Divine Madness (1980)

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writers:

Bette Midler
Jerry Blatt
(more)

Release Date:

28 November 1980 (Australia)

Genre:

Documentary | Comedy | Music

Tagline:

Bette Midler is Divine Madness

Plot:

In 1980, the head usher at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium gives his crew a pep talk: he wants tonight's "Betty Midler" show to go smoothly...

Plot Keywords:

Concert Film | Crude Humor

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Bette Midler	...	Herself / The Divine Miss M
Jocelyn Brown	...	The Harlettes
Ula Hedwig	...	The Harlettes
Diva Gray	...	The Harlettes
Irving Sudrow	...	Head Usher
Tony Berg	...	Band Vocals
Jon Bonine	...	Band Vocals
Joey Carbone	...	Band Vocals
Randy Kerber	...	Band Vocals

Directed by
Michael Ritchie

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jerry Blatt
Bette Midler
Bruce Vilanch

Cinematography by
William A. Fraker

Costume Design by
Dorothy Baca

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John T. Kretchmer	....	assistant director

Sound Department
James Ledner	....	music mixing assistant
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Nichols II	....	sound recordist
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric D. Andersen	....	additional camera operator
William C. Bohny	....	additional camera operator
Bobby Byrne	....	director of photography: additional photography
Ray De La Motte	....	camera operator
John Donnelly	....	key grip
Donald Glenn	....	best boy grip
Garret Graham	....	additional camera operator
John A. Hawn	....	best boy
Horace Jordan	....	first assistant camera
Robert D. McBride	....	camera operator
Margaret Miller	....	additional assistant cameraman
Scott Miller	....	principal photographer
Victor Nikaido	....	additional assistant cameraman
Barry Oiffer	....	additional assistant cameraman
Kenneth Peach Jr.	....	additional camera operator
Steve Peterson	....	assistant camera
Robert Porcello	....	additional assistant cameraman
Arnold L. Rich	....	additional camera operator
Robert Seaman	....	camera operator
Glenn K. Shimada	....	additional assistant cameraman
Michael St. Hilaire	....	additional camera operator
Ted T. Sugura	....	additional assistant cameraman
Richard Turner	....	additional assistant cameraman
Joseph F. Valentine	....	additional camera operator
Ron Vargas	....	assistant camera
Byron White	....	gaffer
Rick Fee	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dorothy Baca	....	assistant costume designer

Other crew
Mike Sudrow	....	production assistant
Mike Tiano	....	guitar technician
Julia Tucker	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Ladd Company, The

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Ladd Company, The

Also Known As:

"Bette Midler Is Divine Madness" - Canada (English title) (festival title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | USA:R | Australia:M | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Pasadena Civic Auditorium - 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Ladd Company, The

Trivia:

First feature film made by production house The Ladd Company.

Movie Connections:

References The Rose (1979)

Soundtrack:

Summer (The First Time)

The Best of Bette!

Bette Midler is truly a versatile performer. She can sing and act better than the rest of perrformers today. Her taped show is a great example of her abilities to truly dazzle the crowd. She still does that today 25 years after this concert has aired. Bette comes alive on stage more so than in film or television. In this taping, she really is at her best and peak despite her personal problems. I was hoping to see Katey Sagal as one of her Harlettes but she wasn't in this one. My best advice to Bette is to go back on tour. I never did understand the mermaid thing but Bette takes it to a new level. She has an amazing energy and can belt out "the Rose" and the songs before she returned in 1986. This taping must have happened before her nervous breakdown. Bette has performed everywhere imaginable from gay bathhouses in Greenwich Village to Radio City Music Hall uptown. This taped version is quite an event without pushing the envelope even by today's standard. She is still pretty tame in comparison and she can teach the younger generation of performers that you don't have to bare it all to grab their attention. Bette knows that people have paid good money to be entertained by her and she does that. She always does that and that's why she is one of the best live performers of our generation. Sing on, Bette.