GREASER'S PALACE

[Big Daddy O'Reilly]

Someone I know shared this with me... it's a B-movie from 1972, directed by Robert Downey, Sr., entitled GREASER'S PALACE... starring none other than Allan Arbus as Jesus Christ.

Okay, Allan isn't actually Jesus Christ, but rather, he's portraying a character who symbolizes Jesus Christ known as Jessy (cleverly pronounced as "J.C.").

So, anyway, Jessy parachutes to earth, in the midst of an old-timey western village; he keeps bringing back to life a man who keeps getting killed by his own father because he might be gay, he helps a man whose on crutches be able to crawl again, he dances on water, and all this while on his way to Jerusalem to become an actor/singer - a mission given to him by his agent named Morris.

Check out his little show-stopping number:


This movie is incredibly bizarre and strange... a stoner movie at best... I'm not even sure what to make of it, it's actually pretty disturbing too. Interestingly, though, there's a number of familiar faces throughout, including Tattoo from FANTASY ISLAND as Old Man Marley from HOME ALONE as a gay couple trying to hit on Jessy ("Old Man Marley" even goes as far as breaking Jessy's penis for rejecting his advances). And in another M*A*S*H connection, Pilot Mulcahy (George Morgan) also has a brief speaking role in this movie... virtually unrecognizable with long, shaggy blonde hair, and a big, bushy, brown mustache - matter of fact, if you pause the clip at 1:34, you'll see him off to the left.

[Big Daddy O'Reilly]

And I hate to double post, but after seeing George Morgan in a movie where we hear him speak, I got to wondering... what do you suppose it was, exactly, that was written for the character of Father Mulcahy when they were filming the pilot? Obviously, Mulcahy never spoke in the pilot, yet, William Christopher was initially rejected because he wouldn't follow the script, and did a lot of improv and ad-lib in his audition... then, as fate would have it, apparently, George Morgan wasn't quirky enough for Larry Gelbart or Gene Reynolds' liking, so Bill was brought back only on the condition he would stick with the lines on the script.

I've always suspected there was possibly an alternate version or print of the pilot episode in existence, maybe in this alternate print, Mulcahy speaks? I don't know.