Brewster's Millions (1985)

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

George Barr McCutcheon (based on the novel by)
Herschel Weingrod (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 May 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

An American excess story.

Plot:

A minor league baseball player has to waste $30m in 30 days in order to inherit $300m; however he's not allowed to tell anyone about the $300m deal.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Minor League Baseball | Heir | Baseball Player | Lawyer

Cast

Richard Pryor	...	Montgomery Brewster
John Candy	...	Spike Nolan
Lonette McKee	...	Angela Drake
Stephen Collins	...	Warren Cox
Jerry Orbach	...	Charley Pegler
Pat Hingle	...	Edward Roundfield
Tovah Feldshuh	...	Marilyn
Hume Cronyn	...	Rupert Horn
Joe Grifasi	...	J.B. Donaldo
Peter Jason	...	Chuck Fleming
David White	...	George Granville
Jerome Dempsey	...	Norris Baxter
David Wohl	...	Eugene Provost
Ji-Tu Cumbuka	...	Melvin
Milt Kogan	...	Heller
Carmine Caridi	...	Salvino
Yakov Smirnoff	...	Vladimir
Rick Moranis	...	Morty King
Gloria Charles	...	Astrid
Yana Nirvana	...	Louise
Grand L. Bush	...	Rudy (as Grand Bush)
Conrad Janis	...	Businessman in Car
Rosetta LeNoire	...	Judge R. Woods (as Rosetta Le Noire)
Joseph Leon	...	Stamp Store Proprietor
Robert Ellenstein	...	Mr. Carter
Reni Santoni	...	Vin Rapelito
Alan Autry	...	Biff Brown
Joseph G. Medalis	...	Bank Executive
Malachy McCourt	...	George the Doorman
Roger Til	...	Maitre d'
Allan Miller	...	Political Newscaster
Mike Hagerty	...	Furniture Warehouseman
Kelly Yaegermann	...	Law Office Receptionist
Regina Hooks	...	Tina
Allan Graf	...	Camden Brave
Archie Hahn	...	Iceberg Man
Jeffrey Mylett	...	Tailor (as Jeff Mylett)
Richard Hochberg	...	Tailor
R.D. Call	...	Courtroom Guard
Frank Slaten	...	Bailiff
Lin Shaye	...	Journalist at Rally
Wesley Thompson	...	Journalist at Rally
Strawn Bovee	...	Journalist at Rally
Matt Landers	...	Journalist at Rally
Kip Waldo	...	Heckler at Rally
Shaka Cumbuka	...	Heckler at Rally
Brad Sanders	...	Luther
Bill McConnell	...	Plaza Bartender
Margot Rose	...	Torchy's Waitress
Joel Weiss	...	Paparazzo
Candee Jennings	...	Pretty Woman in Bar (as Candy Jennings)
Bennie E. Dobbins	...	Hackensack Bulls Coach (as Bennie Dobbins)
Gary Alexander	...	Johnson
Joey Banks	...	Wilson
Steven Benson	...	Benson
Mike Paciorek	...	Scharf
Ken Medlock	...	Dixon
Robbie T. Robinson	...	Mitchell
Ken Knighten	...	3rd Batter
Hank Robinson	...	Yankee Game Umpire
Art Reichle	...	Minor League Umpire
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marina Anderson	...	Secretary (uncredited)
John DiGangi	...	Extra (uncredited)
Ronald E. Giles	...	Crazed Fan In Battery Park (uncredited)
Naylon Mitchell	...	Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
Walter Hill

Writing credits
George Barr McCutcheon		(based on the novel by)
Herschel Weingrod		(screenplay) &
Timothy Harris		(screenplay)

Produced by
Lawrence Gordon	....	producer
Gene Levy	....	executive producer
Joel Silver	....	producer
Mae Woods	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Ry Cooder

Cinematography by
Ric Waite		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Freeman A. Davies		(as Freeman Davies)
Michael Ripps

Casting by
Judith Holstra
Marcia Ross

Production Design by
John Vallone

Art Direction by
William Hiney		(as William Hiney Jr.)

Set Decoration by
Richard C. Goddard

Costume Design by
Marilyn Vance

Makeup Department
Michael Germain	....	makeup artist
Tony Lloyd	....	makeup artist: Mr. Pryor
Dagmar Loesch	....	hair stylist
Julia L. Walker	....	hair stylist: Mr. Pryor (as Julia Walker)

Production Management
Gene Levy	....	unit production manager
Michael Rauch	....	unit production manager: New York (as Mike Rauch)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Beau Marks	....	first assistant director
Emmitt-Leon O'Neill	....	second assistant director
Ken Rudnick	....	assistant director: second unit, New York
Jay Tobias	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Cate Bangs	....	set designer
Ronnie Chambers	....	lead man (as Ron Chambers)
James M. Davis	....	construction foreman (as Jim Davis)
Jaymes Hinkle	....	production painter
Johnny Lattanzio	....	construction coordinator (as John Lattanzio)
John Schacht	....	lead man
Marjorie Stone	....	set designer
Edmund Villa	....	property assistant (as Ed Villa)
John Zemansky	....	property master

Sound Department
Joseph D. Blair	....	sound re-recordist
Destiny Borden	....	assistant sound editor
John Dunn	....	sound editor
Donald Flick	....	foley editor
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound editor
David W. Gray	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Ron Harris	....	adr mixer (as Ronald R. Harris)
Hilda Hodges	....	foley artist
Robert L. Hoyt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bonnie Koehler	....	sound editor
Greg W. Lowe	....	adr recordist (as Greg Lowe)
Diane Marshall	....	foley artist
Vince Melandri	....	adr editor
T.A. Moore Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Pospisil	....	assistant sound editor
Stephen Purvis	....	sound editor (as Steve Purvis)
B. Scott Senechal	....	boom operator (as Scott Senechal)
John J. Stephens	....	sound re-recording mixer
James E. Webb	....	production sound mixer (as Jim Webb)
Linda Whittlesey	....	foley editor

Special Effects by
Clay Pinney	....	special effects

Stunts
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunt coordinator (as Bennie Dobbins)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bobby Altman	....	assistant camera
Timothy Brennan	....	best boy
Dick Colean	....	camera operator
Derek Garth	....	grip
Vinnie Gerardo	....	assistant camera
Ray Kinzer	....	key grip
Richard A. Mention III	....	assistant camera (as Ricky Mention)
Rick Neff	....	camera operator
LeRoy Patton	....	collaborative director of photography: New York
Baird Steptoe	....	assistant camera
Stephen Vaughan	....	still photographer
Charles F. Wheeler	....	additional photographer
Carl Boles	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Kurt Braun	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Michael Orefice	....	best boy (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting: New York
Jim Green	....	extras casting
Carl Joy	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brian Callahan	....	set costumer: men
Stephanie Colin	....	women's set costumer
Alice Daniels	....	costumer: Mr. Pryor
Dan Moore	....	costume supervisor: men
Barbara Siebert	....	costume supervisor: women (as Barbara Siebert-Bolticoff)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Carmel Davies	....	assistant film editor
Terry Haggar	....	color consultant (as Terry P. Haggar)
Andrew Head	....	supervising color consultant
Howard Heard	....	assistant film editor
Robert Hernandez	....	assistant film editor
Rob Hummel	....	daily color consultant
Steve Johnson	....	colorist
Larry Rovetti	....	daily color consultant
Yôko Seto	....	apprentice film editor

Music Department
Kathleen Bennett	....	assistant music editor (as Kathy Bennett)
Raechel Donahue	....	vocal effects advisor
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor
Douglas Vaughan	....	music playback (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ronnie Baker	....	transportation coordinator
Russ Dwyer	....	transportation captain
Chris Haynes	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Nancy Aprile	....	cost estimator
Rafe Blasi	....	publicity coordinator
Michael Dick	....	location manager: New York
Anthony Gibson	....	production assistant
Deborah Johnson	....	assistant: Water Hill
Rashon Khan	....	assistant: Richard Pryor
David Kohan	....	production assistant
Luca Kouimelis	....	script supervisor
Jackie McEvoy	....	production office coordinator: New York
Harriet Monroe	....	assistant: Gene Levy
Paul Mooney	....	production consultant
Suzanne Nupoff	....	assistant: Lawrence Gordon
Ron Rotholz	....	assistant: Joel Silver
Preston Simms	....	craft service
Kimberly Sizemore	....	assistant: Richard Pryor
Amy Tebo	....	production assistant
Elaine K. Thompson	....	production associate
Lisbeth Wynn-Owen	....	production coordinator
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Bill McCamey	....	construction nurse (uncredited)
Jim Michaels	....	24 frame computer playback operator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• Davis Entertainment
• Lawrence Gordon Productions
• Silver Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1988) (USA) (TV)
• Esselte Video (1987) (Finland) (VHS)
• TV3 (1989) (Finland) (TV)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2002) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• R/Greenberg Associates (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Cinema Catering  catering
• R/Greenberg Associates  titles
• Sportsrobe  costumes
• Sylvia Fay/Lee Genick & Associates Casting  extras casting New York
• Universal Title  montage
• Universal Title  opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:S | Norway:7 | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:MG6

Filming Locations:

Crystal Ballroom, Biltmore Hotel - 506 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The exterior of the bar "Torchy's" seen at the beginning of the film, is also pictured in a key scene of the film When a Stranger Calls (1979).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Warren says he wanted to meet Brewster "mano to mano", meaning man-to-man. But "mano" is the Spanish word for "hand".

Quotes:

Monty Brewster:What are you gonna vote?
Crowd:[in unison] None of the above!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Peep Show: Jeremy's Mummy (#5.4)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Auld Lang Syne

Good times a plenty with a spend happy Pryor

I just watched this film for this first time and I thought it was pretty good. I have read several of the other reviews which are dismal to say the least but I am now a fan of Richard Pryor after this film. For truly awesome Pryor watch " Stir Crazy " instead. This is a revamp of an older film of the same name that came out even before " talkies " in fact Thomas Jefferson may have seen the original! The 1919 version could only be an archaic dusty relic that should be examined by archaeologists. That is exactly why this film needed a fresh new take, forget people that feel it is not close enough to the original; it was 1985 during the " me " era and people were spending their dough like it was going out of style. Ronald Reagan was president and Michael J. Fox was Alex P. Keaton on " Family Ties " the Capitalist was the flavor of the week. Richard Pryor is Brewster a washed up baseball player who has been in the minors for 15 years, it seems as if his dreams are being washed up along with his game. His friend Spike played by John Candy (not a super performance from him I might add) is his good friend and catcher on the minor league ball team. Brewster discovers that his great uncle ( a " honky " in his own words) is giving his last surviving heir a chance to get $ 300,000,000 or play it safe and get $1,000,000. The only stipulation to get a the big pay out he needs to play a little game, his great uncle was a crotchety tormented man (too much cigar smoke, watch the flick). Brewster has to spend 30 mill. in 30 days, with absolutely no assets. That is a tough situation if ever there was one. The movie is really fun, its fantastic to watch Pryor trying to spend every last penny. I guess the movie's intention is to show how extravagance can be a real pain in the ass!! I loved Pryor as Brewster, I wanted him to be successful, he is so damn funny and a truly likable guy. Candy is the buddy role, and his character is unfortunately, two dimensional. I love John Candy (Bless Him) but he cannot make much out of an under developed role. Watch a hilarious performance of Seventh Heaven (TV Minister) as the conniving lawyer who seems like he has a rake up his ass and you really want to see him get his just desserts. The movie is a little slow at times but you will be cheering for Brewster along the way and see the hordes of regular people (those without 30 mill to blow) enjoying his riches. The conclusion is a little bit weak as well but the many comic moments make up for it. Watch this flick, it might be a winner for you.

6.5/10