Movers & Shakers (1985)

Joe Mulholland, Head of Production at a Hollywood studio, makes a rather fool-hardy promise to a dying friend. He undertakes to make a major movie using the title - if not the content - of ... See full summary »

Director:

William Asher

Writer:

Charles Grodin

Stars:

Walter Matthau, Charles Grodin, Vincent Gardenia

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Walter Matthau	...	Joe Mulholland
Charles Grodin	...	Herb Derman
Vincent Gardenia	...	Saul Gritz
Tyne Daly	...	Nancy Derman
Bill Macy	...	Sid Spokane
Gilda Radner	...	Livia Machado
Earl Boen	...	Marshall
Michael Lerner	...	Arnie
Joe Mantell	...	Larry
William Prince	...	Louis Martin
Nita Talbot	...	Dorothy
Sandy Ward	...	Doctor
Judah Katz	...	Freddie
Peter Marc Jacobson	...	Robin (as Peter Marc)
Sam Anderson	...	Ray Berg

Storyline

Joe Mulholland, Head of Production at a Hollywood studio, makes a rather fool-hardy promise to a dying friend. He undertakes to make a major movie using the title - if not the content - of a best-selling sex manual "Love in Sex". Enlisting the help of depressed screenwriter Herb Derman and rather off-centre director Sid Spokane to try and come up with an idea or two, Joe soon wishes he was not one of those people who always try to keep their promises.

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Plot Keywords:

roller coaster | film making | hollywood sign

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 May 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dreamers

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

BHC, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Grodin got some of his actors friends involved in trying to pitch the film. Himself, Steve Martin, Gilda Radner, Penny Marshall and Tyne Daly all agreed to work for the least amount of money the union allowed. Steve Martin did so without even reading the script. When the film was finally green-lit, Grodin received no salary for writing or producing the film, only the minimum for working five weeks as an actor: about five thousand dollars for two years of work (seven years in total since the inception of the project).

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Goofs

The huge prop dinosaur that is mounted on the lawn of the movie studio lot changes position in respect to nearby buildings several times throughout the film.

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Connections

References The Snake Pit (1948)

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Soundtracks

"Can't We Go Home Again"
Words and Music by Mitzie Welch and Ken Welch
Performed by Stephen Bishop

User Reviews

Bottom Rung Grodin

This aired on TCM last night, selected by guest programmer/star/screenwriter Charles Grodin. Classic? Hardly! He seems fairly proud of this pic, though, which allows an extremely talented cast to either overplay or underplay to agonizing effect. Director Asher (an Emmy winner for Bewitched) was better in the half hour television format. A complete waste of time. I think it's supposed to satirize the dying Hollywood studio system. It was movies like this that killed it. Pairing Bill Macy and Gilda Radner as a couple? Penny Marshall is credited and we hear her voice, but to my recollection only ever actually see her feet. Tyne Daly stands around with nothing substantive to do but be ticked off.