Psych-Out: Actor Dean Stockwell Tries To Remember What He Was Doing In This Cheesy Cinematic Wonder

Originally published in Rave-Up #11 (1986)
By Devorah Ostrov

Promo poster for Psych-Out (which oddly features the Voxmobile)

Released in 1968, Psych-Out was an unapologetic cash-in on SF’s already over-hyped (not to mention extinct) “hippieville” (as the press kit called it).

The flick’s convoluted plotline was ridiculous, and none of the adult Hollywood cast (which included Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, and Susan Strasberg) made convincing hippies.

However, after a rare viewing of the film, I had the opportunity for a quick exchange with famous actor Dean Stockwell who played Dave (a “truth-seeking hippie” according to the press kit, who lived in an air-conditioning unit).

It turns out, Dean barely remembers Psych-Out. Although, he does recall not liking the film or his character very much. “It was one of the exploitive teenage movies of the time,” he says. “It didn’t represent what was going on in the scene. I thought my character was an idiot.”

Jack Nicholson, Susan Strasberg & Dean Stockwell

While the film’s producers (Dick Clark Productions) weren’t concerned with improving the script or characters, Dean took it upon himself to give Dave a bit more dimension, even wearing a wig so he’d look cooler.

“I wanted my character to do more than just sit and contemplate his navel,” Dean remarks. (Although his dialog still runs along the lines of: “Reality is a bum trip.”)

He also reveals that (in some cases) the drugs used in the film weren’t props. “There was a big party scene with me and Jack Nicholson,” Dean comments. “We were walking around smoking pot. It was real! We couldn’t function for the rest of the day.”