Star 80 (1983)

A successful young model finds trouble when her obsessive manager-turned-husband becomes dangerously jealous. Based on the true story of 1980 Playmate of the Year Dorothy Stratten.

Director:

Bob Fosse

Writers:

Teresa Carpenter (article), Bob Fosse

Stars:

Mariel Hemingway, Eric Roberts, Cliff Robertson

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mariel Hemingway	...	Dorothy Stratten
Eric Roberts	...	Paul Snider
Cliff Robertson	...	Hugh Hefner
Carroll Baker	...	Dorothy's Mother
Roger Rees	...	Aram Nicholas
David Clennon	...	Geb
Josh Mostel	...	Private Detective
Lisa Gordon	...	Eileen
Sidney Miller	...	Nightclub Owner
Keith Hefner	...	Photographer
Tina Willson	...	Bobo Weller
Shelly Ingram	...	Betty
Sheila Anderson	...	Exotic Dancer
Cis Rundle	...	Meg Davis
Kathryn Witt	...	Robin

Storyline

Paul Snider is a narcissistic, small time hustler who fancies himself a ladies man. His life changes when he meets Dorothy Stratten working behind the counter of a Dairy Queen. Dorothy is a pretty but naive high school senior. Paul immediately falls for Dorothy, who sees in Paul a wise, worldly person unlike herself. Paul believes Dorothy is Playboy material, the magazine he sees as only a springboard to bigger and better things. Paul's dream does become a reality: not only does Dorothy eventually marry him, she becomes the August 1979 Playboy Playmate and ultimately Playboy Playmate of 1979, which does indeed lead to the start of an acting career. As Dorothy's star rises, Paul's life is one of a hanger-on as those in Dorothy's new circle, including Playboy publisher Hugh M. Hefner and movie director Aram Nicholas, don't much like Paul. Paul is unable to eke out a life of his own without using Dorothy's name, which she increasingly is reluctant to provide to her husband. Those that ...

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Plot Keywords:

nude model | female nudity | star | director | centerfold | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bob Fosse's Star 80

Filming Locations:

Blue Horizon Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Gross:

$6,500,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ladd Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, for actor Eric Roberts, but lost out to two tied winners, Robert Duvall for Tender Mercies (1983), and Tom Courtenay for The Dresser (1983).

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Goofs

A bloody hand straps a body to the table, but moments later a wide shot shows the body on the floor and the table is nowhere to be seen.

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Quotes

Snider: You won't forget Paul Snider.

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Crazy Credits

This film is dedicated to Paddy Chayefsky

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Connections

Referenced in World's Greatest Dad (2009)

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Soundtracks

OFF RAMP
Music by Ralph Burns
Lyrics by Michael Tronick

User Reviews

Eric Roberts best performance.

Eric Roberts was clearly the `STAR' of Star 80. His performance as the self proclaimed Gods gift to Women character Paul Snider is really what makes this film. He makes the viewer take an instant dislike to him from his opening scene and carries it all the way through. Mariel Heminways portrayal of the ill fated Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten is maybe lukewarm marginal. Cliff Robertson is cast as Hugh Hefner but somehow doesn't seem right for the role.

Sadly this was in fact a true tragic story. See it for no other reason than Eric Roberts superb portrayal of the seven letter word usually considered vulgar meaning a stupid, incompetent or detestable person boyfriend/husband/manager of Dorothy Stratten. Vastly superior to the alternate version 1981's Death of A Centerfold.