The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)

A series of short, highly irreverent, and often tasteless skits.

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

David Zucker, Jim Abrahams

Stars:

Evan C. Kim, Bong Soo Han, Bill Bixby

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marilyn Joi	...	Cleopatra Schwartz (segment "Cleopatra Schwartz")
Saul Kahan	...	Schwartz (segment "Cleopatra Schwartz")
David Zucker	...	Man (segment "His New Car") / Technician #2 (segment "Eyewitness News") / Grunwald (segment "Courtroom")
Marcy Goldman	...	Housewife (segment "Household Odors")
Dulcie Jordan	...	Guest #1 (segment "Household Odors")
Gracia Lee	...	Guest #2 (segment "Household Odors")
Sheila Rogers	...	Guest #3 (segment "Household Odors")
Joseph G. Medalis	...	Paul Burmaster (segment "High Adventure") (as Joe Medalis)
Barry Dennen	...	Claude LaMont (segment "High Adventure")
Colin Male	...	Spokesman (segment "Argon") / Voice Overs
Ed Griffith	...	Host (segment "Danger Seekers")
Robert Starr	...	Rex Kramer (segment "Danger Seekers")
Richard Gates	...	Boy (segment "Eyewitness News") (as Rick Gates)
Tara Strohmeier	...	Girl (segment "Eyewitness News") (as Tara Strohmeir)
Neil Thompson	...	Newscaster (segment "Eyewitness News")

Storyline

Madcap spoof, a collection of comedy skits includes the Kung-Fu parody, "A Fistful Of Yen" and "Catholic School Girls In Trouble." Enjoy the future of movie-going with the "Feel-A-Round" theater experience. See a notable and highly respected actor as the clumsiest waiter in motion picture history. Watch such character as Cleopatra Schwartz and Big Jim Slade tickle your funny bone until it has to be removed surgically!

---

Plot Keywords:

sex scene | large breasts | female nudity | kissing breasts | two in a shower | 

---

Taglines:

This movie is totally out of control!

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Korean

Release Date:

10 August 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Fistful of Yen

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$650,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$15,000,000, 31 December 1977

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,000,000, 31 December 1978

Company Credits

Production Co:

KFM Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of Producer Samuel L. Bronkowitz, whose name features in several movie segments, was a spoof of the name of Hollywood producers Samuel Z. Arkoff and Samuel Bronston. Both were still working when this picture came out, Bronston was producing Brigham (1977).

---

Goofs

During the "Fistful of Yen" sequence, the tour guide mentions that the tanks containing the chemicals for germ warfare can each hold "4000 cubic liters". The liter is already a unit of volume, so the phrase "cubic liters" doesn't really mean anything.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Newscaster: The popcorn you are eating has been pissed in. Film at eleven.

---

Crazy Credits

Before the credits start, there is a short bit with the TV anchorman saying "The popcorn you're eating has been pissed in, film at eleven". For the TV version, this is replaced with "I'm not wearing any pants, film at 11"

---

Alternate Versions

UK cinema and video versions were cut by 10 secs due to BBFC regulations on Martial Arts weapons and removed shots of nunchakus from the elevator scene in the "Fistful Of Yens" sequence. The initial Arrow DVD featured the same print though the widescreen Prism release was fully uncut.

---

Connections

Referenced in Unseen + Untold: National Lampoon's Animal House (2003)

---

Soundtracks

Happy Birthday
(uncredited)
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill
Performed by David Zucker

User Reviews

Carlos Mancilla, an extra( and not the currently famous comedian), saves the day for John Landis

A short time into the filming of the famous 'A Fistful of Yen' brawl sequence of the film, Landis and his crew realized that they were woefully short of extras for the shot. In a panic, he hopped into his limo, and with a few production personnel, drove around the Chinatown and Central City area of Los Angeles looking for extras to round out the shoot. The Chinese he approached on the sidewalks and storefronts of Chinatown all refused his offer of work, and the entourage proceeded westward aimlessly. After a short while, they came upon the Belmont High School football field, which at the time was filled with members of the track team warming down from their workouts. One of the captains of the team, Carlos Mancilla, by coincidence,a Black Belt in Martial Arts, was approached by Landis, who explained his predicament. Carlos, who had helped make and participate in student films at the time, and whose schoolmates at the time were future playwright Lemar Fooks, and the future Rosarita Food Company spokeswoman, Sergia Sanchez, and whose teacher at the time was Tom Waits father, Frank Waits, immediately picked up on the problem. He put the call out to the Chinese Friendship Club, the tennis team, and select members of the track team that had some knowledge of Martial Arts, and within 30 minutes, Landis had his Martial Arts army. Needless to say, the sequence was a success, all because of the fortuitous meeting between John Landis and one of his future extras, Carlos Mancilla. Mancilla later sought out a career in movie production, both as a set-builder and bit player, with which he is still involved in. Incidentally, Mancilla founded a service which helped provide Hollywood productions with Biker and Gang Type extras. Some of the films he provided Bikers and 'Cholos' for, were, "Back to the Future, Part 2", "American Me", and "Mi Vida Loca".