The Nasty Rabbit (1964)
Directed by James Landis and written by Arch Hall Sr. and Jim Critchfield, The Nasty Rabbit is a bizarre, low-budget spy spoof that blends Cold War paranoia with slapstick absurdity. Released by Fairway International Pictures, the film stars Michael Terr, Arch Hall Jr., and Liz Renay, and is remembered more for its kitsch than its coherence.
Plot Summary
Russian spy Mischa Lowzoff (Michael Terr) arrives in the U.S. with a cuddly white rabbit infected with a deadly virus. The plan? Release the rabbit and let it spread the plague across America. But things go off the rails quickly as a parade of international spies—each dressed in stereotypical national garb—scramble to intercept the rabbit and outwit each other.
Enter Britt Hunter (Arch Hall Jr.), a rock singer turned secret agent, who must stop the plot, save the country, and maybe sing a few tunes along the way. The film culminates in a chaotic chase scene filled with over-the-top slapstick, goofy sound effects, and vodka-fueled nonsense.
Cast Highlights
- Michael Terr as Mischa Lowzoff
- Arch Hall Jr. as Britt Hunter
- Liz Renay as Cecelia Solomon
- Arch Hall Sr. as Marshall Malout
- Richard Kiel (uncredited) as Ranch Foreman
- Sharon Ryker, Jackie Gavin, and Hal Bizzy in supporting roles
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The film was also released under the title “Spies a Go-Go”
- Cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond, who would later win an Oscar for Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Features a talking rabbit with a squeaky voice—yes, really
- The slapstick humor includes a Japanese spy falling out of a tree repeatedly, and a pillow used to block gunfire
- Ethnic stereotypes abound, making the film a time capsule of misguided 1960s humor
