That's the Way of the World (1975)

Director:

Sig Shore

Writers:

Robert Lipsyte (screenplay)
Robert Lipsyte (story)

Release Date:

June 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

The top-selling Grammy-winning album of 1975 brought to you by Earth, Wind & Fire and its founder/writer/producer Maurice White is now a motion picture of all sorts.

Plot:

Record executives want a highly-regarded record producer to focus on a white pop act whom they feel has the sound America wants. To keep his creative integrity, Buckmaster carefully begins to fight the system that has made him the respected producer he has become. |

Plot Keywords:

Record Producer | Band | Record Company | Independent Film

Cast

Harvey Keitel	...	Coleman Buckmaster
Ed Nelson	...	Carlton James
Cynthia Bostick	...	Velour Page
Bert Parks	...	Franklyn Page
Jimmy Boyd	...	Gary Page
Michael Dante	...	Mike Lemongello
Maurice White	...	Early
Earth Wind & Fire	...	The Group (as Earth Wind and Fire)
Freddie White	...	The Group (as Earth Wind and Fire)
Verdine White	...	The Group (as Earth Wind and Fire)
Ron Gorton	...	Warren
Valerie Shepherd	...	Ellen
Herb Downer	...	Player (as Herb Towner)
Francesca De Sapio	...	Amanda (as Francesca Di Sapio)
Charles McGregor	...	Mantan (as Charles MacGregor)
Fred Versacci	...	Ferrara
Murray Moston	...	Buck's Father
Sig Shore	...	Norman Shulman (as Mike Richards)
Charles Stepney	...	Johnny Lyman (as Chuck Stepney)
Linda Fields	...	Annabel Lee
Nick Lapadula	...	Al Rapp (as Nick La Padula)
Steve Shore	...	The Kid
Frankie Crocker	...	Frankie Crocker
Murray the 'K'	...	Big John Little
Vi Higgenson	...	Wonder Woman
K.C.	...	Cab Driver
Dick Stewart	...	Mel Cooper
Ramon Feliciano	...	Busboy
Aubrey De Souza	...	Chauffeur
Jerry Rush	...	TV Interviewer
John Powers	...	The Greek
We Four Guys	...	Skaters
Randy Higgenson	...	Skaters
The Roller Rockers	...	Skaters
Leonard Smith	...	Rollerdome Bouncer
John Haney	...	Control Room Engineer
Doris Troy	...	Wedding Pianist
Barbara Engel	...	James' Secretary
Andrew Blau	...	TV Studio Director
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philip Bailey	...	The Group (as Earth Wind and Fire)
Johnny Graham	...	The Group (as Earth Wind and Fire)
Ralph Johnson	...	The Group (as Earth Wind and Fire)
Al McKay	...	The Group (as Earth Wind and Fire)
Andrew Woolfolk	...	The Group (as Earth Wind and Fire)
Larry Dunn	...	Band Member (uncredited)

Directed by
Sig Shore

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Lipsyte		screenplay
Robert Lipsyte		story

Produced by
Phillip Fenty	....	associate producer
Ron Gorton	....	associate producer
Sig Shore	....	producer

Cinematography by
Alan Metzger		(as Allan Metzger)

Film Editing by
Bruce Witkin		(as Bruce Wittkin)

Makeup Department
William Lyon MacKenzie	....	makeup artist (as Will McKenzie)

Production Management
Jerry W. Kisker	....	production manager (as Jerry Kisker)
Bruce Witkin	....	post-production supervisor (as Bruce Wittkin)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Shore	....	assistant director

Art Department
Peter Kunz	....	props
Monroe Liebgold	....	property man (as Jockey Liebgold)

Sound Department
Bill Daly	....	sound (as William Daly)
Harriet Fidlow	....	sound effects editor: Magnofex (as Harriet Glickstein)
Al Gramaglia	....	re-recording mixer: Magno Sound
Samantha Heilwell	....	boom operator (as Samantha Heilweil)
Robert Post	....	boom operator
Robert Post	....	sound mixer
Dan Sable	....	sound effects editor: Magnofex

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael F. Barrow	....	chief gaffer (as Michael Barrow)
Robert Comer	....	gaffer (as Bobby Comer)
Michael Daly	....	grip assistant
Larry Flynn	....	best boy
David Greene	....	second assistant camera
Butch Hazel	....	grip
'Big John' Marwick	....	key grip (as Big John Marwick)
Rick Raphael	....	assistant camera
Abe Schrager	....	grip (as Abe Shrager)
Lindsay Shore	....	still photographer
Ellis St. Rose	....	assistant camera
Alan Stensvold	....	camera operator (as Alan Stensvolt)
Steven Wolper	....	assistant camera (as Steve Wolper)

Editorial Department
Sandy Tung	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Charles Stepney	....	associate music producer
Charles Stepney	....	music arranger
Maurice White	....	music producer

Other crew
Howard Levitt	....	production assistant
Peter Maloney	....	production assistant
Greg Nelson	....	production assistant
Valerie Shepherd	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Sig Shore Productions

Distributors

• BCI Eclipse (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Bryanston Distributing (1975) (worldwide) (all media)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• United Artists

Other Companies

• Panavision  camera and lenses
• Alexsa Corporation  titles
• Optical House, The  opticals
• Magno Sound  sound services (as Magno Sound, Inc.)
• General Camera Corporation  equipment (as General Camera Corp.)
• Cinemobile Systems  location services (as Cinemobile Systems, Inc.)
• Cine Guarantors Inc.  crew contractor (as Cine Guarantors)
• Movielab  color (as Movielab, Inc.)
• Salvatore  clothing
• Dick Gidron Cadillac  cars
• Columbia Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Shining Star" - USA (reissue title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Sig Shore Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 6 (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

That's the Way of the World

Good Effort!

This is an often amusing insider look at the music business. Keitel plays a producer who is saddled with a G-rated group and is expected to make them popular with the public. There are lots of satirical in-jokes about the egos of recording stars, their managers and the people who run the studios. It has a lot of 70s nostalgia value and many of the philosophies spouted by the characters are still en vogue with the music biz today. All in all, a good job by all involved.