IMDb > The Ratings Game (1984) (TV)

The Ratings Game (1984) (TV) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   274 votes
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Director:

Danny DeVito

Writers:

Michael Barrie (writer)
Jim Mulholland (writer)

Contact:

View company contact information for The Ratings Game on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

15 December 1984 (USA) more

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A New Jersey trucker creates a hit TV show with help from his girlfriend in the ratings business. full summary | add synopsis

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination more

User Comments:

Classic Devito more (4 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Danny DeVito ... Vic De Salvo
Rhea Perlman ... Francine Kester
Gerrit Graham ... Parker Braithwaite
Bernadette Birkett ... Mrs. Sweeney

Barry Corbin ... Carl Wheeny
Louis Giambalvo ... Goody DeSalvo
Ronny Graham ... Cap'n Andy
Huntz Hall ... Benny Bentson

Basil Hoffman ... Frank Friedlander
Kevin McCarthy ... Wes Vandergelder
John Megna ... Al

Michael Richards ... Sal

Ron Rifkin ... T.V. Director

Joe Santos ... Tony

Vincent Schiavelli ... Skip
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

The Mogul (bootleg title)
more

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

In a deleted scene Lainie Kazan played 'Edna,' the struggling network's psychic adviser. Jonathan Winters wanted to play kiddie show host 'Captain Andy,' but was unavailable. Geena Davis auditioned for several parts, including 'Hamilton's Girl.' more

Quotes:

Vic De Salvo: Boys, I'm offering all of you a piece of the biggest money-making racket in America today.
Tony: Drugs?
Sid: Hookers?
Tony: Car insurance?
Vic De Salvo: No, television! Where a minute of advertising costs a hundred thousand dollars... and a ratings point is worth forty million to a network.
more

Soundtrack:

Sittin' Pretty more


FAQ

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
Classic Devito, 20 January 2005
8/10
Author: oxblood (kwestion19145@yahoo.com) from Philadelphia

Hilarious movie reminiscent of Mad TV and SNL mock TV shows. First saw this on cable in the 80s and fell off my chair laughing. This is the kind of stuff Danny Devito does best. Dark, sarcastic humor.

Struggling producer Vic de Salvo (Devito) hatches a scheme to become a big TV star by creating and staring in his own shows and selling them to a struggling network. When he meets and falls in love with Francine, (Rhea Perlman) a woman who works for the Neilson Ratings Beaureau, he uses her knowledge to kidnap the Neilson families and send his mobster crew to "house-sit" for them and tune into his shows.

The mock shows are hilarious and I swear some of them are actually templates for shows that were minor hits later on. This reminds me a little of "Stay Tuned". Well worth a look, though slightly dated. Future "Cheers" stars, Perlman and George Wendt and an early look at Michael Richards ("Seinfeld"'s Kramer).

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