Jinxed! (1982)

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Frank D. Gilroy (screenplay) and
David Newman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 March 1983 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

America's favorite tootsie is on a roll.

Plot:

Harold, a professional gambler, and his girlfriend Bonita, a lounge singer, follow Willie, a young blackjack dealer...

Plot Keywords:

Casino | Gambling | Cover Up | Black Comedy | Luck

Cast

Bette Midler	...	Bonita Friml
Ken Wahl	...	Willie Brodax
Rip Torn	...	Harold Benson
Val Avery	...	Milt Hawkins
Jack Elam	...	Otto
Benson Fong	...	Mr. Wing
Jacqueline Scott	...	Woman Bettor
F. William Parker	...	Art
Ian Wolfe	...	Morley
George Dickerson	...	Tahoe Casino Manager
Cletus Young	...	Dealer
Tom Pletts	...	Tahoe First Monitor
Archie Lang	...	Tahoe Second Monitor
Kathryn Kates	...	Miss Nina
James Nolan	...	Father (as Jim Nolan)
Kathleen O'Malley	...	Mother
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Insurance Agent
Joan Freeman	...	Woman Agent
Don Siegel	...	Owner Adult Bookstore
Patrick Braley	...	Auto Museum Guard
Barry Michlin	...	Talent Booker (segment "Max")
Gay Hagen	...	Tahoe Woman Player
Read Morgan	...	Reno Player
Jeff Crawford	...	Reno Monitor
Sterling Swanson	...	First Bettor
Ken Koc	...	Pit Boss
Kristy Syverson	...	Cigarette Girl
Sylvia Allen	...	Woman Player (Tag)
William H. Dunn	...	Security Officer
Kyle Thatcher	...	Tahoe Man Player #1
Kenneth M. Eardley	...	Tahoe Man Player #2
Jeffry Rense	...	Reporter
Kerry McGrath	...	Woman Dealer

Directed by
Don Siegel

Writing credits
Frank D. Gilroy		(screenplay) (as Bert Blessing) and
David Newman		(screenplay)
Frank D. Gilroy		(story) (as Bert Blessing)

Produced by
Herb Jaffe	....	producer
Howard Jeffrey	....	executive producer
Carol Rydall	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Miles Goodman
Bruce Roberts

Cinematography by
Vilmos Zsigmond

Film Editing by
Douglas Stewart

Casting by
Jennifer Shull

Production Design by
Ted Haworth

Art Direction by
Angelo P. Graham		(as Angelo Graham)

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton		(as Robert Benton)

Costume Design by
Robert De Mora

Makeup Department
Jeff Angell	....	makeup artist: Ms. Midler
Richard Blair	....	makeup artist (as Richard R. Blair)
Lynda Gurasich	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Joseph C. Cavalier	....	unit production manager
Neil A. Machlis	....	executive in charge of production
Neil A. Machlis	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Luigi Alfano	....	first assistant director
Deborah Love	....	second assistant director
Daniel McCauley	....	first assistant director (as Daniel J. McCauley)
Joseph Paul Moore	....	second assistant director
Sam Peckinpah	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dennis Butterworth	....	greensman
Jim Coverdale	....	props
Frank Escobedo	....	assistant property master
Dale Ettema	....	construction foreman
Wally Graham	....	set designer
Julia Harmount	....	set designer (as Julie Harmount)
Jerry Kobold	....	lead man (as Gerald Kobold)
Joseph Kuri	....	property master
Maurice Larson	....	stand-by painter
Michael J. Smith	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Clint Althouse	....	boom operator
Michael H. Ford	....	sound effects editor (as Michael Ford)
Scott Hecker	....	sound effects editor (as Scott A. Hecker)
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Christopher Jenkins)
Al Overton	....	sound recordist
Barton Palmer	....	cable person (as Bart Palmer)
Robert R. Rutledge	....	supervising sound editor
Nowell Siegel	....	cable person
Jerry Stanford	....	sound effects editor
Larry Stensvold	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jack Woods	....	dialogue editor
Lee Strosnider	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gunter Jennings	....	special effects
Stan Parks	....	special effects: second unit
Ken Pepiot	....	special effects: second unit

Visual Effects by
Don Hansard	....	process coordinator

Stunts
Gary Baxley	....	stunts
Will Harper	....	stunts (as William Wells Harper)
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunt coordinator (as Thomas J. Huff)
Richard Humphreys	....	stunts
Sherry Peterson	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert J. Banks	....	electrician trainee
Bill Beaumont	....	best boy
John Boccaccio	....	second assistant camera
Donald Boebel	....	electrician
Vito Carenzo	....	grip
Doug Dale	....	electrician
Dick Deats	....	key grip (as Richard Deats)
Jerry Deats	....	best boy grip
Jessie Deats	....	grip
Michael Gershman	....	camera operator
Jan Kiesser	....	camera operator
John LeBlanc	....	first assistant camera
Dennis Mikulich	....	grip
Ralph Nelson	....	still photographer (as Ralph Nelson Jr.)
Jimmy Nichols	....	electrician
Ken Nishino	....	first assistant camera
Gary Parker	....	dolly grip
Edward T. Smith	....	electrician
Larry Whitehead	....	gaffer
Louis Niemeyer	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Mary Ellen Flaherty	....	location extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Seth Banks	....	costume supervisor: men
Jennifer L. Parsons	....	costume supervisor: women (as Jennifer Lynne Parsons)

Editorial Department
Anthony Spano	....	assistant editor (as Anthony M. Spano)
Jerry Temple	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ralph Burns	....	reunion scene arranger and orchestrator
Daniel Allan Carlin	....	music editor (as Daniel Carlin Jr.)
Snuff Garrett	....	musical supervisor of cowgirl's dream
Gary Goetzman	....	radio source music
Dennis Kirk	....	reunion scene musical supervisor
Joel Moss	....	song production assistant
Mike Piccirillo	....	radio source music
Bruce Roberts	....	song producer

Transportation Department
Ed Arter	....	transportation coordinator
Leroy Reed	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Bruce Bahrenburg	....	unit publicist
Bonnie Bruckheimer	....	associate: Ms. Midler
Kiku Cavalier	....	production office coordinator
Gerald Compton	....	band member: The Reinsmen
Shirley Dale	....	location consultant
Oga Danylo	....	secretary to Mr. Jaffe
Doc Denning	....	band member: The Reinsmen
Judi Dolan	....	location projector operator
Bettiann Fishman	....	production assistant
Karlene Gallegly	....	location manager
Mauri Syd Gayton	....	production office coordinator (as Mauri Syd Blumenfeld)
Richard Goodman	....	band member: The Reinsmen
Larry Hand	....	assistant accountant (as Laurence Leo Hand Jr.)
Lester Hoyle	....	script supervisor (as Les Hoyle)
Mario Iscovich	....	location manager
Kathy Kenworthy Roe	....	secretary: Mr. Jeffrey (as Kathy Kenworthy)
Carol Lefko	....	secretary: Mr. Siegel
Mary Meacham	....	title designer
Don Richardson	....	band member: The Reinsmen
Marge Rowland	....	production accountant
Christian Drew Sidaris	....	production assistant
Don Spinney	....	cat trainer
Robert Thompson	....	choreographer
Jerry Trent	....	dancer
Fran Vanzella	....	assistant: Ms. Midler
Leigh Webb	....	first aid
Sharon Willford	....	technical advisor
Barry Woodruff	....	dancer
Steve Cohen	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Herb Jaffe
• United Artists

Distributors

• MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1983) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1996) (UK) (TV)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1987) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (West Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (UK) (video)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1994) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

"Jinxed" - USA (alternative spelling), USA (DVD title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Norway:16 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | UK:15 (video) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

26th St. and Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, California, USA

Company:

Herb Jaffe

Trivia:

Lalo Schifrin composed and recorded what would have been his sixth score for director Don Siegel, but it was rejected by the studio despite Siegel's objections. This was one of several fights Siegel had on this, his last film. Reported by the Los Angeles Times in 1982.

Quotes:

Willie Brodax:How 'bout a beer?
Bonita Friml:That's no good for a radiator!
Willie Brodax:Thought it might start your motor.
Bonita Friml:I haven't got a motor!
Willie Brodax:You will.

Movie Connections:

References The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)

Soundtrack:

No Jinx

*Ouch* A very misguided film with only one high point -Bette!

As a Bette Midler fan it is difficult for me to dislike anything associated with her, but even with my fan loyalty, it is too much for me to sit through this movie.

The plot involves a triangle between Bette as a show girl and aspiring actress, her husband, a heavy drinking gambler with no steady job, and a young Vegas dealer. The premise lies in the gambler's ability to win every hand dealt to him by the young dealer, providing him with a steady income and causing the young dealer to lose his jobs and move from casino to casino. The young dealer calls the gambler a "jinx" giving us a title.

From this very strained premise (the movie loses any chance of credibility from the start) the plot moves from boring, to awkward, to outrageous, as in "What the heck is going on?" With a lame plot, poor acting by most of the cast, and no characters the audience feels sympathy for, the only thing this film has going for it is Bette's energy. She really pours her heart into her role, as if she feels like she can make this film great by her efforts alone. But even the Divine Mrs. M. can save this film, I am sad to say.