Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)

Director:

Martin Davidson

Writers:

Martin Davidson (screenplay) &
Arlene Davidson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 September 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Music

Tagline:

Rebel. Rocker. Lover. Idol. Vanished.

Plot:

Maggie Foley is a reporter who's interviewing the surviving members of a rock band whose music is being revived...

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Tape Recording | Faked Death | New Jersey | 1960s

Cast

Tom Berenger	...	Frank Ridgeway
Michael Paré	...	Eddie Wilson
Joe Pantoliano	...	Doc Robbins
Matthew Laurance	...	Sal Amato
Helen Schneider	...	Joann Carlino
David Wilson	...	Kenny Hopkins
Michael 'Tunes' Antunes	...	Wendell Newton
Ellen Barkin	...	Maggie Foley
Kenny Vance	...	Lew Elson
John Stockwell	...	Keith Livingston
Joe Cates	...	Lois
Barry Sand	...	Barry Siegel
Vebe Borge	...	Gerry Rivers
Howard Johnson	...	Wendell's Replacement
Joey Balin	...	Eddie's Replacement
Bruce Brown	...	M.C. at El Marko
Robin Karfo	...	Joann's Replacement
Rufus Harley	...	Wendell's Replacement #2
Louis D'Esposito	...	Guitar Player at El Marko
Michael Toland	...	Kenny's Replacement
Bob Garrett	...	Frank's Replacement
Joanne Collins	...	Piano Player at El Marko
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Hagy	...	Patron In The Bar (uncredited)
Bob Kirsh	...	Student (uncredited)
Roberto Lombardi	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Raymond Mamrak	...	Student (uncredited)
Frank Patton	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Lori Scolaro	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Christopher Stryker	...	Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Davidson

Writing credits
Martin Davidson		(screenplay) &
Arlene Davidson		(screenplay)
P.F. Kluge		(novel)

Produced by
Joseph Brooks	....	producer
Arlene Davidson	....	associate producer
Rich Irvine	....	executive producer
Robert K. Lifton	....	producer
James L. Stewart	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Cafferty

Cinematography by
Fred Murphy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Priscilla Nedd-Friendly		(as Priscilla Nedd)

Casting by
Nancy Klopper

Art Direction by
Gary Weist

Set Decoration by
Chris Kelly

Costume Design by
Sandy Davidson		(as Sandra Davidson)

Makeup Department
Steve Atha	....	key hair stylist
Steve Atha	....	key makeup artist
Kathryn Bihr	....	hair stylist assistant (as Katie Bihr)
Kathryn Bihr	....	makeup assistant (as Katie Bihr)
Rita Ogden	....	hair stylist assistant
Rita Ogden	....	makeup assistant

Production Management
G. Thomas Baker	....	executive in charge of production
Robert V. Girolami	....	unit production manager (as Robert Girolami)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Henry Bronchtein	....	first assistant director
Mindy Ordan	....	dga trainee
Steve Wertimer	....	second assistant director

Art Department
John Alvin	....	poster artist
Dimitri Apletchef	....	property assistant (as Dimitri Apletcheff)
Charles Cecil	....	carpenter (as Charlie Cecil)
Fred Chalfy	....	set dresser
Michael Curry Jr.	....	carpenter (as Mike Curry Jr.)
Michael Curry Sr.	....	construction carpenter (as Mike Curry Sr.)
Peter K. Dunbar	....	property assistant (as Peter Dunbar)
Harold Farrington	....	scenic artist
Ken Nelson	....	carpenter
Joe Petruccio Jr.	....	property master
Joseph Petruccio Sr.	....	construction coordinator: Palace Depression (as Joe Petruccio Sr.)
Thomas Hudson Reeve	....	set dresser (as Tom Reeve)
Michele Sommer	....	set dresser
Ernest W. Southern	....	chargeman scenic artist (as Ernie Southern)
Thomas M. Southern	....	scenic artist (as Tom Southern)

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recordist
Charles L. Campbell	....	sound editor
Larry Carow	....	sound editor
Bill Daly	....	sound playback
Mike Getlin	....	sound recording engineer
J. Paul Huntsman	....	adr editor
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recordist (as Christopher Jenkins)
Maryte Kavaliauskas	....	sound mixer
Lawrence Loewinger	....	sound playback (as Larry Loewinger)
Chuck Neely	....	assistant sound editor
David Pettijohn	....	supervising sound editor (as David A. Pettijohn)
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist
Larry Stensvold	....	sound re-recordist
Maggi Travis	....	boom operator
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Baker	....	grip
Jim Bekiaris	....	electrician
Roger Dean	....	camera operator
Daniel Ehrenbard	....	electrician (as Dan Ehrenbard)
Bill Farber	....	best boy
Richard Felber	....	still photographer
James P. Gruebel	....	key grip (as Jim Gruebel)
Ed Newins Jr.	....	grip (as Eddie Newins)
Bill O'Leary	....	electrician
Carl Peterson	....	grip
Peter Reniers	....	electrician
Lisa Rinzler	....	second assistant camera
Marc Rogers	....	gaffer
John Sosenko	....	assistant camera
Robert Stevers	....	electrician (as Bob Stevers)
Dan Mahoney	....	rigging grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sherry Lynne	....	extras casting (as Sherryi Lynne)
Chris Stevens	....	extras casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Hause	....	wardrobe supervisor
Elaine Saussotte	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Sonny Baskin	....	assistant editor
Susanne Gervay	....	negative cutter
Jacque Elaine Toberen	....	assistant editor (as Jacque Toberen)

Music Department
Joseph Brooks	....	musical advisor
Phillip Namanworth	....	music contractor
Curt Sobel	....	music editor
Kenny Vance	....	music producer
Kenny Vance	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
James Giblin	....	transportation captain (as Jim Giblin)

Other crew
Diana Adams	....	auditor (as Diana Johnson)
Vebe Borge	....	production assistant
Mary Ann Braubach	....	production assistant
Jack Brubach	....	auditor
Sarah Carson	....	production coordinator
Lesley Crowther-Smith	....	assistant: the Davidsons
Louis D'Esposito	....	production assistant
Joanne DiVito	....	choreographer (as Joanne Di Vito)
Eugene Fasano	....	production assistant
Michael Fiorello	....	production assistant
Caren Fleck	....	bookkeeper
Elizabeth Gazzara	....	production assistant (as Liz Gazzara)
Larry Kaplan	....	unit publicist
Douglas J. Kenny	....	location manager (as Doug Kenny)
Joe Litto	....	production assistant
Southside Johnny Lyon	....	technical advisor (as John Lyon)
Janet Merwin	....	script supervisor
Tom O'Neill	....	production assistant
Randi Rosen	....	production assistant
Amy Sayres	....	location scout
Rent Sidon	....	production assistant
James W. Skotchdopole	....	production assistant (as Jim Skotchdopole)
Doug Stewart	....	production assistant
Bette Ann Wasiellewski	....	production assistant (as Bette Ann Wasielewski)

Production Companies

• Aurora

Distributors

• Embassy Pictures Corporation
• Mundial Filmes (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Studio Canal

Other Companies

• CBS Records  soundtrack distributor
• Intralink Film Graphic Design  main titles (as Intralink Graphic Design)
• La Da Productions  music editing
• Modern Film Effects  opticals
• Scotti Brothers  soundtrack
• Todd-AO Studios  sound re-recording (as Todd-AO)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:12 | Sweden:7 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | USA:PG (certificate #26935) | UK:PG | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/6 | Australia:PG | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Atco, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Aurora

Trivia:

As Frank pulls into his school's parking lot of, he hears the end of one of The Cruisers songs and the DJ announcing their music is becoming popular. The announcer is New York DJ Scott Muni. He also announces the call letters for WNEW-FM, the station where he was a broadcaster for almost 20 years.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the scene where Frank (Tom Berenger) is watching Sal (Matt Laurence) at the night club, Sal's band is playing "Betty Lou". Sal takes his hand off of his bass guitar and even slaps it but we still hear bass lines being played.

Quotes:

Frank Ridgeway:Can I help you guys?
Sal Amato:Yeah, tell Tony Eddie and the Cruisers are here.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Secluded Passion (1983) (V)

Soundtrack:

Betty Lou's Got a New Pair of Shoes

Best rock & roll movie ever

This film, along with "Amadeus" and "This Is Spinal Tap", has woven its way into the culture and lingo of musicians around the world. Classic lines like, "Do it my way with the cesarean", "We ain't great--we're just a bunch of guys from Jersey", and the all time rocker, "WORDS AND MUSIC" (with the appropriate gesture), can be heard in every recording studio and rehearsal room in the English speaking world.

So if you're a musician--or even if you just want to hang out with musicians--you must watch this film, otherwise you'll look like a total n00b.

Aside from that, this great flick is a nostalgic and poetic trip back to the late 1950s when America was just emerging from its cocoon of innocence. The entire film is a metaphor for this. Eddie's music, like life itself, dared to venture beyond the bubble gum into a world of complex social and personal issues... literally, the "Dark Side" of American life.

Once you grasp this fundamental theme, you will appreciate the entire film on a deep level. It's not just a rock'n'roll romp. It's a profound commentary on the growing pains our society endured in the 2nd half of the 20th century. Told in flashback, the story takes on a particularly tragic air, as if you were browsing through a dusty old scrapbook of your childhood memories, now gone forever.

In "Eddie and the Cruisers", the two lead characters personify the duality of a soul. First there's Eddie (Michael Paré) who is the dark, explosive force yearning to evolve. His counterpart is the naïve kid Ridgeway (played by Tom Berenger showing off his amazing versatility as an actor--just 2 years before his role in "Platoon" as the sadistic Vietnam commander. Can you believe it's the same guy?!). The two characters wrestle with each other, at times best friends, at times worst enemies, but always bound together by the thread of music. I'll leave you to discover the philosophical implications of their conflict and its outcome.

Some people criticize this film as being "B grade" or "cheezy. To me, that only added to its charm. The 80s itself was a time of innocence & simplicity relative to today's cinema. Isn't it fitting that we, living in our mega-produced, paranoid, cynical new millennium would enjoy watching an honest 80s flick which itself is taking a look back to the warmth of its prior generation? It's like a window within a window. Don't miss the magic of this experience.

Hope this review made sense to you. "I nearly broke my fingers" typing it. Haha. Watch the movie and you'll get it.

P.S. If you see the film, make note that "Wendell" the sax player is actually the one who played sax on the soundtrack. In addition, the writers went to great lengths to ensure that the instruments of the era were used (Wurlitzer 140b piano, old Fender Strat guitar, etc). But notice how the piano isn't plugged in! Doh! Almost perfect. Almost.