Tin Men (1987)

A minor car accident drives two rival aluminum-siding salesmen to the ridiculous extremes of man versus man in 1963 Baltimore.

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writer:

Barry Levinson

Stars:

Richard Dreyfuss, Danny DeVito, Barbara Hershey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Bill 'BB' Babowsky
Danny DeVito	...	Ernest Tilley
Barbara Hershey	...	Nora Tilley
John Mahoney	...	Moe Adams
Jackie Gayle	...	Sam
Stanley Brock	...	Gil
Seymour Cassel	...	Cheese
Bruno Kirby	...	Mouse
J.T. Walsh	...	Wing
Richard Portnow	...	Carly
Matt Craven	...	Looney
Alan Blumenfeld	...	Stanley
Brad Sullivan	...	Masters
Michael Tucker	...	Bagel
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Nellie

Storyline

One step short of larceny, the aluminum siding salesmen in this movie sell their wares, compete with each other, and engage in a lot of great dialog. Tin Men focuses on the rivalry between BB Babowsky and Ernest Tilley. At the same time, the end of small world of which they are kings looms near as a government probe investigates their industry.

---

Plot Keywords:

aluminum siding | car | car accident | 1960s | competing businesses | 

---

Taglines:

The American Dream Changes. The People Who Sell It Don't.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 March 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

La guerra de los vendedores

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$187,381, 8 March 1987

Gross USA:

$25,411,386

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,411,386

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bandai Films, Silver Screen Partners III, Touchstone Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bruno Kirby, J.T. Walsh, Richard Portnow and Ralph Tabakin all appeared in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), also directed by Barry Levinson.

---

Goofs

In this Baltimore-based story, during a scene in the bar, there is a Busch promotional light on the wall. The movie is set in the 1960s, but Busch beer was not licensed for sale in Maryland until the late 1970s.

---

Quotes

Sam: You know when I saw 'Bonanza' the other day, something occurred to me.
Ernest Tilley: Eh?
Sam: Ya got these four guys living on the Ponderosa and ya never hear them say anything about wanting to get laid.
Ernest Tilley: Huh.
Sam: I mean ya never hear Hoss say to Little Joe, "I had such a hard-on when I woke up this morning."
Ernest Tilley: No, no, no...
Sam: They don't talk about broads - nothing. Ya never hear Little Joe say, "Hey, Hoss, I went to Virginia City and I saw a girl with the greatest ass I've ever seen in my life." They just walk around the...

---

Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Danny DeVito/Calvin Trillin/Rohan Varavadekar (1987)

---

Soundtracks

Social Security
Lyrics by Roland Gift
Music by David Steele
Performed by Fine Young Cannibals
Courtesy of IRS Records and London Records

User Reviews

Tin Men

Rival aluminum-siding salesman declare war in another of director Levinson's returns to his hometown Baltimore, with Dreyfuss and DeVito playing the two feuding parties who constantly try to one up one another in a series of silly and childish gags. That's where the film falters, but it is in the charming performance of Hershey where the film is successful. Considering she's the only character with morals in the entire piece, she's the one you care for and root for. (An especially wonderful scene with DeVito on the porch when the IRS has taken his house.) Dreyfuss and DeVito, with exception to the silly gags the writers engaged their characters in, are in fine form, as always. Stand out performances from Mahoney as a real "tin man," and comedien Jackie Gayle, who has a fixation with knocking "Bonanza," are excellent.