Funny Bones (1995)

Director:

Peter Chelsom

Writers:

Peter Chelsom
Peter Flannery

Release Date:

31 March 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A Zany Look at Two Comedians Who'll Do Anything for a Laugh!

Plot:

Tommy Fawkes wants to be a successful comedian but his Las Vegas debut is a failure. He goes back to Blackpool...

Plot Keywords:

Comedian | Egg | Las Vegas Nevada | Magic Trick | Corpse

Awards:

8 wins

Cast

Oliver Platt	...	Tommy Fawkes
Jerry Lewis	...	George Fawkes
Lee Evans	...	Jack Parker
Leslie Caron	...	Katie Parker
Richard Griffiths	...	Jim Minty
Sadie Corre	...	Poodle Woman
Oliver Reed	...	Dolly Hopkins
George Carl	...	Thomas Parker
Freddie Davies	...	Bruno Parker
Ian McNeice	...	Stanley Sharkey
Christopher Greet	...	Lawrence Berger
Peter Gunn	...	Nicky
Gavin Millar	...	Steve Campbell
William Hootkins	...	Al
Terence Rigby	...	Billy Man
Ruta Lee	...	Laura Fawkes
Peter Pamela Rose	...	Jenny
Ticky Holgado	...	Battiston
Olivier Py	...	Barre
Mouss	...	Poquelin
Peter McNamara	...	Canavan
Richard Platt	...	Bellows
François Domange	...	Pirard
Harold Nicholas	...	Himself
George Khan	...	Francesco
Ian Rowe	...	Ringmaster
Phil Atkinson	...	Policeman
Nicholas Coppin	...	Policeman
Jona Jones	...	Security Guard
Tony Barton	...	Comedian
Mike Newman	...	Comedian
Ruth Kettlewell	...	Camilla Powell
Peter Morgan	...	Gofor
Fred Evans	...	Mr. Pearce
George Raistrick	...	Club Owner
Mickey Baker	...	Mayor
Reg Griffiths	...	Reporter
Duggie Chapman	...	Reporter
Tony Peers	...	Reporter
Andy Rashleigh	...	Reporter
Phil Kelly	...	Himself
Andy Thompson	...	Leo the Leprechaun
Peter Brande	...	Leo the Leprechaun
Frank Harvey	...	Backward Talking Man
Anthony Irvine	...	Iceman
Eileen Bell	...	Doggyduo
Rusty Goffe	...	Bagpipe Playing Dwarf
Terri Carol	...	Paper Tearer
Fred Cox	...	Cox Twin (as Freddie Cox)
Frank Cox	...	Cox Twin
Shane Robinson	...	Bastard Son of Louis XIV
Benji Ming	...	Plastic Cup Smasher
Zipporah Simon	...	Puppeteer
Maudie Blake	...	Musical Saw Player
Andras Banlaki	...	Ring Boy
Laci Endresz Jr.	...	Juggler
Brian Webb	...	Little Firewater
Peter Martin	...	Skipper
Chloe Treend	...	Tropicana Dancer
Andrea Bretherick	...	Tropicana Dancer
Lisa Henson	...	Tropicana Dancer
Rebecca Metcalfe	...	Tropicana Dancer
Camilla Simson	...	Tropicana Dancer
Tina Yoxall	...	Tropicana Dancer
Amir Fawzi	...	Little Tommy

Directed by
Peter Chelsom

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Peter Chelsom
Peter Flannery

Produced by
Lester Berman	....	associate producer: Las Vegas
Laurie Borg	....	co-producer
Peter Chelsom	....	producer
Simon Fields	....	producer
Nicholas Frye	....	executive producer
Peter McMillan	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Altman

Cinematography by
Eduardo Serra

Film Editing by
Martin Walsh

Production Design by
Caroline Hanania

Art Direction by
Andrew Munro

Set Decoration by
Tracey Gallacher

Costume Design by
Lindy Hemming

Makeup Department
Barbara Jo Batterman	....	hair stylist: Las Vegas
Barbara Jo Batterman	....	makeup artist: Las Vegas
Yvonne Coppard	....	makeup artist
Pat Hay	....	chief makeup artist
Helen Johnson	....	makeup artist
Stephen Rose	....	chief hair stylist
Tracy Smith	....	hair stylist

Production Management
John B. Finn	....	unit manager: Blackpool

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Geoff Dibben	....	co-second assistant director
Toby Ford	....	co-second assistant director
Robert Grayson	....	third assistant director
Jeff Kay	....	second assistant director: second unit
Cliff Lanning	....	second assistant director
James LaRocca	....	first assistant director: second unit
Andrew Wood	....	second assistant director
Greg Zekowski	....	second assistant director: second unit
Michael Zimbrich	....	first assistant director (as Mike Zimbrich)

Art Department
Grant Armstrong	....	assistant art director
Stewart Cunningham	....	stand-by prop
Tom Davies	....	supervising carpenter
James Ede	....	stand-by painter
Steve Ede	....	construction manager
Trisha Edwards	....	property buyer
Gordon Fitzgerald	....	property master
Sally Gray	....	art department assistant
Luana Hanson	....	assistant art director
Mark Hedges	....	stand-by prop
Piero Jamieson	....	dressing prop
Tony Lenman	....	supervising painter
Jim Muir	....	stand-by stagehand
Tony Musk	....	stand-by carpenter
Ian Shubrook	....	dressing prop
Jon Spirson	....	art director: second unit

Sound Department
Brydon Baker III	....	boom operator: second unit
Tim Cavagin	....	sound re-recordist: Twickenham Film Studios
Norman A. Cole	....	assistant sound editor (as Norman Cole)
Bill Daly	....	sound mixer: second unit
Peter Elliott	....	dialogue editor
Adrian Foltz	....	boom operator: Las Vegas
Glenn Freemantle	....	supervising sound editor
Diane Greaves	....	foley artist (as Dianne Greaves)
Peter Holt	....	foley editor
Dean Humphreys	....	sound re-recordist: Twickenham Film Studios
Peter Lindsay	....	sound mixer
Keith Lowes	....	adr editor
Mervyn Moore	....	sound maintenance
Jack Stew	....	foley artist
Mike Trussler	....	sound assistant
Timothy Vine	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Steve Crawley	....	wire expert
John Fontana	....	special effects technician
Tom Harris	....	special effects supervisor
Paul Kelly	....	special effects technician
Ralph McNeill	....	mechanical effects designer
David Myatt	....	special effects technician
Colin Shulver	....	sculptor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Craig Chandler	....	optical effects (uncredited)
Brendan Lonergan	....	makeup effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Simon Crane	....	stunt coordinator
David Cronnelly	....	stunts
Mark Henson	....	stunts
Vincent Keane	....	stunts (as Vincent 'Ginger' Keane)
Sean McCabe	....	stunts
Valentino Musetti	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Alex Bailey	....	still photographer
Ron Batzdorff	....	still photographer: second unit
Fred Brown	....	electrician
Barney Davis	....	camera trainee
Mark Evans	....	electrician
Randy Farroe	....	video tape operator: Las Vegas
Chuck Finch	....	gaffer
Stephen Finch	....	electrician
Alan Grosch	....	generator operator
Darren Grosch	....	electrician
Simon Hume	....	focus puller
Bill Johnson Jr.	....	best boy electric: second unit
Jay Anthony Jones	....	second assistant camera: Las Vegas
Paddy Kiely	....	clapper loader
Colin Manning	....	camera grip
Keith Manning	....	crane operator
Billy Merrell	....	best boy electric (as Billy Merrill)
Sean O'Hair	....	swing gang: Las Vegas
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator (as Michael Roberts)
Harvey Rubin	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Bubba Sheffield	....	key grip: second unit
Mike Valentine	....	underwater camera operator (as Michael Valentine)
Bobby Vercruse	....	gaffer: second unit
David Williams	....	stand-by rigger (as Dave Williams)
Adam Dale	....	aerial director of photography (uncredited)

Casting Department
Mary Gail Artz	....	casting: USA
Barbara Cohen	....	casting: USA
Kate Dowd	....	casting: France
Janey Fothergill	....	casting: UK
Rena Lenhard	....	extras casting: second unit
Maggie Lunn	....	casting: UK

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nigel Egerton	....	wardrobe assistant
Debbie Scott	....	assistant costume designer
John Scott	....	costume supervisor
Clare Spragge	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Susan French	....	editor trainee
Steve Maguire	....	first assistant film editor
Julian Pryce	....	second assistant film editor
Sylvia Wheeler	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Niall Acott	....	assistant music engineer
Dina Eaton	....	music editor
Isobel Griffiths	....	musician contractor
Amanda Hughes	....	music producer
Steve Price	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Grazio Abella	....	driver
Jed Bray	....	driver
Roy Clarke	....	driver
Len Furssedonn	....	driver
Gerry Gore	....	transportation manager
Keith Hurst	....	driver
Ernie Molina	....	transportation coordinator: Las Vegas
Ron Narduzzo	....	driver

Other crew
Christina Avery	....	choreographer
Clare Awdry	....	assistant: Mr. Chelsom
David Barnes	....	circus consultant
Simone Barrera	....	production runner
Tania Blunden	....	production coordinator (as Tania Windsor)
David Brooks	....	accountant: Las Vegas
Chris Capucci	....	production assistant: Las Vegas
Francesca Castellano	....	assistant to producer
Tony Clarkson	....	location manager
Sheala Daniell	....	assistant production accountant
Sophie Dasic	....	assistant production accountant
Sara Desmond	....	assistant to coordinators
Nick DeVito	....	co-captain: Las Vegas
George Hall	....	singing coach: Leslie Caron
Nicky Jarvis	....	unit nurse
Johnny Ludlow	....	production runner
June McDonald	....	script supervisor
Cheryl McHugh	....	assistant accountant: Las Vegas
Joleon McLusky	....	production runner
Don Newman	....	location manager: second unit
Susanne Pearce	....	assistant to coordinators
Matthew Penry-Davey	....	floor runner
Maggie Phelan	....	production accountant
Patric Scott	....	unit publicist
Angus Smith	....	assistant location manager
Barbara Thaxton	....	script supervisor: USA
Braden Toomy	....	production assistant: Las Vegas
Julia Wall	....	contact: London
Joan Washington	....	dialogue coach
Chris Webb	....	floor runner
Dee Whitehurst	....	production coordinator: second unit
Charles Bodycomb	....	armorer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hollywood Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista International (1995) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1995) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Video (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Prooptiki (1995) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1996) (Greece) (VHS)
• Buena Vista International (Spain)
• Buena Vista Pictures
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• Flying Pictures  aerial filming services provided by
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Palmbrokers  greenery (uncredited)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and a scene of tragic violence

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:14A | Australia:M | Germany:12 (bw) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK

Company:

Hollywood Pictures

Trivia:

Most of Oliver Reed's part was removed during editing.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the final scene, while the camera is showing the police at the base of the pole, a spotlight is throwing a very clear shadow of the camera, complete with 'rubber ducky' antenna on the actors.

Quotes:

Nicky:Where were you born?
Jack Parker:Blackpool.
Nicky:Why Blackpool?
Jack Parker:I wanted to be near to my mother.
Nicky:Have you lived in Blackpool all your life?
Jack Parker:Not yet.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: Episode #11.4" (1998)

Soundtrack:

La Mer

On my all time top ten list

This amazing film won't let you go. I was never a Jerry Lewis fan, but his performance here is extraordinary. The movie is a Pirandellean exploration of the nature of comedy. It works on so many levels--acting, script, cinematography, plot, and of course comedy. The dark secret of humor is that a grin is really a grimace. Oliver Platt is amazing--I hadn't seen him before and will now go to anything he plays in on the basis of the performance. He plays a failed comic son of a famous comic father (Jerry Lewis) exploring the roots of comedy--his own personal family roots, the roots in his home town's vaudeville, and ultimately its roots in the human psyche. I can't tell much more without giving away some of the twists of the roller-coaster of a plot. If you like to think while being entertained, here's a movie for you.