Stripes (1981)

Director:

Ivan Reitman

Writers:

Len Blum (written by) &
Daniel Goldberg (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 June 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Tagline:

The story of a man who wanted to keep the world safe for democracy...and meet girls

Plot:

Two friends who are dissatisfied with their jobs decide to join the army for a bit of fun.

Plot Keywords:

Army | Boot Camp | Graduation | Rescue | American Soldier

Cast

Bill Murray	...	John
Harold Ramis	...	Russell Ziskey
Warren Oates	...	Sgt. Hulka
P.J. Soles	...	Stella
Sean Young	...	Louise
John Candy	...	Ox
John Larroquette	...	Capt. Stillman
John Voldstad	...	Stillman's Aide
John Diehl	...	Cruiser
Lance LeGault	...	Col. Glass
Roberta Leighton	...	Anita
Conrad Dunn	...	Francis 'Psycho' Soyer
Judge Reinhold	...	Elmo
Antone Pagan	...	Hector
Glenn-Michael Jones	...	Leon
William Lucking	...	Recruiter (as Bill Lucking)
Fran Ryan	...	Dowager in Cab
Joe Flaherty	...	Border Guard (as Joseph P. Flaherty)
Nick Toth	...	Border Guard
Dave Thomas	...	M.C.
Robin Klein	...	Cheerleader
Robert J. Wilke	...	General Barnicke
Lois Hamilton	...	Stillman's Girlfriend (as Lois Areno)
Samuel Briggs	...	Corporal
Hershel B. Harlson	...	Shoeshine Man
Timothy Busfield	...	Soldier with Mortar
Solomon Schmidt	...	Store Owner
Gino Gottarelli	...	Russian Officer
Gene Scherer	...	Russian Officer
Dawn Clark	...	Mud Wrestler
Anita Merritt	...	Mud Wrestler (as Juanita Merritt)
Susan Mechsner	...	Mud Wrestler
Sue Bowser	...	Mud Wrestler
Linda Dupree	...	Mud Wrestler
Leslie Henderson	...	Mud Wrestler
Craig Schaefer	...	Soldier Outside Motor Pool
Arkady Rakhman	...	Immigrant
Pamela Bowman	...	Cruiser's Girl
Gerard J. Counts	...	Russian Soldier
Yetim Buntsis	...	Russian Soldier
Semyon Veyts	...	Russian Soldier
Larry R. Gillette	...	Russian Soldier
Glenn Leigh Marshall	...	Russian Soldier
Dale Prince	...	Russian Soldier
Larry Odell Lane	...	Soldier
Joyce D. Helmus	...	Soldier
David A. Mullins	...	Soldier
Bruce E. Ellis	...	Soldier
David D. Platko	...	Soldier
Phillip A. Urbansky	...	Soldier
William R. Sykes	...	Soldier
Bill Paxton	...	Soldier
J.A. Crawford	...	Soldier
Michael Flynn	...	Soldier
Norman Mont-Eton	...	Policeman
Mark S. Markowicz	...	Policeman
Jeff Viola	...	Policeman
Robert Dulaine	...	Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Donald Gibb	...	Bouncer in Mud Wrestling Bar (uncredited)
Michael King	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Dennis Quaid	...	Extra at Graduation Ceremony (uncredited)

Directed by
Ivan Reitman

Writing credits
Len Blum		(written by) &
Daniel Goldberg		(written by) (as Dan Goldberg) and
Harold Ramis		(written by)

Produced by
Daniel Goldberg	....	producer (as Dan Goldberg)
Joe Medjuck	....	associate producer
Ivan Reitman	....	producer

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Bill Butler		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Harry Keller
Michael Luciano
Eva Ruggiero

Casting by
Karen Rea

Production Design by
James H. Spencer

Set Decoration by
Carl Biddiscombe

Costume Design by
Richard Bruno

Makeup Department
Chuck House	....	makeup artist (as Charles House)
James Lee McCoy	....	makeup artist (as Jim McCoy)
Carol A. O'Connell	....	hair stylist (as Carol O'Connell)

Production Management
Russell Saunders	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Fortmuller	....	dga trainee
James M. Freitag	....	second assistant director
Richard Learman	....	assistant director
Donald Newman	....	second assistant director (as Donald J. Newman)

Art Department
Louis S. Fleming	....	assistant property master (as Louis Fleming)
Sam Gordon	....	property master
William F. Matthews	....	set designer (as William Mathews)
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator
Sandy Veneziano	....	set designer (as Sandra Veneziano)

Sound Department
Wayne Artman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Beckert	....	sound re-recording mixer
Raul A. Bruce	....	boom operator (as Raul Bruce)
Jeff Bushelman	....	sound editor
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	production sound mixer (as Gene Cantamessa)
Michael Jiron	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Pat Somerset	....	sound editor
David E. Stone	....	sound editor
Jeremy Hoenack	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Stanley Amborn	....	special effects (as Stan Amborn)
Ken Speed	....	special effects assistant
Joseph A. Unsinn	....	special effects supervisor (as Joe Unsinn)

Stunts
Steve Blalock	....	stunts
John Cade	....	stunts
Ralph D. Carpenter	....	stunts
Carol Daniels	....	stunt double: Sean Young
Terry James	....	stunt coordinator
Mary Peters	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator
Colin J. Campbell	....	gaffer (as Colin Campbell)
James R. Connell	....	camera operator (as James Connell)
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician
Howard Hagadorn	....	second grip
Randy Hart	....	best boy
George Hill	....	key grip
Charles L. Morgan	....	crane grip (as Charles Morgan)
Brian W. Roy	....	camera operator
Brian W. Roy	....	director of photography: second unit
James M. Sheppherd	....	dolly grip (as Jim Sheppherd)
Don Smetzer	....	still photographer
Lynn Tomes	....	first assistant camera
Bruce Birmelin	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Norman Bennett	....	casting assistant
Pat Hamilton	....	casting assistant
Olivia Maggard	....	casting: Kentucky
Debbie Peterson	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Iannaccone	....	costumer: men (as Bob Iannaccone)
Silvio Scarano	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Stephen Price	....	assistant film editor
Peter Ransohoff	....	assistant film editor
Nancy Weizer	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Peter Bernstein	....	orchestrator
Kathy Durning	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Pat Desmond	....	transportation coordinator (as Pat Desmond Jr.)
Ron Riner	....	transportation coordinator
Mike Robinson	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Bill Borden	....	location manager
William R. Borden	....	location manager
Eudie Charnes	....	production office coordinator
Ronn Forella	....	choreographer: Graduation sequence
Arthur Goldweit	....	assistant choreographer
Leroy Heuglin	....	liaison: Kentucky
Robert F. Kocourek	....	auditor (as Robert Kocourek)
Robert F. Kocourek	....	production accountant (as Robert Kocourek)
Yvonne Lacer	....	production secretary
Brian Lindquist	....	unit publicist
Burke Mattsson	....	title designer: MGM Title
Sam Mercer	....	location manager (as Samuel L. Mercer)
Lloyd Nelson	....	script supervisor
Barry Sprouse	....	technical advisor (as Capt. Barry Sprouse)
Marion F. Williams	....	technical advisor (as C.S.M. Marion F. Williams)
Michael King	....	location assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1990) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1983) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2005) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1981) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (video)
• LK-TEL (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International (????) (Italy) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Burbank Editorial Service Inc.  sound editing
• La Da Productions  music editing
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles
• Metrocolor  prints by
• Panavision  lenses and Panaflex® Camera by
• Pellegrini & Kaestle Inc.  magazine graphics
• Pellegrini & Kaestle Inc.  newspapers

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use

Runtime:

106 min | USA:126 min (extended version) | Spain:117 min (extended version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian | Polish

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:PG (Manitoba) (original rating) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | Finland:K-12 (cut) (1981) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (extended version) (2005) | Canada:14A (Manitoba/Ontario) (extended version) (2005) | Spain:13 | Finland:K-11 (uncut) (2005) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | Norway:16 (1981) | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

At the end of the film, the four main characters receive Distinguished Service Crosses.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Traveling north from Italy to Germany, as Winger and Ziskey went with the RV to see their girlfriends, and their squad traveled in pursuit, one would have to take a RIGHT into the Czech Republic, and a LEFT into Germany, not a left into the Czech Republic and a right into Germany as the roadsigns falsely indicated.

Quotes:

John Winger:We're so damned lost. Where the hell is Innsbruck, Austria?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #8.24" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Do Wah Diddy Diddy

It Can Stand Up To Goofballs.

Despite the fact that there is no way on God's green earth or this country's army that such a set of circumstances could ever happen, that's still no reason not to enjoy Stripes. The film is in a long line of service comedies that date all the way back to Charlie Chaplin's Shoulder Arms and further than that. Even Shakespeare found some humor in army life, just read how Falstaff made do in the service of his king.

Of course Falstaff wasn't a drill sergeant like Warren Oates who had a platoon of underachievers with the likes of Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and John Candy as recruits. As is usual the service comedies make a mistake in that the basic training company stays intact with the same sergeant. In real life Oates would have taken a drink when the eight weeks was done and gone on to some fresh young trainees.

But some brain in the Pentagon decides that what a new type urban assault vehicle needs is some fresh recruits to maintain it, reasoning if the vehicle is worthy it can stand up to goofballs. The vehicle looks like your ordinary average camper, in fact Murray and Ramis while they're guarding it decide it would be a great chick magnet. So they pick up a pair of female MPs in P.J. Soles and Sean Young.

The officer in charge is John Larroquette who isn't much better than the recruits he has and when the vehicle turns up missing, he sounds the general alarm worthy of the Captain in Mister Roberts. He leads the whole troop after Murray and Ramis right into at that time Communist Czechoslovakia and some nasty Russians. Good thing they didn't have their A team playing either.

Stripes is your typical armed service comedy with a nice Eighties twist from Bill Murray and a crew from Saturday Night Live just coming into their prime as players. John Larroquette is the best in the film, imagine ADA Dan Fielding in an army uniform and you got Larroquette's character. You notice the New York County DA's office never gives Fielding any really big cases to handle.

And yes that vehicle can withstand anything and it has more tricks than James Bond's Astin-Martin. To see what and how much, you have to watch Stripes.