Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979)

Director:

William A. Levey

Writers:

Nick Castle (screenplay)
William A. Levey (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

October 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The Rock and Roller Disco Movie of the Year!

Plot Keywords:

Reference To Karl Malden | Rollerskating Rink | Contest | Country Name In Title | Disco Music

Cast

Scott Baio	...	Richie
Flip Wilson	...	Harvey Ross
Ron Palillo	...	Frankey
Maureen McCormick	...	Susan
Ruth Buzzi	...	Elvira
Greg Bradford	...	Stan
Patrick Swayze	...	Ace Johnson
Dave Mason	...	Himself
Billy Barty	...	Jimmy
Katherine Kelly Lang	...	Allison
David Landsberg	...	Irwin
Len Bari	...	Alphonse (as Lenny Bari)
Murray Langston	...	The Drunk
Bill Kirchenbauer	...	Skatetown Doctor
Denny Johnston	...	The Wizard
Vic Dunlop	...	Ripple
Joe E. Ross	...	Rent-a-Cop
Sydney Lassick	...	Murray
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Angel Ashley
Leonard Barr
Steve Bourne
Steven Bourne	...	Skating guard
Randall Brady
Deborah Chenoweth
Stanislaw Chmieloch
Gail Collier
Maurice Cook
Brigid Devlin
Connie Downing
Cheryl Faye	...	Dancer
Debbie Fresh	...	Actress / Skater Performer
Gary Hudson
Ronald Kleyweg
Garry Kluger
Judy Landers
Mario Licu
Bob Minor
Gary Mule Deer
Lou Mulford
Kurt Paul
Charles Pitt
Dean Rubin	...	Featured Skater
Dorothy Stratten	...	Girl at the snack bar
Jonna Veitch
Sue Weicberg
Harlene Winsten
Kenneth Wright
Richard Wygant
April Allen	...	Charlene (uncredited)
Rick Edwards	...	Uncle Sam (uncredited)
Jody Jaress	...	Skater / Dancer (uncredited)
Kristi Kane	...	Lady Outside Men's Room (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Levey

Writing credits
Nick Castle		(screenplay)
William A. Levey		(story) &
Lorin Dreyfuss		(story) and
Nick Castle		(story)

Produced by
Lorin Dreyfuss	....	producer
William A. Levey	....	producer
Peter E. Strauss	....	executive producer
Nancy Youngblood	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Miles Goodman

Cinematography by
Donald M. Morgan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Gene Fowler Jr.
William D. Gordean		(as William Gordean)
John McSweeney Jr.		(as Jack McSweeney)

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson

Production Design by
Larry Wiemer

Set Decoration by
George Gaines

Makeup Department
Dorothea Long	....	hairdresser
Dee Manges	....	makeup artist
Francine Shermaine	....	hairdresser
Dodie Warren	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bob Manning	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Bueno	....	second assistant director
Victor Hsu	....	first assistant director
Michael Looney	....	second assistant director
John Syrjamaki	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Roy 'Bucky' Moore	....	property master

Sound Department
Wayne Artman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Beckert	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Jiron	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ronald Long	....	boom operator
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Al Overton Jr.	....	sound mixer

Stunts
Steve Boyum	....	stunts
Billy Hank Hooker	....	stunt coordinator (as Hank Hooker)
Jack Verbois	....	stunts
Gigi Goyette	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Conley	....	best boy grip (as Tom Conley)
Blaise Dahlquist	....	best boy
Richard A. Mention III	....	assistant camera (as Rick Mention)
Daniel Pearl	....	roller skating camera operator
Chris Schwiebert	....	camera operator
Calvin Sterry	....	key grip
Bill Tenny	....	gaffer
Mel Traxel	....	still photographer
Clay H. Wilson	....	dolly grip (as Clay Wilson)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Betsy Heimann	....	costume coordinator
Robert Labansat	....	costume coordinator (as Bob Labansat)

Editorial Department
Gene N. Fowler	....	assistant editor
Bina Grossblat	....	assistant editor
Roxanne Jones	....	assistant editor
Janice Parker	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Beal	....	composer: additional music
Brendan Cahill	....	music supervisor
Ken Johnson	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Mike Doyle	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Susan Alschuler	....	unit publicist
Robert Banas	....	choreographer (as Bob Banas)
Eudie Charnes	....	production office coordinator
Norman Gan	....	production liaison
Jody Rosenthal	....	script supervisor
Carol Seal	....	production secretary
Jim McCarthy	....	payroll accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• KBC
• Rastar Pictures
• Skatetown

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)

Other Companies

• Burbank Editorial & Sound Service  sound effects editing
• Damask Productions Inc.  music editing
• Get Set  sets
• Howard Anderson Company, The  titles & optical effects (as Howard A. Anderson Co.)
• Panavision  lenses and Panaflex camera (as Panavision®)
• Reeltime Creative  trailer music
• See Factor  disco lighting equipment

Also Known As:

"Skatetown" - USA (informal short title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Palladium - 6215 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

KBC

Trivia:

This movie has apparently never been licensed and officially legally released on home video cassette or DVD. One reason suggested is because of the many rights issues that might relate to the soundtrack.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Star 80 (1983)

Soundtrack:

Skatetown

It's nowhere near the masterpiece Xanadu is, but it's still campy fun nevertheless.

I never did understand why most audiences didn't go for XANADU. That movie had a huge cult following upon its theatrical release; while being considered a box office dud, it had the sort of presence that granted it an instant cult classic among musicals. I know tons and tons of people who love both the movie and the soundtrack dearly, and I've noticed that they are all the same personality I am--namely, folks who are starry-eyed by nature, have a strong sense of poetic beauty and grew up with before-Eisner Walt Disney movies.

Story has it that SKATETOWN, U.S.A. was deliberately pushed back a couple of years or so the moment word got out that XANADU was in the works, for apparently the makers of this flick didn't want to chance XANADU's destroying it. They needn't have worried. This thing didn't have a chance to begin with. SKATETOWN is far, far, FAR inferior to the wonderful and delightful XANADU. It doesn't begin to even hold a candle to XANADU, which lives up to its title.

And yet, SKATETOWN, U.S.A. is campy fun in its own way, a time capsule from the disco era that brings back memories despite obvious flaws in direction, choppy editing that insists on slashing the footage of some genuinely spectacular skating stunts before you can fully enjoy them, and a story that is nonexistant at best.

The music makes this movie, hands down. It has a wonderful theme song and original songs as well as a whole slew of disco staples that are now truly timeless classics. And of course all the skating is a blast. And gotta love that goofball D.J. with his sparkle afro!

There's one thing that seriously ruins my enjoyment of this film though. An annoying overweight worker at the snack bar who has a thing for hot dogs. This guy is just... seriously, he's disgusting! He's so gross and lacking in personal hygiene and basic cleanliness that... well, would *YOU* buy food from this guy? I swear, I lose all appetite (especially for hot dogs) upon seeing this guy in action. I'll be sitting there enjoying a wonderful skate dance set to gorgeous music, only to have the camera suddenly cut away to this jerk's gross antics. Edit him OUT entirely and this film would be much, much better and more carefree.

Oh, and you haven't lived until you hear this flick's answer to the question "You saved my life... Why?"