Dunston Checks In (1996)

Director:

Ken Kwapis

Writers (WGA):

John Hopkins (story)
John Hopkins (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 January 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Adventure | Family

Tagline:

He's about to turn a Five Star Hotel into a three ring circus.

Plot:

Young boy befriends larcenous orangutan in luxury hotel.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Orangutan | Boy | Dog | Hotel Manager

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Jason Alexander	...	Robert Grant
Faye Dunaway	...	Mrs. Dubrow
Eric Lloyd	...	Kyle Grant
Rupert Everett	...	Lord Rutledge
Graham Sack	...	Brian Grant
Paul Reubens	...	Buck LaFarge
Glenn Shadix	...	Lionel Spalding
Nathan Davis	...	Victor Dubrow
Jennifer Bassey	...	Mrs. Dellacroce
Judith Scott	...	Nancy
Bruce Beatty	...	Murray
Danny Comden	...	Norm
Steven Gilborn	...	Artie
Lois De Banzie	...	Mrs. Winthrop
Natalie Core	...	Mrs. Feldman
Eugenia Hamilton	...	Frau Biedermeyer
Michelle Bonilla	...	Consuelo
Alexander Walters	...	William
Toribio Prado	...	Bernard
Bree Turner	...	French Girl
Kevin Kraft	...	Desk Clerk
Peter Siragusa	...	Maintenance Man
Ernest Perry Jr.	...	Doorman
Frank Kopyc	...	Night Doorman
Lynne Marie Stewart	...	Cucumber Woman
Marceline Hugot	...	Mrs. Harrison
Cynthia Martells	...	Ms. Pink
Michael McCarty	...	Tex
Katherine Olsen	...	Mrs. Tex
Cynthia Madvig	...	Kimberly
Ken Martin	...	Waiter
Karen Maruyama	...	Telephone Operator
Ray K. Morris	...	Maintenance Man #2
Rita Minor	...	Maid #1
Victoria Kemsley	...	Maid #2
Ray Chang	...	Bellman #1
Nicholas Garr	...	Bellman #2
Roderick Bascom	...	Bellman #3
Paula Malcomson	...	Bellman #4
Toni Perrotta	...	Maid #3
Jim Ishida	...	Bali Majestic Guest
Sunni Boswell	...	Bali Majestic Clerk (as Sunni)
Tracy Zahoryin	...	Fashion Model
Bob Bergen	...	Special Vocal Effects (voice)
Frank Welker	...	Special Vocal Effects (voice)
Sam	...	Dunston
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Johnny Kim	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Gary Pike	...	Umpire (uncredited)

Directed by
Ken Kwapis

Writing credits (WGA)
John Hopkins		(story)
John Hopkins		(screenplay) and
Bruce Graham		(screenplay)

Produced by
Todd Black	....	producer
Jason Blumenthal	....	co-producer
John T. Kretchmer	....	associate producer
Rodney Liber	....	executive producer
Joe Wizan	....	producer

Original Music by
Miles Goodman

Cinematography by
Peter Lyons Collister

Film Editing by
Jon Poll

Casting by
John Brace
Linda Lowy

Production Design by
Rusty Smith

Art Direction by
Keith Neely

Set Decoration by
Jim Samson

Costume Design by
Alina Panova

Makeup Department
Judy Crown	....	key hair stylist
Robert Hallowell II	....	hair stylist: Ms. Dunaway
Robin LaVigne	....	makeup artist
Patricia Messina	....	key makeup artist
Kenneth Paul Schoenfeld	....	makeup artist
Linda Leiter Sharp	....	hair stylist
Christina Smith	....	makeup artist: Ms. Dunaway
Cass McClure	....	lab assistant (uncredited)

Production Management
Jeffrey Downer	....	unit production manager (as Jeff Downer)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruce A. Block	....	second unit director: montage sequences
Albert Cho	....	first assistant director: second unit
Susan J. Hellmann	....	second assistant director: second unit (as Susan Hellmann)
Thomas A. Keith	....	second second assistant director
Carole Keligian	....	second assistant director
John T. Kretchmer	....	first assistant director
Rodney Liber	....	second unit director
Walter Scott	....	second unit director
Mark Hansson	....	second assistant director: additional photography (uncredited)

Art Department
Regina Lee Alonte	....	on-set dresser (as Regina Lee Herve)
William Beavers Jr.	....	property maker
Theodise Bell	....	labour gang boss
Jeffrey Bogust	....	property maker
Pasquale 'Pat' Buffolino	....	lead person
Rocco Buffolino	....	set dresser
Vincenzo Buffolino	....	set dresser
Bill Cancienne	....	assistant property master
M. Jerry Carroll	....	set dresser
Marienus Cetani Sr.	....	paint foreman (as M. Cetani)
Donna Cline	....	storyboard artist
Peter Croyle	....	property maker
Michael Cudlitz	....	propmaker gang boss (as Mike Cudlitz)
Kevin Shawn Curran	....	propmaker gang boss
Carl Denooyer	....	labor foreman
John Duncan	....	model maker
Barbara Dunlap	....	property master
Jim Ealey	....	construction first aid
Mindy Frank	....	signwriter
Scott Genofile	....	property maker
Jennifer Lee Hirsch	....	set dresser
Tom Ivanjack	....	stand-by painter
Darin Jones	....	set designer
Carl Keller	....	signwriter
Steven King	....	assistant property master
Michael Kolb	....	paint gang boss
Janet Kusnick	....	storyboard artist
Michael Levitre	....	sculptor
David Lombard	....	set dresser
Walter Lucas	....	signwriter
Stephen MacMillin	....	set dresser
Ron Moser	....	property maker
Rick Newsome	....	storyboard artist
Thomas A. O'Conor	....	property maker
Des O'Regan	....	set dresser
Annie O'Sullivan-Pittman	....	draper
Joe Olsen	....	property master: second unit
Lars Petersen	....	construction coordinator (as Lars Herbert Petersen III)
Chris Peterson	....	set dresser
Nicholas Rempel	....	property maker (as Nick Rempel)
Ed Rieff Jr.	....	property maker
Theodore Sharps	....	set designer
Laurie Stevens	....	art department coordinator
John L. Sullivan	....	propmaker gang boss
Dan Sweetman	....	storyboard artist
Mindy R. Toback	....	set designer (as Mindi Toback)
Steven C. Voll	....	construction foreman
Michael Wohlers	....	plasterer
Diah Wymont	....	buyer
Craig Zumbroegel	....	property maker
Marc Christie	....	laborer (uncredited)
Jennifer Croyle	....	set decorator buyer (uncredited)
Matthew D. Egan	....	propmaker (uncredited)
David Halver	....	on-set art department assistant: Malibu & Bullock's Wilshire locations (uncredited)
Daren Janes	....	set designer (uncredited)
Edward T. Reiff Jr.	....	set constructor (uncredited)

Sound Department
George H. Anderson	....	supervising sound editor (as George Anderson)
Mary Andrews	....	adr editor
David A. Arnold	....	dialogue editor (as David Arnold)
Craig Berkey	....	sound effects editor
James Bolt	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Jim Bolt)
Bill Burns	....	first assistant sound editor
Ted Caplan	....	foley editor
Gary W. Carlson	....	stage engineer
Gregory Cheever	....	sound recordist (as Gregory T. Cheever)
Susan Dawes	....	digital sound assistant (as Susan Shackelford)
Linda Di Franco	....	digital sound assistant
Sean Garnhart	....	sound effects editor
David Giammarco	....	supervising adr editor
Don Givens	....	foley recordist
Rick Hart	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist
Scott A. Jennings	....	sound effects editor
David Jobe	....	foley mixer
Robert L. King II	....	cable person
Bill King	....	boom operator
Clark King	....	sound mixer (as Clark D. King)
Dave Kulczycki	....	dialogue editor (as David Kulczycki)
Cindy Marty	....	sound effects editor
Christopher Moriana	....	foley artist
Charleen Richards	....	adr recordist (as Charlene Richards)
Roy Seeger	....	assistant adr editor
Greg Steele	....	adr recordist
Donald Sylvester	....	foley supervisor
Paul Urmson	....	sound effects editor
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gayle Wesley	....	technical sound supervisor

Special Effects by
David Cohen	....	mold maker
Tom Del Genio	....	special effects foreman
Mike Gelfuso	....	special effects
John C. Hartigan	....	special effects coordinator
Mauricio Moreno	....	mold maker
Gary Phillips	....	special effects
Steve Fink	....	special effects makeup (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Elaine Alexander	....	creature effects
Craig Barron	....	visual effects supervisor
Krystyna Demkowicz	....	executive in charge of production: Matte World Digital
Christopher Evans	....	chief digital matte artist (as Chris Evans)
Caroleen Green	....	digital matte artist
Martin Matzinger	....	effects editorial
Cameron Noble	....	3D element rendering
Paul Rivera	....	digital composite supervisor

Stunts
Tony Lee Boggs	....	stunts
Brian Burrows	....	stunts
Phil Culotta	....	stunts
Alex Gaona	....	stunts
Gary Guercio	....	stunts (as Gary L. Guercio)
Rusty Hanson	....	stunts
Robert Jauregui	....	stunts
Keoni Kramer	....	stunts
Milt Larsen	....	stunts
Brian Joseph Moore	....	stunts
John Robotham	....	stunts (as John M. Robotham)
J.P. Romano	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunts
John-Clay Scott	....	stunts
Lorri Scott	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunt coordinator
Wesley Scott	....	stunts
Sammy Thurman	....	stunts
Verne Troyer	....	stunts (as Verne J. Troyer)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dennis 'Dink' Adams	....	best boy grip
Anthony Lee Beverly	....	key grip (as Anthony Beverly)
Anthony Caldwell	....	dolly grip (as Tony Caldwell)
Wade Childress	....	plate photographer
Keith Collea	....	video assist operator
Tracy Allen Davey	....	camera loader
Donald D. Davidson	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Michael Delahoussaye	....	camera operator
Michael Delahoussaye	....	director of photography: second unit
Dejon Ellis	....	grip
Martha Fay	....	lighting technician
Mark Fellman	....	still photographer
Aaron J. Galang	....	grip
Brett F. Gates	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Ken Glassing	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Lloyd Gowdy	....	lighting technician
Shane D. Kelly	....	chief lighting technician
Patrick Loungway	....	plate photographer
Peter Mercurio	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Juan Morse	....	lighting technician
Bruce M. Pasternack	....	camera operator (as Bruce Pasternack)
Blake Pike	....	grip
Jerome Pondella	....	lighting technician
Michael 'Spike' Ryan	....	grip
Geoff Shotz	....	lighting technician
Bobby Thomas	....	best boy grip
Poly Veitzer	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Lester Boykin	....	set lighting technician: second unit (uncredited)
Paul Jacobsen	....	set lighting technician: second unit (uncredited)
Larry Kaster	....	gaffer: second unit (uncredited)
Ron Kunecke	....	night light operator (uncredited)
Jesse Mather	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Michael McCormack	....	video assist operator (uncredited)
Andrea Sachs	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Dixie Webster	....	extras casting
Terri Douglas	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugenie Krager	....	costumer
Cherlyn Lanning	....	costumer: Ms. Dunaway
Noel Leonard	....	costumer
Nancy McArdle	....	costume supervisor
Jo Torngren	....	cutter/fitter

Editorial Department
Phillip J. Bartell	....	assistant editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Curtis Croeni	....	first assistant editor
Greg Hayden	....	additional film editor
Ken Martin	....	post-production coordinator
David O'Neill	....	post-production assistant
William Pine	....	color timer (as Bill Pine)
Jeff Spagnolo	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Bob Bornstein	....	music preparation
Oscar Castro-Neves	....	orchestrator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Nancy Fogarty	....	music editor
Lesley Langs	....	assistant music editor
Joel Moss	....	orchestra mixer
Joel Moss	....	orchestra recordist
Rich Weingart	....	assistant recording engineer
Brian Risner	....	music re-recording mixer: temp mix (uncredited)
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Rod Bearden	....	transportation co-captain
Charley Bob Burnham	....	transportation coordinator
Corey Pickerill	....	transportation co-captain
Marshall Taylor	....	transportation captain
Greg Bronner	....	driver (uncredited)
Daniel R. Suhart	....	transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Ines Bell	....	production assistant
Bill Berwald	....	craft service
Ray Blanchard	....	production assistant
Mike Boxer	....	animal trainer
Kelli L. Bright	....	production assistant (as Kelli Bright)
George Brown	....	production assistant
Carol Sue Byron	....	production accountant
Cindy Byron-Fields	....	payroll assistant
James Dew	....	animal trainer
Bob Dunn	....	animal trainer
April Fitzsimmons	....	production assistant
Dirk Foster	....	production assistant
Nick Garr	....	assistant: Mr. Alexander
Laura Gary	....	teacher
Gary Gero	....	animal provider
Tim Gonzales	....	craft service
Rhona Gordon	....	teacher
Adrienne Hamalian-Mangine	....	script supervisor
Patti Hawn	....	unit publicist
Doris Hellmann	....	post-production accountant
Peter Hollocker	....	production/post secretary (as Peter A. Hollocker)
Larry K. Johnson	....	script supervisor: second unit
Jordan Leeds	....	production assistant
Diana Lui	....	assistant production coordinator
Larry Madrid	....	sam the orangutan trained by
Michael Morris Jr.	....	animal trainer
Don Munro	....	second assistant production coordinator
Cynthia Neipris	....	assistant: Mr. Black
Louis Offer	....	dailies coordinator
M. Ross-Michaels	....	assistant production accountant
Michael L. Ryan	....	medic
Stephanie Sain	....	key set production assistant
Lori Schaeffer	....	production assistant
Todd Carson Schurko	....	production assistant
Sam Selis	....	site manager
Stacey Siegel	....	production assistant
Laura Tateishi	....	production coordinator (as Laura 'L.T.' Tateishi)
Andrew Michael Weiss	....	assistant: Mr. Liber
Karen Yokomizo	....	assistant production accountant
Natalie Alexander	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Patricia Ayame Thomson	....	adr artist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Joe Wizan/Todd Black
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (1996) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1996) (Germany) (theatrical)
• JMM Invest (1996) (Spain) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Fox Network (1999) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Fox Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1997) (Greece) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Matte World Digital
• Ultimate Effects

Other Companies

• Birds & Animals Unlimited  animals provided by
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies
• Cinelease  grip and lighting equipment
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Inter Video  24 frame video services
• J.L. Fisher  camera cranes and dollies
• Loop Troop  walla group
• Max Animatronics  creature effects
• Nina Saxon Film Design  titles
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage M  music recorded at
• The Cast Supper  catering
• Twentieth Century Fox Sound Department  recording facilities

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild language and sensuality

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #34106) | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Netherlands:6 | Netherlands:AL (original rating) | Singapore:PG | Australia:G | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. (w) | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | UK:PG

Company:

Joe Wizan/Todd Black

Trivia:

The interior New York hotel scenes were filmed in Los Angeles at the old Bullocks Wilshire Building, which is no longer open.

Goofs:

Continuity: The cake on Mrs. Dubrow's gown changes between shots.

Quotes:

Robert Grant:You got to get out of here. Mrs. Dubrow hates kids. She once kicked Big Bird in the nuts.

Movie Connections:

References "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Ooh-Wow

A Pleasant Surprise, Especially Dunaway

This was surprisingly entertaining and with a few minor exceptions, very inoffensive family fare. It's another one of those adults-and-kids can enjoy flicks with a number of lines that border on being too much for kids but are still tame for adults - close, but safe. There are also some funny special effects and some good slapstick humor.

Being basically a kids' film, the main child, played by Eric Lloyd is cute but a little too spoiled for me but he's tolerable, as is his brother. Jason Alexander is the father, a very likable subdued guy but a little too lenient.

The real surprise in this cast is Faye Dunaway. Usually playing hard-edged types, she is the opposite in here which is kind of refreshing to see. She shows a nice comedic touch. The chimpanzee is probably the most entertaining, which is the idea, but so is the villain played by Rupert Evert. In other words, there are a lot of likable characters in this movie.

This a "sleeper:" an underrated film that a lot of people would enjoy. I'm sorry it never got much "press."