Cloak & Dagger (1984)

A young boy and his imaginary friend end up on the run while in possession of a top-secret spy gadget.

Director:

Richard Franklin

Writers:

Tom Holland (screen story), Tom Holland (screenplay)

Stars:

Henry Thomas, Dabney Coleman, Michael Murphy

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Henry Thomas	...	Davey Osborne
Dabney Coleman	...	Jack Flack / Hal Osborne
Michael Murphy	...	Rice
Christina Nigra	...	Kim Gardener
John McIntire	...	George MacCready
Jeanette Nolan	...	Eunice MacCready
Eloy Casados	...	Alvarez
Tim Rossovich	...	Haverman
William Forsythe	...	Morris (as Bill Forsythe)
Robert DoQui	...	Lt. Fleming
Shelby Leverington	...	Marilyn Gardener
Linden Chiles	...	Airport Security Chief
Robert Curtin	...	Murdoch
William Marquez	...	Airport Security Guard #1
Wendell Wright	...	Airport Security Guard #2

Storyline

11-year-old Davey, whose mother is dead and whose father doesn't spend nearly enough time with him. So the boy loses himself in video games--and even has an imaginary friend, a super-resourceful secret agent. When he accidentally comes into possession of a spy group's secret plans, and winds up on the run from them, he must learn to rely on himself and his imaginary pal to save his skin. But, in the end, Dad proves to be his real hero.

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Plot Keywords:

child protagonist | child kills an adult | prostitute | kiss | attempted child murder | 

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Taglines:

You can cry 'wolf' once too often!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Family | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only film produced by Allan Carr (of Grease fame) not mentioned in the documentary "The Fabulous Allan Carr."

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Goofs

The secret plans on the cartridge are for an "invisible bomber." However, the schematic is clearly that of the SR-71 Blackbird, an unarmed spy plane.

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Quotes

Davey Osborne: [realizing that he has backed himself into a corner, Davey raises the pistol] Don't come any closer or I'll shoot...
Rice: [Rice approaches Davey, slowly emerging from under the darkened bridge] Yeah sure you will, red ink. Only this one
[taps the semi-automatic he holds, complete with silencer, as he is speaking]
Rice: shoots real bullets.
[Rice pulls the reload switch on the weapon for effect]
Davey Osborne: I'm warning you! This is not a water pistol...
Rice: Neither is this. I could turn you into shredded meat in about, uh, three ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

Some versions of the film include additional scenes of Davey running through the Riverwalk after escaping the tour boat, hiding from the spies, and asking some adults for help. Davey is believed by no one, who all think he is playing a game, explaining why later in the film Davey told Kim they were completely on their own and could not ask any adults for help.

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Connections

References Pole Position (1982)

User Reviews

Come in Lady Ace...

I first saw Cloak and Dagger when a substitute teacher showed it to our 6th grade class. It was the coolest movie I'd ever seen because it was an action movie about kids who solve a mystery and save the day.

Henry Thomas is Davey Osbourne. His entire life is an imaginary world of secret spies. And to aid in his games of eluding spies and dodging secret plans of assasination, Davey defers to his wartime hero, Jack Flack, an action hero that he has turned into an imaginary playmate as well as a father figure guidance to make up for an absentee father.

But Davey soons finds himself in trouble as the imaginary world becomes a reality when he witnesses a shooting in a stairwell. But, before the victim draws his last breath, he hands Davey a Cloak & Dagger video cartridge that contains top secret plans. And, while the adults think he is just playing another game, Davey and his sassy friend Kim and Jack Flack all try to solve the crime.

It is a great movie in part because you get a peak at the imagination of a twelve-year-old-boy and, once again, because a few clever kids get to save the day. It definitely looked like a fun movie to make.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

10 August 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cloak & Dagger

Filming Locations:

The Alamo - 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,862,025, 12 August 1984

Gross USA:

$9,719,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1