For the Boys (1991)

U.S. entertainer Eddie Sparks wants to bring some fun to the soldiers during World War II and contacts singer/dancer Dixie Leonard for help. They become the perfect team and tour from North... 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

U.S. entertainer Eddie Sparks wants to bring some fun to the soldiers during World War II and contacts singer/dancer Dixie Leonard for help. They become the perfect team and tour from North Africa to the Pacific to perform for "the boys." They continue their work after the war, but when Eddie fires author Silver for getting involved in McCarthy's campaign, Dixie also turns away from him.

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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:

For the Boys

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$71,348, 24 November 1991

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

Many reviewers noted that James Caan seemed miscast in the role of comedian Eddie Sparks (a caricature of Bob Hope) and wondered why co-star George Segal, who, as an actor, had proved equally adept at comedy and drama, wasn't cast in the role instead. The truth is that Caan's career was hot again after the success of Misery (1990), and Segal was not, so Caan got the lead, and Segal the supporting role.

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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

Dixie: The thing you wanna avoid is outlasting everybody. Can you remember that?

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: The Addams Family/An American Tail: Fievel Goes West/For the Boys/Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse/Prospero's Books (1991)

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Soundtracks

I Apologize
Written by Al Goodhart, Edward G. Nelson and Al Hoffman

User Reviews

Bette's powerhouse performance sustains a somewhat lackluster film

Bette Midler proves that she can single-handedly make a film worth watching in FOR THE BOYS, an overlong but rewarding comedy-drama with music which chronicles the relationship between singer Dixie Leonard and comic Eddie Sparks (James Caan), a character clearly patterned after Bob Hope, which begins during a WWII USO tour and concludes in the present where the glamorously aging couple are being reunited for a television special. Bette received her second Best Actress Oscar nomination for her commanding performance here, She lights up the screen whether Dixie is upstaging Eddie in front of thousands of troops during WWII, cursing out sponsors during her and Eddie's television show, or tearing Eddie a new one when she thinks he is trying to steal her son away from her. As expected, she makes the most of her musical moments in the film with "Stuff Like that There" and "Come Rain or Come Shine" as standouts. Caan works hard in the role of Eddie Sparks, managing to make a pretty despicable character rather likable for the majority of the story. The only big mistake here was director Mark Rydell's casting of his real-life son, Christopher in the pivotal role of Dixie's adult son. Rydell's lifeless performance is a major detriment to an important part of the film, but for the most part, FOR THE BOYS is grand entertainment, thanks to the Divine Miss M.