Tootsie (1982)

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Larry Gelbart (screenplay) &
Murray Schisgal (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 December 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Desperate, he took a female role and became a star. If only he could tell the woman he loves.

Plot:

An unemployed actor with a reputation for being difficult disguises himself as a woman to get a role in a soap opera.

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Love | Reputation | Actress | Friend

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 29 wins & 23 nominations

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels
Jessica Lange	...	Julie
Teri Garr	...	Sandy
Dabney Coleman	...	Ron
Charles Durning	...	Les
Bill Murray	...	Jeff
Sydney Pollack	...	George Fields
George Gaynes	...	John Van Horn
Geena Davis	...	April
Doris Belack	...	Rita
Ellen Foley	...	Jacqui
Peter Gatto	...	Rick
Lynne Thigpen	...	Jo
Ronald L. Schwary	...	Phil Weintraub
Debra Mooney	...	Mrs. Mallory
Amy Lawrence	...	Amy
Kenny Sinclair	...	Boy
Susan Merson	...	Page
Michael Ryan	...	Middle-Aged Man
Robert D. Wilson	...	Stage Hand
James Carruthers	...	Middle-Aged Man
Estelle Getty	...	Middle-Aged Woman
Christine Ebersole	...	Linda
Bernie Pollack	...	Actor #1
Sam Stoneburner	...	Actor #2
Marjorie Lovett	...	Salesgirl
Willy Switkes	...	Man at Cab
Gregory Camillucci	...	Maitre d'
Barbara Spiegel	...	Billie
Tony Craig	...	Joel Spector
Walter Cline	...	Bartender
Suzanne von Schaack	...	Party Girl (as Suzanne Von Schaack)
Anne Shropshire	...	Mrs. Crawley
Pamela Lincoln	...	Secretary
Mary Donnet	...	Receptionist
Bernie Passeltiner	...	Mac
Mallory Jones	...	Girl #1
Patti Cohane	...	Girl #2
Murray Schisgal	...	Party Guest
Greg Gorman	...	Photographer
Anne Prager	...	Acting Student
John Carpenter	...	First Actor
Bob Levine	...	Second Actor
Richard Whiting	...	Priest
Jim Jansen	...	Stage Manager #2
Susan Egbert	...	Diane
Kas Self	...	Acting Student
Tom Mardirosian	...	Stage Manager
Richard Wirth	...	Mel - Technical Director
Gavin Reed	...	Director
Annie Korzen	...	Autograph Hound
Ibbits Warriner	...	Autograph Hound
Lois De Banzie	...	Autograph Hound (as Lois de Banzie)
Stephen Prutting	...	Autograph Hound (as Stephen C. Prutting)
Carole Holland	...	Autograph Hound
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tobin Bell	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Phillip Borsos	...	(uncredited)
Cassandra Danz	...	Hoffman Look-Alike at TV Audition (uncredited)
Jim Dratfield	...	Acting Student (uncredited)
Paul E. Guskin	...	Pavel - Waiter in Russian Tea Room (uncredited)
John Kapelos	...	Actor at Party (uncredited)
Gene Shalit	...	Himself (uncredited)
Andy Warhol	...	Himself (uncredited)
Joyce Worsley	...	Shocked Bystander as Dorothy Grabs a Cab (uncredited)

Directed by
Sydney Pollack

Writing credits
Larry Gelbart		(screenplay) &
Murray Schisgal		(screenplay)
Don McGuire		(story) and
Larry Gelbart		(story)
Robert Garland		uncredited
Barry Levinson		uncredited
Elaine May		uncredited

Produced by
Charles Evans	....	executive producer
Sydney Pollack	....	producer
Dick Richards	....	producer
Ronald L. Schwary	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dave Grusin

Cinematography by
Owen Roizman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Fredric Steinkamp
William Steinkamp

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Peter S. Larkin		(as Peter Larkin)

Set Decoration by
Thomas C. Tonery		(as Tom Tonery)

Costume Design by
Ruth Morley

Makeup Department
Joseph Coscia	....	hair stylist (as Joe Coscia)
C. Romania Ford	....	makeup artist (as C. Romaina Ford)
Tony Marrero	....	hair stylist
George Masters	....	makeup creator: Mr. Hoffman
George Masters	....	makeup designer: Mr. Hoffman
Dorothy J. Pearl	....	makeup artist: Ms Lang (as Dorothy Pearl)
Dorothy J. Pearl	....	makeup creator: Mr. Hoffman (as Dorothy Pearl)
Dorothy J. Pearl	....	makeup designer: Mr. Hoffman (as Dorothy Pearl)
Toni-Ann Walker	....	hair stylist: Ms. Lange (as Toni Walker)
Allen Weisinger	....	makeup artist: Mr. Hoffman

Production Management
Gerald R. Molen	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ann Egbert	....	dga trainee
David McGiffert	....	assistant director
Joseph P. Reidy	....	second assistant director (as Joseph Reidy)

Art Department
William Lucek	....	scenic artist
Jimmy Raitt	....	property master

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dick Alexander)
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Les Lazarowitz	....	sound mixer
Tod A. Maitland	....	boom man (as Tod Maitland)
Tom McCarthy Jr.	....	sound effects: Effective Sounf Unlimited
Arthur Piantadosi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Don S. Walden	....	sound effects: Effective Sounf Unlimited (as Don Walden)
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Green	....	camera first assistant
Brian Hamill	....	unit still photographer
Mike Miller	....	key grip (as Michael Miller)
Richard Quinlan	....	gaffer (as Dick Quinlan)
Scott Rathner	....	camera second assistant
Bob Rose	....	key grip
William H. Steiner	....	camera operator (as Bill Steiner)
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Raymond Fortune	....	electrician (uncredited)
Charles Meere III	....	electrician (uncredited)
Andrew D. Schwartz	....	additional still photographer (uncredited)
Andrew D. Schwartz	....	still photographer: re-shoots (uncredited)
Steve Stafford	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Kenji Takama	....	camera intern (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Nichols	....	costumer: women
Franke Piazza	....	costumer: men
Bernie Pollack	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Don Brochu	....	assistant editor
Jill Savitt	....	assistant editor
Nancy Weizer	....	assistant editor
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	editor: montage (uncredited)

Music Department
Else Blangsted	....	music editor
George Doering	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Harold 'Whitey' McEvoy	....	transportation captain (as Whitey McEvoy)
Patrick Hogan	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Renee Bodner	....	script supervisor
Carey Bozanich	....	production assistant
Stephanie Brooks	....	production assistant
Tommy Burns	....	production assistant (as Tom Burns)
Crin Connolly	....	assistant: Sydney Pollack
Justin Cooke	....	production assistant
Jonathan Filley	....	location manager
Lee Gottsegen	....	assistant: Dustin Hoffman
Ann Guerin	....	unit publicist
Harriette Kanew	....	assistant production office coordinator
Tony Lani	....	production assistant
Peter Lombardi	....	assistant auditor (as Pete Lombardi)
Bruce Patterson	....	production office coordinator
Ken Ryan	....	auditor
David Sardi	....	production assistant
Karl F. Steinkamp	....	production assistant (as Karl Steinkamp)
Ezra Swerdlow	....	location manager
Gary Vermillion	....	production assistant
Sally Brim	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Alan Jacques	....	projectionist (uncredited)
Tom Schurke	....	video playback engineer (uncredited)
Holly Woodlawn	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (as Columbia Pictures) (presents) (A Sydney Pollack Film)
• Mirage Enterprises (as A Mirage/Punch Production)
• Punch Productions (as A Mirage/Punch Production)
• Delphi Films (as Columbia - Delphi Productions)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. / Columbia Pictures (1983) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1983) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1983) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1985) (USA) (TV)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1990) (Germany) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (1992) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Egmont Film (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Nelonen (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1995) (Finland) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2008) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• LK-TEL (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Nordic (2008) (Finland) (DVD) (2 disc edition)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (Italy) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Italia
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV) (1990) (France) (TV)
• Nordisk Film (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2013) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Video Trade (198?) (Finland) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Ben Kahn Furriers  the producers would like to thank: who have helped make this picture possible, for Dusting Hoffman's furs
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production (uncredited)
• Effective Sound Unlimited  sound effects
• New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting, The  the producers would like to thank: who have helped make this picture possible (as The New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting)
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals by
• The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences  the producers would like to thank: who have helped make this picture possible
• Time  used with permission of: LIFE title and format
• Toni Howard & Associates  casting by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Peru:14 | Sweden:Btl | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | UK:15 (video rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | UK:PG (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG (re-rating) | USA:R (PCA #26870) (rating later appealed) | South Korea:All | Brazil:Livre | Singapore:PG | USA:TV-MA (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Hurley Mountain Inn, Hurley, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

In the first scene where Michael Dorsey is waking up to dress as Dorothy, there is a picture of Dustin Hoffman's mother next to the alarm clock.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dorothy and Julie are practicing their lines, her baby is sitting near her facing Dorothy in one shot, camera goes to Dorothy and then snaps back and the baby is facing in the other direction.

Quotes:

Michael Dorsey:[Sandy has seen Michael going into his apartment dressed as Dorothy, and she thinks this means he's having an affair with a woman] Sandy, I'm not having an affair with the woman who went into my apartment earlier, alright? It's impossible.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Vamos a por vosotros (2011) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Mary's a Grand Old Name

The 2nd thing you do before you die. See 'Tootsie'!!

If there is 10 things I would advise my grandchildren to do in their life, watching this film is the 2nd. You think I'm joking though, I am not.

Over the years of cinema the entire trend of men in drag has been used, abused then labeled as being gay. For all you homo-phobics that think this is purely a 'girly flick' with cheeky unfunny drag gags, then stop right there. You couldn't be more wrong. I agree that a man dressing up in womens clothing is no longer a big deal and is never humorous, after centuries of it. This is the most witty, hilarious and relaxed movie that so many actors and directors have missed completely when dealing with the whole 'drag' subject.

The storyline is a hot tempered and highly opinionated out-of-work actor(Dustin Hoffman) is told by his agent (Sydney Pollack) in all kindness that nobody will hire him. He takes it upon himself to dress as a woman just so he is not recognized by those he has p'ed off in the past. From Michael Dorsey to Dorothy Michaels, Hoffman plays a woman with such a justice you forget she's not real. Just like everyone in the movie, you will fall for Tootsie head over heals!