For the Boys (1991)

With the help of the singer and dancer Dixie Leonhard, U.S. entertainer Eddie Sparks wants to bring some fun to the soldiers during World War II. Becoming a perfect team, they tour from ... See full summary »

Director:

Mark Rydell

Writers:

Neal Jimenez (story), Lindy Laub (story)

Stars:

Bette Midler, James Caan, George Segal

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Midler	...	Dixie Leonard
James Caan	...	Eddie Sparks
George Segal	...	Art Silver
Patrick O'Neal	...	Shephard
Christopher Rydell	...	Danny Leonard
Arye Gross	...	Jeff Brooks
Norman Fell	...	Sam Schiff
Rosemary Murphy	...	Luanna Trott
Bud Yorkin	...	Phil
Dori Brenner	...	Loretta
Jack Sheldon	...	Wally Fields
Karen Martin	...	Victoria Lee
Shannon Wilcox	...	Margaret Sparks
Michael Greene	...	Maj. Gen. Scott
Melissa Manchester	...	Corrine

Storyline

With the help of the singer and dancer Dixie Leonhard, U.S. entertainer Eddie Sparks wants to bring some fun to the soldiers during World War II. Becoming a perfect team, they tour from North Africa to the Pacific to act for "the boys". Later, they continue their work, but when the author Silver gets involved into McCarthy's campaign, and is being fired by Eddie, Dixie turns away from him, too.

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Plot Keywords:

singer | entertainer | dancer | korean war | woman | 

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Taglines:

Laughter and tears. Tragedy and triumph. They lived it all. For the boys.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 November 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Por los muchachos

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$17,860,280

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,202,444

Company Credits

Production Co:

All Girl Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby SR (35 mm prints) CDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Uncredited movie debut of Vince Vaughn.

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Goofs

In the film during a World War II sequence Bette Midler sings "Come Rain or Come Shine" which was not written until after the war and wasn't introduced until 1946.

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Quotes

[On stage during a power outage]
Dixie: Well... alone in the dark with thousands of men. There is a God after all!

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Connections

References Little Miss Marker (1934)

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Soundtracks

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
Written by Manning Sherwin and Eric Maschwitz

User Reviews

(7/10) Midler shines in epic tearjerker

"For The Boys" is the story of two people - the irrepressible Dixie Leonard (Bette Midler) and the instantly dislikable but ever popular Eddie Sparks (James Caan). Set against the backdrop of wars in which the United States has been involved, the film moves from station to station as the pair entertain the boys while they bicker and fight amongst themselves.

The film starts with an aged Midler telling a studio assistant (Arye Gross) her tale, starting in the forties with World War II, moving through the was in Korea and climaxing in Vietnam. Along the way, she gets to sing a few classic tunes, including "Stuff Like That There" and "P.S. I Love You, as part of the stage act of comedian Eddie Sparks.

Bette Midler delivers a fine performance as the embittered Dixie Leonard who has seen it all in fifty odd years in the business. She layers her performance with emotion after emotion and has the gift of bringing out that quality in her fellow actors. The highlight of this film is her understated performance of "In My Life" at the small Vietnamese camp - truly a moment when the world stops turning and we are graced with a glimpse of heaven. James Caan, playing a quintessential son of a bitch, is less comfortable in his role but has some fine moments opposite his dynamic co-star.

The purpose of this film is not to document the wars which form such an integral backdrop to the plot. It succeeds primarily as a story of people - their suffering and their joy is real and it affects the audience in no uncertain terms. You will either love or hate this movie. Either way, take the time to decide - its worth the screening even if only for the divine Miss M.