The Choirboys (film)
| The Choirboys | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Robert Aldrich |
| Produced by |
Merv Adelson (producer) William Aldrich (executive producer) Mario Bregni (executive producer) Pietro Bregni (executive producer) Mark Damon (executive producer) Lee Rich (producer) |
| Written by | Jennifer Miller |
| Starring |
Charles Durning Louis Gossett, Jr. Perry King |
| Music by | Frank De Vol |
| Cinematography | Joseph F. Biroc (as Joseph Biroc) |
| Edited by |
William Martin Irving Rosenblum Maury Winetrobe |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6,500,000[1] |
| Box office |
ITL 126,400,000 (Italy) (1980) 292,099 admissions (France)[2] |
The Choirboys is a 1977 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Aldrich, written by Christopher Knopf and Joseph Wambaugh based on Wambaugh's novel of the same title. It features an ensemble cast including Charles Durning, Louis Gossett, Jr., Randy Quaid and James Woods. The film was released to theaters by Universal Pictures on December 23, 1977.
Story
Los Angeles police officers experiencing various pressures at work unwind at night with drunken get-togethers (a.k.a. "choir practice") at MacArthur Park, where their pranks often go too far: among those there are a retiring cop, a small number of young cops, a bigoted one and a Vietnam vet with panic disorder.
Cast
- Charles Durning as Spermwhale Whalen
- Louis Gossett, Jr. as Calvin Motts
- Perry King as Baxter Slate
- Clyde Kusatsu as Francis Tanaguchi
- Stephen Macht as Spencer Van Moot
- Tim McIntire as Roscoe Rules
- Randy Quaid as Dean Proust
- Chuck Sacci as 'Father' Sartino
- Don Stroud as Sam Lyles
- James Woods as Harold Bloomguard
- Burt Young as Sgt. Scuzzi
- Robert Webber as Deputy Chief Riggs
- Jim Davis as Capt. Drobek
- Phyllis Davis as Foxy
- Susan Batson as Sabrina
- Cheryl Smith as Tammy
- Barbara Rhoades as No Balls Hadley
- Charles Haid as Sgt. Nick Yanov
Reception
The film attracted negative reviews and is considered by some to be Aldrich's weakest film. Vincent Canby's review in the December 24, 1977 New York Times described the film as "cheap and nasty" as well as "a stylistic and narrative mess". Wambaugh, after seeing the film, sued and got his name taken off the credits of the final print.
While the original version contained scenes not shown on TV, the TV version received major edits. Unused scenes were added for the broadcast. Charles Haid replaced Walter McGinn in the role of Sgt. Nick Yanov after McGinn's accidental death in late March 1977.[3]
References
- ↑ Alain Silver and James Ursini, Whatever Happened to Robert Aldrich?, Limelight, 1995 p 303
- ↑ French box office results for Robert Aldrich films at Box Office Story
- ↑
External links
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