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After the critical success of their noir-influenced 1984 debut, "Blood Simple," Joel and Ethan Coen were intent on making a completely different film as their follow-up. But when "<keyword id="13399164" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="raising-arizona" source="Orion">Raising Arizona</keyword>" debuted in March 1987, no one guessed just how different it would be. The quirky, optimistic comedy follows the gentle convenience-store robber H.I. McDunnough (<keyword id="11927605" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nicolas-cage" source="Orion">Nicolas Cage</keyword>), who falls in love with a police officer, Ed (Holly Hunter), over the course of multiple arrests and jail stints. When Ed, who desperately wants a baby, discovers she's infertile, the couple decides to kidnap one of the quintuplet newborns of Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson), a furniture magnate and local celebrity. But after H.I.'s old cellmates (John Goodman and William Forsythe) escape from prison, and a bounty hunter (Randall "Tex" Cobb) gets on the couple's case, things get complicated.<div type="image" title="Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter in &quot;Raising Arizona.&quot;" height="594" width="1188" msid="90274666" hostid="261"></div>The film is now considered a comedy classic. It ranks 31st on the American Film Institute's <a href="https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-laughs/">100 Years ... 100 Laughs</a> list, and many filmmakers, including Edgar Wright and Spike Lee, have cited it as an influence. To mark the 35th anniversary of the film's release, Insider spoke with three key people involved in its production: the composer <keyword id="13399166" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="carter-burwell" source="Orion">Carter Burwell</keyword>, the editor Michael Miller, and the actor <keyword id="13399167" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sam-mcmurray" source="Orion">Sam McMurray</keyword>, who plays H.I.'s boss, Glen. Together, they painted a picture of a unique set led by two visionary directors, a highly inventive crew, and the one and only Nicolas Cage. <h1 style="text-align: center;">Following 'Blood Simple'</h1>After raising the money for "Blood Simple" themselves, Joel and Ethan Coen shot the film in the fall of 1982. Despite their efforts to place it with a major studio, "Blood Simple" was ultimately released by the small distributor Circle Films. It premiered at the New York Film Festival in October 1984 and arrived in theaters in January 1985. The film was only a modest financial success, but it got positive reviews, which gave the Coens the boost they needed to make "Raising Arizona" with 20th Century Fox. Carter Burwell, composer: When we finished "Blood Simple," Joel and Ethan made it pretty clear that it was unlikely to get distribution. There wasn't really that much of a market for independent films, and I had no expectation that I was going to do any more film music. Michael Miller, editor: Joel and Ethan had an unsuccessful trip to Hollywood trying to sell "Blood Simple." They were told: "There's nothing we can do with this film, but you're very talented. We have 'Weekend at Bernie's 4' if you're interested."<div type="image" title="Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh drive in a car in a scene from the Coen Brothers' &quot;Blood Simple.&quot;" height="3823" width="5098" msid="90274670" hostid="261"></div>Burwell: When "Blood Simple" finally did come out, that was a really nice surprise. What came out of that was, they called me and said: "We have another script, and we're gonna shoot it. But we don't know if it's really going to be groovy enough for you." Ethan said they were making a trailer-park Western. I read the script, and it was just wonderful. It was just so witty. Miller: They are two of the funniest people I've ever met. Doing a comedy just seemed to make perfect sense because they personally were so funny.Burwell: They were showing the world the breadth of their skills. Right away, they didn't want to be pigeonholed into noir or thriller.<h1 style="text-align: center;">The Coens' dynamic </h1>Until 2004, Ethan was credited as the sole producer and Joel as the sole director on the <keyword id="13399165" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coen-brothers" source="Orion">Coen brothers</keyword>' films. In reality, they coproduced, cowrote, and codirected all of their releases. Miller: In those days, they didn't share directing credit. So their dynamic was fascinating to me. They both set up shots together. Both of them looked through the viewfinder. They never agreed to move on from a setup until they both agreed that they had the performance.Burwell: They were trying to prove that they could do anything. They were shooting with dogs. They have scenes with babies. These are all the things that filmmakers are told not to work with. <div type="image" title="Ethan and Joel Coen, a.k.a. the Coen Brothers, at a panel at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991." height="3447" width="4596" msid="90274672" hostid="261"></div>Sam McMurray, actor, "Glen": The experience itself was great. This was actually their first relatively big-budget movie. I mean, nobody made any money. We were all working for whatever SAG scale was. But they did smart things. Like, man, I don't know if you've heard this one. But I thought it was brilliant. You know, we were out in the desert. So they would bring a stake-bed truck out there lined with garbage bags. They would fill it with ice. Then when you got to lunch, it had become a swimming pool. The crew would jump in there and stuff. I mean, they were really kind of terrifically innovative and caring.Burwell: I went to the set just once. It was really like a little family.Miller: It's a funny thing to say about these two very easygoing guys, but they never compromise. "This is our movie, take it or leave it." When they brought [their third film] "Miller's Crossing" to Fox, it was fully budgeted and scheduled. Some executive looked at the budget and asked if they could do it for a lower number. They were confused by the question. Like, "No, this is the script we wrote, and we're not going to take studio notes. Also, the cast is going to be who we cast in the film, and the final cut is going to be ours. If you don't like it, we'll find another way to make the film."<div type="image" title="Holly Hunter and Nicolas Cage hold a baby in a scene from &quot;Raising Arizona.&quot;" height="669" width="895" msid="90274674" hostid="261"></div>McMurray: They were very particular about the script. In one scene, I take a handful of pistachios or whatever and throw them at a kid. I improvised that when we were rehearsing, and the crew laughed out loud. Joel came over, and I was told: "We're going to keep it. But never do that again." I like to brag that I have the only improvised line in the movie.<h1 style="text-align: center;">The film's unique style </h1>"Raising Arizona" has a number of unique aspects, from Burwell's banjo- and yodeling-centric score to its prolonged opening sequence, which runs for more than 11 minutes before the titles roll. The cinematographer <keyword id="13399169" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="barry-sonnenfeld" source="Orion">Barry Sonnenfeld</keyword>, then early in his career, earned particular praise for his inventive shots. Sonnenfeld later went on to become a notable director in his own right, making "Men in Black" and "Get Shorty," among other '90s hits.Burwell: I think of "Raising Arizona" as a live-action cartoon. It's very much shot that way. It feels like the story is careening out of the control of the characters. In both "Blood Simple" and "Raising Arizona," Barry Sonnenfeld is showing off what he can do with a camera.McMurray: Very early on, maybe the first or second day, I was doing a scene in front of H.I. and Ed's trailer. We were blocking it. Suddenly I hear this voice that I wasn't aware of saying, "That doesn't work for me." I look around, and it was Barry Sonnenfeld, who I'd just met. I asked if he wanted me to move camera left. He was like, "No, no. It's just not working for me." He was saying it in a directorial way. I looked at Joel and Ethan. But they just both nodded and were like, "Yeah, he's right." I thought, "Does anybody else want to chip in?"<div type="image" title="Sam McMurray as Glen and Frances McDormand as Dot in &quot;Raising Arizona.&quot;" height="1409" width="1879" msid="90274676" hostid="261"></div>Miller: There's one shot — the math involved still boggles my mind. It's the shot that goes up the ladder and ends in Florence Arizona's screaming mouth. That was done in reverse. Joel was the camera operator running up the ladder, not Barry Sonnenfeld. I don't know why Joel wanted to operate the camera. He actually injured himself. He slashed his arm on the window or something.McMurray: I became friends with and have worked with Barry a number of times since then. He shot the hell out of it.Miller: For the opening scene, I thought: "Oh my God. Can we really go this long without credits?" I knew we were pushing outside of the envelope. The key was going at breakneck speed. Something new is always happening — to the point where you're a couple of minutes in and you're not thinking about credits. So, ultimately, when the credits do come up, it's a surprise.Burwell: All the banjo, yodeling, whistling stuff, I think, still feels really fresh. I remember when it came out, Ethan said to me, "You're gonna get a lot of calls for farm comedies." I thought that was funny. But he was right. I did get calls from people because they knew that I could do banjo. I think the music's very special, but it's honestly not the kind of music that I listen to or write on my own. So even though it has a special place in my heart, it's not my favorite score.<div type="image" title="Holly Hunter holds a baby in &quot;Raising Arizona.&quot;" height="1543" width="2058" msid="90274681" hostid="261"></div>Miller: They had such mastery as filmmakers. I mean, they made a film where you root for these kidnappers. There are so many shots from Nicolas Cage's point of view. Ultimately, by being inside these characters' heads, we become them. We see exactly what they see. We're not judging. I think that's the key to making an audience accept deeply flawed characters. But Joel and Ethan would find it funny that we're even talking about this kind of stuff. It just comes so naturally to them.<h1 style="text-align: center;">Nicolas Cage and the actors</h1>The part of H.I. was a breakthrough for Nicolas Cage, whose star had been on the rise with roles in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Peggy Sue Got Married." For the role of the menacing biker and bounty hunter Leonard Smalls, the Coens tapped the former professional boxer Tex Cobb, whom Joel later described as "<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=q5h91ZZemK0C&amp;pg=PA29&amp;lpg=PA29&amp;dq=%E2%80%9Cless+an+actor+than+a+force+of+nature.%E2%80%9D&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=lbDAHC9pPt&amp;sig=ACfU3U1IFkFdlX3DGBV-VuIj2StwtMxApQ&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi1qtv_3Mb2AhV7GjQIHRvgAB0Q6AF6BAgMEAM#v=onepage&amp;q=%E2%80%9Cless%20an%20actor%20than%20a%20force%20of%20nature.%E2%80%9D&amp;f=false">less an actor than a force of nature</a>." And of course, the production required quite a few babies to play Nathan Jr. and his four siblings.McMurray: Nic Cage is terrific in the movie. It's my favorite of his performances. Miller: Nic had this idea: Because his character was a little bit of a career criminal, he thought it would be funny if he was always pressed for time. He was constantly checking his watch. The Coens mentioned it as something they didn't want in the film, and it didn't make the cut. If a character on screen starts checking his watch, everyone in the audience is going to start checking their watch.McMurray: I remember we went out to get lunch, and this teenage girl came up to him and was like, "Are you Nicolas Cage?" She spent 15 minutes arguing with herself over it. Finally, she goes, "Well, OK, would you sign this?" She hands him a wet cocktail napkin. He wrote down, "Tomorrow you will die. Nicolas Cage." That's when I decided I liked him. <div type="image" title="Nicolas Cage chases after a baby in a scene from &quot;Raising Arizona.&quot;" height="1013" width="2027" msid="90274684" hostid="261"></div>Miller: There was a hero baby. The one sitting next to Holly Hunter in the Huggies chase scene. He could pull his sweatshirt hood down. I think his name was T.J. McMurray: I didn't have any interactions with Tex Cobb, but he was apparently a pain in the ass.Burwell: Cobb wasn't an actor. He'd shot his stuff, but there was still one or two scenes that they needed him for. His manager was a professional fighting manager. He said to the Coens, "If you really need him back, we should get twice as much money because you really can't substitute anyone for him now, can you?" He didn't represent any other actors, so he didn't care about his reputation. They had to pay the money.<h1 style="text-align: center;">The initial reception and lasting influence</h1>"Raising Arizona" was a modest hit, grossing <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0093822/credits/?ref_=bo_tt_tab">$29.1 million</a> worldwide on a reported budget of $5.5 million. Reviews were mixed, with Roger Ebert saying the film was "shot down by its own forced and mannered style." The film's profile has risen with critics over time. In 2016, <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/best-coen-brothers-movies-ranked.html">Vulture</a> named it the Coens' best movie. Miller: When the 20th Century Fox marketing department tested the film, it didn't do well. I think the studio thought of the Coen brothers as these art-house filmmakers. Burwell: They're very uncomfortable with even the concept of a happy ending, especially one that is sincerely happy. I remember Ethan even saying after seeing the finale, "I just want to put up a shot of seals being beaten." But the story did require that. I think they also felt that was going to make the movie work for 20th Century Fox.Miller: On opening weekend, there were lines around the block to see the film. There was a huge word of mouth. It could have made much more money than it did, but they didn't have enough prints.McMurray: It wasn't a hit when it first opened. It grew, I think, because of the college crowd. They liked it.<div type="image" title="H.I., played by Nicolas Cage, holds up a grocery store for Huggies diapers in &quot;Raising Arizona.&quot;" height="671" width="895" msid="90274686" hostid="261"></div>Burwell: At the end of it, Ethan did kind of say to me, "I think we'll probably just keep working with you forever." Which turned out to be true. [Burwell has since scored almost all of the Coens' films.] Joel and Ethan were so embarrassed about the low amount of money they could pay me that, without even telling me, they gave me half a point of the profits. That's typical of them. Within a year, I was starting to get royalty checks. I still do.Miller: I think with any filmmaker, it's almost impossible to watch something that you've worked on. With "Raising Arizona," it's never difficult. It's always funny. It's always fresh. I sometimes look at it, and I wonder if I would make those same choices today. In some ways, it benefits from all of us having been so young.

An oral history of 'Raising Arizona,' the comedy classic that made Nicolas Cage a star

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An oral history of 'Raising Arizona,' the comedy classic that made Nicolas Cage a star

Gregory James Wakeman

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