VIDEO: Richard Dreyfuss pitches the '70 AMC Javelin
We like Richard Dreyfuss. Whether it's the old-school Richard (Close Encounters, Jaws), the 80s Richard (Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Stakeout, Let it Ride), or the modern Richard (What About Bob?, Poseidon), Dreyfuss has demonstrated his formidable chops as a thespian many times over, often making us laugh along the way.
The laughs came again when we watched this TV spot for the '70 AMC Javelin, though we don't think they were exactly intentional. Dreyfuss is the "star" of the spot, in which he leads a very unintimidating band of hoods as they check out the coupe. Affecting a neo-Bugs Bunny accent with the cheese factor turned up to the max, he and his cohorts extoll the virtues of the Javelin while looking as if they could break into song -- West Side Story-style -- at any given moment.
Thankfully, they don't. Good thing. If we laughed any harder, someone would've had to call an ambulance. The overacting reaches Shatnerian levels, and the entertainment value is incalculable.
[Source: YouTube]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John B. 7:04PM (10/17/2006)
In the SOuth we call that a "Northeastern speech impediment".
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Shaun 7:17PM (10/17/2006)
Hey they car had the same inline 6 that my '72 Gremlin had!
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shrinkydinx 7:40PM (10/17/2006)
The Jets are in gear,
Our cylinders are clickin'!
The Sharks'll steer clear
'Cause ev'ry Puerto Rican's a lousy chicken!
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Jon 8:55PM (10/17/2006)
I'd love to see Letterman spring that clip on him(Dreyfuss)the next time he comes on.
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Doug 9:29PM (10/17/2006)
Recently he has done voice over work for Honda ads. No funny accents for those.
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Taylor Alexander 9:52PM (10/17/2006)
I'm lovin these old ads. I was never around at the time, so it lets me see things I never would have seen. :)
-Taylor
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Howard Kerr 10:14PM (10/17/2006)
Great movies, and one or two not so great movies aside, what a leap: from pitching Javelins to Piloting Hondas.
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Steven T. 11:37AM (10/18/2006)
That's a fun blast from the past. One caveat: It's a 1968 Javelin, not a 1970.
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Zachary Taylor 1:51PM (10/18/2006)
how did Ben Stiller get in there? About a third of the way through . . .
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gary 12:26PM (10/18/2006)
Those supposedly pathetic Javelins came in 2nd place for the Trans-Am title that 1st year of production on a far smaller budget than Chevy, Ford or Chrysler. A couple years later they dominated Trans-Am racing with Penske Racing.
http://www.cartype.com/page.cfm?id=1632&alph=ALL&dec=ALL
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red 8:56PM (10/18/2006)
That is so awesome - hahaha
"Take the bumpah ... not NOW ..."
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Alex Nunez 11:57PM (10/18/2006)
red, it's priceless. Every line of it.
Thank God someone saw fit to stick it on YouTube.
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Richard Warren 5:41AM (10/19/2006)
#4 Agreed, would be great.
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Cody 5:46PM (10/24/2006)
Wow that needs a digital remaster bad. The car was cool though.
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Jackhammer 11:29PM (11/10/2006)
Isn't that William Devane from Knots Landing fame in shades talking about the car's glass, about a third of the way through the commercial?
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H 2:37PM (11/13/2006)
Oh MAN that's funny! A Brooklyn version of Curt Henderson.... So THAT's how he would've turned out if the Pharoes had got hold of him!
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