Tin Men

19871987
RR
1h 52min

Tin Men (1987)

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

See production, box office & company info

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Tin Men (1987)

Tin Men (1987)

Tin Men (1987)

Barry Levinson in Diner (1982)

Tin Men (1987)

Ruthless People (1986)

Tin Men (1987)

Barry Levinson in Diner (1982)

Tin Men (1987)

Tin Men (1987)

Danny DeVito in Tin Men (1987)

Richard Dreyfuss and John Mahoney in Tin Men (1987)

Avalon

7.2

Diner

7.1

Liberty Heights

7.0

Liberty Heights

Down and Out in Beverly Hills

6.2

Down and Out in Beverly Hills

Stakeout

6.6

Ruthless People

6.9

Ruthless People

Jimmy Hollywood

5.3

Jimmy Hollywood

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

7.3

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

An Everlasting Piece

6.3

An Everlasting Piece

Shoot to Kill

6.8

PoliWood

6.0

The War of the Roses

6.8

The War of the Roses

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. —Reid Gagle

aluminum siding car car accident 1960s competing businesses 7 more

Taglines
- The Year - 1963. Selling the American Dream is a risky, funny business - you could wind up paying with your wife!
Genres
- Comedy
- Drama
Certificate
- R
Parents guide

Trivia
After becoming frustrated with professional performance in his 20s, Rodney Dangerfield quit comedy for several years, got married and moved to the suburbs where he claimed to have made a living as an aluminum siding salesman. According to "The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy" by Kliph Nesteroff, Dangerfield was, in fact, a real life "tin man" and was investigated by the FBI for unethical, fraudulent sales practices; which was even reported in the newspaper under his birth name (Jake Cohen) and initial stage name (Jack Roy). Although he avoided jail time or sentencing, Nesteroff speculates that his return to comedy and name change were both at least partially motivated to distance himself from the investigation.

Goofs
When Danny DeVito comes home late one night, he pours himself a glass of orange juice from a cardboard style carton. Orange juice didn't come in cartons until the 70s.

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 Ponderosa: "Yes, Pa, where's Little Joe?" Nothin' about broads. I don't think I'm being too picky. But, if at least once, they talked about getting horny. I don't care if you live on the Ponderosa or right here in Baltimore, guys talk about getting laid. I'm beginning to think that show doesn't have too much realism.

Connections
Featured in At the Movies: Tin Men/Some Kind of Wonderful/Angel Heart/A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors (1987)

Soundtracks
Sweet Lorraine
Words by Mitchell Parish
Music by Cliff Burwell
Performed by Nat 'King' Cole
Courtesy of Capitol Records

Top review

8/10

I know these guys

I grew up with characters like Dreyfus and DeVito, hustlers out there selling anything. Somewhere between 1963 and the time the film came out, they disappeared from our streets, only to move into six story office buildings that dot the suburbs of Northeastern cities. Now they spend their time on the phone, trying to interest prospects that new windows will surely cut their fuel bills.

I came to realize this great truth one day in 1988 when I went to rent a car and was told to come to Executive Plaza 5, Suite 414. As I walked the halls, all I could see in open offices were the Tin Men of 1963 at it again.

The movie crackles and sets off sparks. You don't know who to root for, and for good reason. This is not a buddy movie, but I suspect a remembrance by Levinson of people he knew growing up.

helpful•21

3

Pamsanalyst
Nov 12, 2004

Release date
- March 13, 1987 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Language
- English
Also known as
- Tin Men - Zwei haarsträubende Rivalen
Filming locations
- Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Production companies
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $11,000,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $25,411,386
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $187,381
- Mar 8, 1987
Gross worldwide
- $25,411,386

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
- 1h 52min
Color
- Color
Sound mix
- Dolby
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

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