Zoot Suit (1981)

Director:

Luis Valdez

Writer:

Luis Valdez (play)

Release Date:

January 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical

Plot:

A kind of musical accompanying the story of the early 1940's and the effect that the "zoot suit" (a man's suit of long jacket and pegged pants...

Plot Keywords:

Zoot Suit | 1940s | Murder | Mexican American | Adaptation Directed By Original Author

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Daniel Valdez	...	Henry Reyna
Edward James Olmos	...	El Pachuco
Charles Aidman	...	George Shearer
Tyne Daly	...	Alice Bloomfield
John Anderson	...	Judge F.W. Charles
Abel Franco	...	Enrique
Mike Gomez	...	Joey / Jose Torres
Alma Martinez	...	Lupe (as Alma Rosa Martínez)
Francis X. McCarthy	...	Press (as Frank McCarthy)
Lupe Ontiveros	...	Dolores
Ed Peck	...	Lieutenant Edwards
Robert Phalen	...	District Attorney
Tony Plana	...	Rudy
Rose Portillo	...	Della
Marco Rodríguez	...	Smiley / Ismael Torres
Kelly Ward	...	Tommy / Thomas Roberts
Helena Andreyko	...	Blondie
Bob Basso	...	The Bailiff
Darlene Bryan	...	Little Blue
Bernadette Colognne	...	Legs
Miguel Delgado	...	Rafas
Roberta Delgado	...	Tillie
Anacani Echeverria	...	Pachura vocalist #1
Hammam Shafie	...	Budda (as Carlos Garcia)
Honey Garcia	...	Chola
James Hogan	...	Shore Patrol
Laura Leyva	...	Elena
Sal Lopez	...	Hobo
Luis Manuel	...	Cholo
Kim Miyori	...	Manchaka
Ángela Moya	...	Bertha
Bertha E. Oropeza	...	Pachura vocalist #2
Jeff Reynolds	...	P. Cost
Juan Ríos	...	Crow
Greg Rosatti	...	Leatherneck
Nancy Salis	...	Bonita
Candice L. Silva	...	Pachuca vocalist #3
Geno Silva	...	Galindo
Kurtwood Smith	...	Sergeant Smith
Dennis Stewart	...	Swabbie
Duke Stroud	...	Guard
Judy Susman	...	Sugarfoot
Jon Thomas	...	Ragman
Lewis Whitlock	...	Zooter
Antoinette Yuskis	...	Ceucra
Robert Beltran	...	Lowrider
Alma Beltran	...	Lowrider's Mother
Julio Medina	...	Lowrider's Father
Diane Rodriguez	...	Court stenographer
Socorro Valdez	...	Lowrider's girlfriend
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Santiago	...	Voice (uncredited)

Directed by
Luis Valdez

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Luis Valdez		play "Zoot Suit"

Produced by
Kenneth Brecher	....	co-producer
Peter Burrell	....	producer
Gordon Davidson	....	executive producer
Phil Esparza	....	associate producer (as Phillip Esparza)
William P. Wingate	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Daniel Valdez

Cinematography by
David Myers		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jacqueline Cambas

Casting by
Frank Bayer
Eugene Blythe
Anita Dann

Production Design by
Tom H. John

Set Decoration by
Fred S. Winston

Costume Design by
Yvonne Wood

Makeup Department
Gabriella Csorba	....	makeup artist
Ken Diaz	....	makeup artist
William Howard	....	hair stylist (as Bill Howard)
Susan Schuler-Page	....	hair stylist (as Susan Schuler)
Gerald Solomon	....	hair designer (as Solomon J. Gerald)

Production Management
Don Zepfel	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thomas A. Bliss	....	dga trainee
Lisa Marmon	....	second assistant director
Win Phelps	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Emigdio Chavez	....	assistant property master
Ed Keyes	....	property master
Leslie Parsons	....	assistant art director
William F. Reinert	....	lead man (as Bill Reinert)
David L. Snyder	....	original concept designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Angelo Bruzzese	....	loop dialogue editor
Al Florence	....	playback operator
George Fredrick	....	sound effects editor
Roger Heman Jr.	....	sound re-recordist
John K. Kean	....	sound engineer
Earl Madery	....	sound re-recordist
Billy Mauch	....	adr editor (as William J. Mauch)
Billy Mauch	....	loop dialogue editor (as William J. Mauch)
Fred Miller	....	boom operator
Al Morrone	....	sound recordist
Vern Poore	....	sound re-recordist
Rex Slinkard	....	sound re-recordist
Roger Sword	....	sound effects editor (as Roger A. Sword)

Special Effects by
Johnny Borgese	....	special effects (as John Borgese)
Bruno Van Zeebroeck	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Martin Aronstein	....	stage lighting designer: Central Theatre Group
Richard Babin	....	co-grip (as Dick Babin)
Joseph Cosko Jr.	....	second assistant camera
Chuy Elizondo	....	camera operator
Roger Gebhard	....	assistant camera
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Kristin R. Glover	....	assistant camera (as Kristin Glover)
Rhio Haessig	....	best boy grip
Michael Kenner	....	best boy grip
Bill Kinney	....	dolly grip
Patrick Marshall	....	best boy grip
John Monte	....	still photographer (as John R. Monte)
Paul M. Pollard	....	camera operator (as Paul Polard)
Gaylin P. Schultz	....	key grip (as Gaylin Schultz)
Bernie Schwartz	....	best boy grip
Dennis Smith	....	camera operator
George Stephenson	....	assistant camera
Don Whipple	....	co-grip (as Don Whipple Jr.)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Margo Baxley	....	costume supervisor
Shanan Harrell	....	costume supervisor
Hugo Peña	....	set costumer
Chuck Velasco	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Craig Bassett	....	assistant editor
Jere Huggins	....	assistant editor
Ned Humphreys	....	assistant editor
Bud S. Smith	....	supervising editor (as Bud Smith)

Music Department
Lalo Guerrero	....	composer: songs "Los chicos suaves", "Vamos a bailar" and "Marijuana boogie"
Laurie Higgins Tobias	....	assistant music editor (as Laurie Higgins)
Shorty Rogers	....	composer: additional music
Shorty Rogers	....	music arranger
John Strauss	....	music editor
Michael Tronick	....	music editor
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Dale Lattimer	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Susan Barton	....	aquarius theatre administrator: Central Theatre Group
Paul Bell	....	production assistant
Jack Bender	....	consultant
Patricia Birch	....	choreographer
Milt Commons	....	associate production administrator: Central Theatre Group
Roberta Delgado	....	dance captain
Gina Ehrlich	....	production liaison
Betty A. Griffin	....	script supervisor (as Betty Abbott Griffin)
Rob Hedden	....	unit publicist
Jack Leustig	....	facilities manager: Central Theatre Group
Michael Martinez	....	craft service
Alice McGrath	....	consultant
Lawrence Mitzler	....	assistant stage lighting designer: Central Theatre Group
Marilyn Rice	....	aquarius theatre administrator: Central Theatre Group
Robert Rontolo	....	technical administrator: Central Theatre Group
Greg Rosatti	....	dance captain
Bud S. Smith	....	technical advisor (as Bud Smith)
Don Winton	....	production administrator: Central Theatre Group

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Sensurround

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Prescott, Arizona, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The character of Henry Reyna was based upon the real-life zoot-suiter Henry "Hank" Leyvas, who was tried and wrongfully convicted for first-degree murder of Jose Diaz, after an incident on 1 August 1942. The film and the play that preceded it conformed to the facts of the actual case. The appeals court overturned the earlier verdict and Reyna and his friends were set free in 1945, following the Zoot Suit Riots and the banning of zoot suits in Los Angeles (courtesy of the Los Angeles City Council) in 1944. Many futures and outcomes for Reyna were given in the film and the play. In real life, Leyvas was convicted some years later for selling drugs. He served ten years and was released, and soon opened a family restaurant. He died of a heart attack in 1971.

Quotes:

El Pachuco:Go ahead, Ese, Pop her cherry. You know she wants it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Marijuana Boogie

A unique film experience

What a strange and surreal experience this film presents. While this is supposed to be a movie, it comes off as more of a high budget play, complete with random crowd scenes and odd looking stage sets. While most films try to present the real, this film encompasses the opposite side of the spectrum, presenting a world that is completely reconstructed within a small plot of space. Entertaining and unusual, this is one of those films a person should watch for the pure visual appeal of film.