Episode 743: Move (1970)

Mike White is joined by Mike Sullivan and Emily Intravia to take a long-overdue look at Move (1970), the surreal, seldom-seen New York comedy directed by Stuart Rosenberg. Fresh off his success in M*A*S*H Elliott Gould stars as Hiram Jaffe, a would-be playwright stuck writing porn and walking dogs while waiting for the movers who never arrive. As his mundane reality refuses to budge, Hiram plunges into a chaotic interior world filled with absurd fantasies, sexual misadventures, and psychological spirals.

Adapted from Joel Lieber’s novel (and screenplay), Move attempts to blend urban anxiety, dream logic, and dark comedy—resulting in a disjointed but oddly fascinating time capsule of early ’70s male neurosis. Paula Prentiss co-stars as Hiram’s patient wife, while Geneviève Waïte plays a mysterious blonde who may or may not exist. The film mixes scenes of everyday tedium with dreamlike sequences involving rogue movers, hallucinated frogs, and even a fantasy duel, never quite committing to whether it's satirizing New York life or the fragile male ego.

Our hosts dive into the film’s tonal shifts, its place in Gould’s post-M*A*S*H career arc, and why it remains overlooked despite its stacked cast and studio pedigree. The episode also features brand-new interviews with stars Elliott Gould and Paula Prentiss, who reflect on the film’s production, reception, and what it means to them in hindsight.

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