Switching Channels (1988)

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writers:

Ben Hecht (play) and
Charles MacArthur (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 March 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Tonight's News. Romance. Scandal. Intrigue. And that's just behind the camera!

Plot:

A television news chief courts his anchorwoman ex-wife with an eleventh-hour story.

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Television | Prison | Journalist | Political Candidate

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Kathleen Turner	...	Christy Colleran
Burt Reynolds	...	John L. Sullivan IV
Christopher Reeve	...	Blaine Bingham
Ned Beatty	...	Roy Ridnitz
Henry Gibson	...	Ike Roscoe
George Newbern	...	Siegenthaler
Al Waxman	...	Berger
Ken James	...	Warden Terwilliger
Barry Flatman	...	Zaks
Ted Simonett	...	Tillinger
Anthony Sherwood	...	Carvalho
Joe Silver	...	Mordsini
Charles Kimbrough	...	The Governor
Monica Parker	...	Jessica
Allan Royal	...	Obregon
Fiona Reid	...	Pamela Farbrother
Andre Mayers	...	Jesse
Bill Randolph	...	Eric
Richard Comar	...	Governor's Aide
Grant Cowan	...	Crannock
Wayne Fleming	...	Bryce
Laura Robinson	...	Karen Ludlow
Angelo Rizacos	...	Ridnitz's Sidekick
Tony Rosato	...	Joker
Jackie Richardson	...	Abigail
Laurie Paton	...	Reporter
Warren Davis	...	Reporter
Katya Ladan	...	Reporter
Rex Hagon	...	Reporter
Philip Akin	...	Guard
Patrick Patterson	...	Guard
Jonathan Welsh	...	Chaplain
Russell Gordon	...	Jasper
Corrine Koslo	...	Yvonne
Judah Katz	...	Tillinger Sound Man
Jason Blicker	...	Sound Man
Diane Douglass	...	Upper Class Woman
Ida Carnevali	...	Poor 'Yuppie' Mother
Noel Gray	...	Nancy
Megan Smith-Harris	...	Booking Secretary (as Megan Smith)
Jane Schoettle	...	Booking Secretary
Philip Malotte	...	6' 8" Cameraman
Chick Roberts	...	Cop
Bill Cotterell	...	Rusty
James Loxley	...	Anchorman
Cheryl Wilson	...	SNN Anchor Person (as Cheryl S. Wilson)
Ray Landry	...	SNN Anchor Person
John Dee	...	Old Man in Lobby
Peter Walachy	...	Tattooee
John S. Davies	...	Aide
Eric Fink	...	Butler
Jack Duffy	...	Emil, the Waiter
Robert Morelli	...	Waiter
Arlene Mazerolle	...	Hotel Receptionist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marlon Sterling Long	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Ted Kotcheff

Writing credits
Ben Hecht		(play "The Front Page") and
Charles MacArthur		(play "The Front Page")
Jonathan Reynolds		(screenplay)

Produced by
Don Carmody	....	executive producer
Martin Ransohoff	....	producer

Original Music by
Michel Legrand

Cinematography by
François Protat		(director of photography) (as Francois Protat)

Film Editing by
Thom Noble

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Anne Pritchard

Art Direction by
Charles Dunlop

Set Decoration by
Mark S. Freeborn		(as Mark Freeborn)
Rose Marie McSherry

Costume Design by
Mary E. McLeod		(as Mary McLeod)

Makeup Department
David R. Beecroft	....	key hair stylist
Diana Ladyshewsky	....	assistant hair stylist
Philip Leto	....	hair stylist: Mr. Reynolds (as Phil Leto)
Teresa Robinson	....	assistant makeup artist
Katherine Southern	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Billy Higgins	....	unit production manager: Chicago
Joyce Kozy King	....	production manager
Josi W. Konski	....	unit production manager: Miami

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephen Andrzejewski	....	second second assistant director
James Giovannetti Jr.	....	first assistant director: Chicago (as James Giovannetti)
Jim Kaufman	....	first assistant director
Michelle Marx	....	first assistant director: Miami
Blair Roth	....	second assistant director
Janet Spiegel	....	third assistant director
Kim Winter	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tory Bellingham	....	assistant props
Daniel R. Bradette	....	assistant set decorator
James F. Breithaupt	....	art department controller
Ron Erbel	....	greensman: Miami
Ed Hanna	....	assistant art director
Scott Jacobson	....	props: Miami
Gustave Meunier	....	prop buyer
George Miller	....	construction supervisor
Don Miloyevich	....	property master
Tony Parkins	....	head carpenter
Reet Puhm	....	scenic artist
Frances Semple	....	head painter
Lynn Trout	....	set decorator: Montreal
Tony Parkin	....	head carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernie Blynder	....	sound mixer: Miami
Richard Cadger	....	sound editor (as Rick Cadger)
David Evans	....	supervising sound editor
David Giammarco	....	sound editor
Robert W. Glass Jr.	....	sound re-recordist (as Robert W. Glass)
Wayne Griffin	....	supervising sound editor
John Laning	....	assistant sound editor
David Lee	....	location sound mixer
Robin Leigh	....	sound editor
Peter McBurnie	....	foley artist
Karen Noble	....	foley assistant
Donna Powell	....	assistant sound editor
Michael Rea	....	assistant sound editor
Steve Switzer	....	boom operator
Jane Tattersall	....	sound editor
Robert Thirlwell	....	sound re-recordist
Don White	....	foley recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Rory Cutler	....	special effects

Stunts
Shelley Cook	....	utility stunts
Steve Lucescu	....	utility stunts
Dwayne McLean	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Boyle	....	gaffer
Andy Chmura	....	camera operator
Steve Danyluk	....	gaffer
John Denney	....	lighting technician: musco light
Chris Helcermanas-Benge	....	still photographer
John Hudecek	....	key grip: Chicago
Robert A. Hudecek	....	gaffer: Chicago (as Bob Hudecek)
Greg Kasper	....	key grip: Miami
Michael Kohne	....	key grip
Robert Lapierre Jr.	....	key grip: Montreal (as Robert Lapierre)
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	camera operator: Chicago (as Greg Lundsgaard)
Bruce Macaulay	....	still photographer
Thom Ryan	....	focus puller
Tom Schurke	....	video engineer
Billy Seckles	....	gaffer: Miami
Dave C. Sheridan	....	clapper loader
Jeff Simon	....	camera operator: Miami
Matt Tundo	....	camera operator: second unit
Joseph A. Unsinn	....	video engineer
Normand Viau	....	gaffer: Montreal (as Normand Viaux)

Casting Department
Stuart Aikins	....	casting: Toronto
Brad Davis	....	extras casting: Miami
Liz Geddes	....	extras casting: Chicago
Peter Lavender	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Lou Byrd	....	wardrobe: Miami (as Mary Lou Bird)
Kim W. Chow	....	wardrobe master
Stacey Coker	....	wardrobe mistress
Gail Filman	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Joan E. Chapman	....	assistant editor
Robert A. Daly Jr.	....	post-production assistant
Larry Engelmann	....	color timer
Patricia A. Galvin	....	assistant editor
Susan Maggi	....	assistant editor
Peter Ransohoff	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Neil Diamond	....	composer: theme music
Dan Garde	....	supervising music editor

Transportation Department
Richard Deangelo	....	transportation captain: Chicago (as Dick DeAngelo)
Norm Henderson	....	transportation coordinator
Joyce M. Lark	....	transportation captain: Miami (as Joyce Lark)

Other crew
Michael Brownstone	....	unit location manager
Cindy Burden	....	production secretary
Susanna David	....	continuity supervisor
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Bob Hudgins	....	location manager: Chicago
Melissa Jones	....	assistant: Mr. Kotcheff
Richard Lalonde	....	unit location manager: Montreal
Wendi Laski	....	unit publicist
Jim Mathews	....	production accountant
Cindy Morton	....	executive assistant: Mr. Carmody
Cindy Morton	....	video coordinator
Steve Wakefield	....	assistant location manager
Deborah Zwicker	....	production coordinator
Jaap Broeker	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Switching Channels Inc.
• TriStar Pictures

Distributors

• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)
• TriStar Pictures
• Vestron Video International (1989) (Belgium) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Boss Film Studios (visual effects) (as Boss Film Corporation)

Other Companies

• Cerruti 1881  special wardrobe: Kathleen Turner
• Compact Sound Services  sound re-recording services
• Elite Casting  extras casting: Montreal
• Francont Film  negative cutting
• Pacific Title  titles
• Peter Lavender Film Extras  extras casting
• Rogers & Cowan  public relations
• Segue Music  music editing
• Stuntco International  stunts

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:11 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Switching Channels Inc.

Trivia:

Burt Reynolds had long been a fan of Cary Grant and it inspired his performance in Rough Cut (1980). In doing the role of John L. Sullivan IV in this picture, Reynolds got to play a part once played by his idol Grant who had played the same role (as Walter Burns) in Howard Hawks earlier filmed version of the Ben Hecht -Charles MacArthur play "The Front Page", His Girl Friday (1940).

Goofs:

Continuity: Several times during the movie, the name of the network that Christina and Sully work for is mentioned. Sometimes it's Satellite Network News, other times it's Satellite News Network.

Quotes:

The Governor:He's pardoned.
Roy Ridnitz:You can't do that!
The Governor:Yes I can. He's pardoned, and he's pardoned, and she's pardoned and you're not!

Movie Connections:

References The Pee-wee Herman Show (1981) (TV)

Umpteenth version of the Front Page

This umpteenth version of the Front Page story made the quite appropriate adaptation from newspaper journalism to television.

Although the character names have been changed we have no problems identifying the main characters of the Front Page. As in His Girl Friday, Hildy is played by a woman and Kathleen Turner was the ideal choice for this role at the time. Burt Reynolds takes on the Walter Burns character, but he neither has the charm of Cary Grant [His Girl Friday] nor the comic timing of Walter Matthau [Front Page, The (1974)] - but then, who has? The only serious miscasting is Christopher Reeve who just can't match the whimpish Ralph Bellamy.

All in all it's not as good as the previous (excellent) versions, but it is still quite enjoyable. A story with that many remakes normally has a stinker amongst the lot, but this one has not (so far).