop smoking. And the film is funniest when it concentrates on that monumental exercise in will-power beside which the Perils of Pauline pale into minor irritants. Go to Full Review Stefan Kanfer TIME Magazine 03/23/2015
An extended sitcom loaded with the kind of jokes that induce canned laughter. Go to Full Review Tom Milne Time Out 06/24/2006
Irritation mounts as tiresome running gags run the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal into the ground. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 08/11/2021
3/4
The script for Cold Turkey is fairly ragged, but the movie deserves credit for its willingness to wallow in the murky depths of black comedy. Go to Full Review Michael J. Casey Boulder Weekly 06/26/2020
4/5
Lear's vision of consumers, marketers, and politicians all in bed together is as relevant now as it was then. Go to Full Review Dilys Powell Sunday Times (UK) 03/17/2020
A sustained joke about a serious subject -- deplorable taste, and good luck to it; the joke is extremely funny in the old Hollywood style, using the idiosyncrasies of the members of a group, drawing farce from straight-faced desperation. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Steve O 01/02/2024 Rare 5-Stars ! ! ! Visual, sound, collaborative acting, subtle social commentary in words and pictures. Wish they could make a movie this good again. See more 02/19/2021 Would you be willing to quit smoking for $25,000,000? It's tough to go cold turkey when the tobacco industry itself makes its money daily to millions of citizens across the nation. One town called Eagle Rock Director Norman Lear, Dick Van Dyke and Bob Newhart with several other players star in a satirical comedy. Randy Newman also composes the music here in one of his earliest works pre-PIXAR. Dyke plays the town's minister Brooks who wants to raise the spirits of the townsfolk by participating in the challenge. But can they do it for 30 days? Considering the town's financial hardship smoking seems like the only way to cope with it. They resort to other ways to indulge themselves whether it's food, drinking, sex etc. Yet the town booms in becoming a big tourist attraction thanks to the contest. Newhart as Merwin shows up though to undermine his efforts. Comedy then ensues. I love how there's a characature of Walter Cronkite covering the event. There's a big statement about human traits sprinkled throughout from greed, deceit, and selfishness. You take away one commodity from the population they're used to having and chaos takes hold. If profit takes over the soul of a place what will it mean to the rest of the world? Cold Turkey shows how addicted certain individuals can be and how long they can actually withstand abstaining from the one thing that's a part of their daily routine. Consumers, marketers, and politicians are all in the same boat with funny results when it comes to smoking. I got some good chuckles from this. See more 09/16/2018 Very funny movie with a great cast that most people probably have never heard of. See more 09/18/2017 What a laugh riot fest filled with inappropriate Historical Sexism. you need to see to believe and REMEMBER, lest you forget. See more 06/09/2017 70's concept comedy with great cast. Smoking was ingrained in the culture at this time, so it resonates more with boomers. See more 06/11/2016 A town quits smoking to win 25 million dollars in this hilarious comedy. See more Read all reviews
Cold Turkey

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Cast & Crew

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Norman Lear

Director

Dick Van Dyke

Rev. Clayton Brooks

Pippa Scott

Natalie Brooks

Tom Poston

Mr. Stopworth

Edward Everett Horton

Hiram C. Grayson

Bob Elliott

Hugh Upson

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Cold Turkey

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Movie Info

Synopsis In the depressed town of Eagle Rock, Reverend Brooks (Dick Van Dyke) spearheads his community's effort to rise to the Cold Turkey challenge. The Valiant Tobacco Company has promised a $25,000 cash prize to any town in America that can quit smoking for 30 days. So Brooks leads the charge in this Battle of the Butts, hoping to become the local hero in the process. However, when ad executive Merwin Wren (Bob Newhart) shows up to undermine his efforts, this wicked comedy kicks into high gear.
Director
Norman Lear
Production Co
Tandem Productions, DFI
Rating
PG-13 (Brief Strong Language|Smoking Content Throughout)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 19, 1971, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 17, 2017
Runtime
1h 39m
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