On this day March 13 1987 the comedy film Raising Arizona premiered in theaters. Directed by Joel Coen the film starred Nicolas Cage Holly Hunter William Forsythe and John Goodman in a quirky and fast-paced story that became a cult classic.
Raising Arizona followed the story of an ex-convict and a police officer who steal a baby from a wealthy family after struggling with infertility. Filled with offbeat humor stylized cinematography and exaggerated action sequences the film became one of the Coen Brothers’ most beloved early works.
80s insight:: Raising Arizona was a major departure from the Coen Brothers’ previous film Blood Simple which was a dark and gritty neo-noir. They wanted to prove they could handle comedy just as well as suspense.