Take This Job and Shove It (1981)

Director:

Gus Trikonis

Writers:

Jeffrey Bernini (story) &
Barry Schneider (story) ...

Release Date:

24 April 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The comedy for everyone who's had it up to here...

Plot:

The "Alison Group" has bought four beer breweries in difficulties. The young but rising top manager Franck Macklin is sent to reorganize one of them...

Plot Keywords:

Brewery | Title Based On Song | Iowa | Obscene Finger Gesture | Independent Film

Cast

Robert Hays	...	Frank Macklin
Art Carney	...	Charlie Pickett
Barbara Hershey	...	J.M. Halstead
David Keith	...	Harry Meade
Tim Thomerson	...	Ray Binkowski
Martin Mull	...	Dick Ebersol
Eddie Albert	...	Samuel Ellison
Penelope Milford	...	Lenore Meade
David Allan Coe	...	Mooney
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lacy J. Dalton	...	Mrs. Mooney
Royal Dano	...	Beeber
Wally Engelhardt	...	Doomar
Sharon Ernster	...	Doreen
Bruce M. Fischer	...	Jimmy
Virgil Frye	...	Cleach
Mike Genovese	...	Marvin
Mary Pat Hennagir	...	Patricia Ann
James Karen	...	Loomis
Suzanne Kent	...	Charmaine
Brenda King	...	Secretary
Len Lesser	...	Roach
George Lindsey	...	Semitruck Driver
Carole Mallory	...	B-Jo
Stephan Meyers	...	Harry Meade, Jr.
Maire O'Brien	...	Mary
Johnny PayCheck	...	Man with Hamburgers
Joan Prather	...	Madelene
Charlie Rich	...	Hooker
Fran Ryan	...	Mrs. Hinkle
David Selburg	...	Harvard Type
Robert Swan	...	Virgil
Brad Waller	...	Dugan
James Whittle	...	Installer

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Company:

AVCO Embassy Pictures

Trivia:

The appearance of Bob Chandler's "Bigfoot" monster truck is the first appearance of such a vehicle in a movie and generally credited with nationalizing the monster truck craze. Bigfoot trucks went on to appear in Cannonball Run II, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, Police Academy 6: Under Siege, Road House, Tango & Cash and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Jack Frost (#9.13)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

You Made It Beautiful

Sad waste of talent and good songs

When one looks at the cast of this incredibly bad film, one wonders who it could be so bad. There are good actors in this waste of celluloid...Art Carney, Royal Dano, David Keith,and Barbara Hershey, among others. In addition, the Johnny Paycheck song is a minor Country classic. There are also two genuinely funny, touching Bobby Bare/Lacy J. Dalton duets, " Beer Drinkin'Christians"(its far, far better-and even more profound- than the title makes it sound), and "Its a Dirty Job, but Someone's Got to do It." The latter song, about the collapse of a blue collar marriage, comes during one of the few moments of sociological -and human- insight in the whole mess, when David Keith and his wife are arguing about family finances and their kids futures over dinner.In the background, we see a statue of The Sacred Heart, and we realize that these people are, indeed, "beer-drinkin' Christians". The culprits are a moronic script that mixes crass., occasionally amusing slapstick with "biting' social criticism, and the flat-footed direction of Gus Trikonis, a true hack. To adapt a phrase from Ms. Dalton's song ( that sadly underused talent has a brief appearance as a bar-maid), the unfortunate soul that sits through this film will feel "..like a lame armadillo , dodging fast Chrysler's on interstate 10"...a 4. ( And that only because we get to see Ms. Hershey mud -wrestle, and because the songs are pretty good)