| Meet Wally Sparks | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Peter Baldwin |
| Produced by | Leslie Greif |
| Written by | Harry Basil Rodney Dangerfield |
| Starring | Rodney Dangerfield Debi Mazar Michael Weatherly Cindy Williams Alan Rachins Burt Reynolds David Ogden Stiers |
| Music by | Michael Colombier |
| Distributed by | Trimark Pictures |
| Release date(s) | January 16, 1997 |
| Running time | 105 min. |
| Language | English |
Meet Wally Sparks is a comedy film released in 1997 by Trimark Pictures. It stars Rodney Dangerfield and was directed by Peter Baldwin.
Comic Rodney Dangerfield co-wrote and stars in this outrageous comedy. Wally Sparks (Dangerfield) is the host of a sleazy tabloid-style talk show who makes Jerry Springer seem genteel by comparison. His show has become so foul that he's alienated his not-especially-discriminating viewers, and his ratings are taking a nosedive. Lenny Spencer (Burt Reynolds), head of the network carrying hid show, gives him an ultimatum -- he has a week to clean up the show and boost his ratings, or his show gets cancelled. His producer Sandy Gallo (Debi Mazar) comes up with an idea -- Floyd Preston (David Ogden Stiers) is the governor of Georgia and a staunch conservative known for his attacks on the lowbrow content of his show, so what better way to show people that he is trying to change his ways than having Preston on the show as a guest? In order to persuade Preston to appear, Wally attends a reception at the Governor's mansion, where he makes the mistake of getting in a drunken game of strip poker with Preston's wife Emily (Cindy Williams) and somehow involving himself in a plot to blackmail the Governor.
The film is notable for its cameo appearances by a number of entertainers, including Tim Allen, Sally Jesse Raphael, Lenny Clarke, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Gilbert Gottfried, Julia Sweeney, Michael Bolton, Tony Danza, Ron Jeremy, John Melendez, Bob Saget, Jerry Springer, George Hamilton, and Roseanne Barr.