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The Flamingo Kid

March 04, 2023

The Flamingo Kid is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and produced by Michael Phillips. It stars Matt Dillon, Richard Crenna, Héctor Elizondo, and Jessica Walter. The film tells the story of a working class boy who takes a summer job at a beach resort and learns valuable life lessons.

The Flamingo Kid
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGarry Marshall
Screenplay by
  • Neal Marshall
  • Garry Marshall
Story byNeal Marshall
Produced byMichael Phillips
Starring
CinematographyJames A. Contner
Edited byPriscilla Nedd
Music byCurt Sobel
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • December 21, 1984 (1984-12-21)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million[1]
Box office$23.8 million[2]

It was the first film to receive a PG-13 rating, although it was the fifth to be released with that rating (after Red Dawn, The Woman in Red, Dreamscape, and Dune).[3] Crenna received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his supporting role and Marisa Tomei made her big screen debut with a minor role in the film.

Plot

In the summer of 1963, Jeffrey Willis joins some friends for a day of gin rummy at El Flamingo Club, a private beach resort. There, he meets the girl of his dreams Carla Sampson. After the gin game and being told of the club's strict policy regarding guests, Jeffrey is upset, but not for long, since he immediately lands a job as a car valet and eventually, cabana steward. Jeffrey is a kid from a middle class Brooklyn family and his father does not approve of him working at the private club.

His hero and mentor at the resort is the reigning gin rummy card game champ, Phil Brody, a salesman of exotic sports and luxury cars.[4]

Jeffrey, a winning gin rummy player himself, and his friends admire Brody and how his wins at the Gin rummy table make him seem "psychic," knowing which cards to give up. Brody also takes a liking to Jeffrey, eventually showing him his car business, and gives him hopes that car sales are where he belongs as a career.

Jeffrey gets further immersed in the "easy buck", as evidenced by Phil showing off his success, as opposed to Mr. Willis' manual labor, or the example of Phil's brother, who studied for years to become a lawyer but has had little financial return. During dinner, Jeffrey notably says he "will not be needing college" and plans to pursue being a car salesman instead. Jeffrey and his co-workers at the El Flamingo also venture to Yonkers Raceway together, risking cash on a horse tip but coming up short when the trotter breaks stride.

Eventually, Jeffrey leaves home to pursue the sales job. However, Brody, angry that he disturbed him during a dance class, reveals to him that the job opening at the car dealership is for a stock boy, not as a salesman as Jeffrey had been led to believe was his when he asked for it. Brody lectures Jeffrey in a similar lesson that Mr. Willis had "You can't plant a tree and expect to hang a swing on it the next day", and recommends Jeffrey accept the stock boy job to prove himself and work his way up.

Jeffrey becomes shocked at his mentor's actions and reconsiders college. Near summer's end, he observes that a regular onlooker, "Big Sid", is feeding signals to Brody, the true cause of his winning. When Big Sid and a member of the gin team playing against Brody's team are overcome by the heat, Jeffrey fills in, opposing Brody, and seeking to help win back the unfair profits Brody won from his friends over the course of the summer.

Jeffrey and his team eventually win back what was unfairly lost, including a good profit besides. Impressed that he was defeated without cheating, Phil says they can "skip this stock boy nonsense" and offers him the salesman job, but Jeffrey declines.

Realizing the mistakes he made in rejecting his father's good advice, Jeffrey makes up with his dad in a touching scene at Larry's Fish House ("Any Fish You Wish"), where his family is dining.

Cast

Production

Cass Elliot, of the Mamas & The Papas fame, told producer and friend Michael Phillips about Neil Marshall's script, which took over ten years to finally get made into a film.[5]

Location

The principal location for the movie was the Silver Gull Beach Club in Breezy Point in New York City's Rockaways, inside the Gateway National Recreation Area.

Reception

Box office

The film grossed a total of $23,859,382 domestically.[2]

Critical response

On the review aggreagtor website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 85% based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10.[6][7]

Soundtrack

A soundtrack to the film was released by Motown.[8]

  1. Jesse Frederick – "Breakaway"
  2. Martha and the Vandellas – "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave"
  3. The Chiffons – "He's So Fine"
  4. Acker Bilk – "Stranger on the Shore"
  5. Dion – "Runaround Sue"
  6. Little Richard – "Good Golly, Miss Molly"
  7. Barrett Strong – "Money (That's What I Want)"
  8. The Impressions – "It's All Right"
  9. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters – "Finger Poppin' Time"
  10. The Chiffons – "One Fine Day"
  11. The Silhouettes – "Get a Job"
  12. Maureen Steele – "Boys Will Be Boys"

Stage musical

A stage musical based on The Flamingo Kid is currently in development for a future Broadway production. The musical features a book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Robert L. Freedman, music by Tony Award nominee Scott Frankel, and direction by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak.[9]

Following in the footsteps of Tresnjak and Freedman's Tony Award-winning A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, The Flamingo Kid premiered at Hartford Stage in Hartford, Connecticut, and ran from May 9 to June 15, 2019. The cast included Jimmy Brewer as Jeffrey, Samantha Massell as Karla, Adam Heller as Arthur, Marc Kudisch as Phil Brody, Lesli Margherita as Phyllis Brody, Liz Larsen as Ruth, Lindsey Brett Carothers as Joyce, Ben Fankhauser as Steve, and Alex Wyse as Hawk. The creative team also included Denis Jones (choreographer), Bruce Coughlin (orchestrations), Alexander Dodge (scenic design), Linda Cho (costume design), Philip Rosenberg (lighting design), and Peter Hylenski (sound design).[10]

Remake

Deadline Hollywood announced in September 2012 that Walt Disney Pictures was developing a remake of The Flamingo Kid. Brett Ratner and Michael Phillips were to act as producers on the film, while music video director Nzingha Stewart was working on the script.[11] In 2015, it was reported that ABC Studios was contemplating a half-hour television comedy series based on The Flamingo Kid,[12] but nothing came of that either.

References

  1. ^ "The Unstoppables". Spy. November 1988. p. 90.
  2. ^ a b "The Flamingo Kid (1984)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  3. ^ "The Flamingo Kid". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  4. ^ Blank, Ed. (December 28, 1984) Traditional values put to the test in an effective 'Flamingo Kid', Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  5. ^ "The Flamingo Kid". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  6. ^ "The Flamingo Kid (1984)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  7. ^ Kilgannon, Corey (March 13, 2013). "At a Beach Club, a Battle to Rebuild After the Storm". The New York Times. p. A32.
  8. ^ "Various - The Flamingo Kid (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Discogs. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Lesli Margherita, Marc Kudisch, More Will Join Jimmy Brewer in Hartford Stage’s 'The Flamingo Kid'" Playbill. April 2, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  10. ^ The Flamingo Kid hartfordstage.org. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 19, 2012). "Brett Ratner Backing 'Flamingo Kid' Remake At Disney". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  12. ^ Harley, Nick (August 14, 2015). "Disney's The Flamingo Kid Coming to TV". Den of Geek. Retrieved March 12, 2021.

External links

March 04, 2023
flamingo, 1984, american, romantic, comedy, film, directed, garry, marshall, produced, michael, phillips, stars, matt, dillon, richard, crenna, héctor, elizondo, jessica, walter, film, tells, story, working, class, takes, summer, beach, resort, learns, valuabl. The Flamingo Kid is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and produced by Michael Phillips It stars Matt Dillon Richard Crenna Hector Elizondo and Jessica Walter The film tells the story of a working class boy who takes a summer job at a beach resort and learns valuable life lessons The Flamingo KidTheatrical release posterDirected byGarry MarshallScreenplay byNeal Marshall Garry MarshallStory byNeal MarshallProduced byMichael PhillipsStarringMatt Dillon Richard Crenna Hector Elizondo Jessica WalterCinematographyJames A ContnerEdited byPriscilla NeddMusic byCurt SobelProductioncompaniesABC Motion Pictures Mercury ProductionsDistributed by20th Century FoxRelease dateDecember 21 1984 1984 12 21 Running time100 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget 10 million 1 Box office 23 8 million 2 It was the first film to receive a PG 13 rating although it was the fifth to be released with that rating after Red Dawn The Woman in Red Dreamscape and Dune 3 Crenna received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his supporting role and Marisa Tomei made her big screen debut with a minor role in the film Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Location 5 Reception 5 1 Box office 5 2 Critical response 6 Soundtrack 7 Stage musical 8 Remake 9 References 10 External linksPlot EditIn the summer of 1963 Jeffrey Willis joins some friends for a day of gin rummy at El Flamingo Club a private beach resort There he meets the girl of his dreams Carla Sampson After the gin game and being told of the club s strict policy regarding guests Jeffrey is upset but not for long since he immediately lands a job as a car valet and eventually cabana steward Jeffrey is a kid from a middle class Brooklyn family and his father does not approve of him working at the private club His hero and mentor at the resort is the reigning gin rummy card game champ Phil Brody a salesman of exotic sports and luxury cars 4 Jeffrey a winning gin rummy player himself and his friends admire Brody and how his wins at the Gin rummy table make him seem psychic knowing which cards to give up Brody also takes a liking to Jeffrey eventually showing him his car business and gives him hopes that car sales are where he belongs as a career Jeffrey gets further immersed in the easy buck as evidenced by Phil showing off his success as opposed to Mr Willis manual labor or the example of Phil s brother who studied for years to become a lawyer but has had little financial return During dinner Jeffrey notably says he will not be needing college and plans to pursue being a car salesman instead Jeffrey and his co workers at the El Flamingo also venture to Yonkers Raceway together risking cash on a horse tip but coming up short when the trotter breaks stride Eventually Jeffrey leaves home to pursue the sales job However Brody angry that he disturbed him during a dance class reveals to him that the job opening at the car dealership is for a stock boy not as a salesman as Jeffrey had been led to believe was his when he asked for it Brody lectures Jeffrey in a similar lesson that Mr Willis had You can t plant a tree and expect to hang a swing on it the next day and recommends Jeffrey accept the stock boy job to prove himself and work his way up Jeffrey becomes shocked at his mentor s actions and reconsiders college Near summer s end he observes that a regular onlooker Big Sid is feeding signals to Brody the true cause of his winning When Big Sid and a member of the gin team playing against Brody s team are overcome by the heat Jeffrey fills in opposing Brody and seeking to help win back the unfair profits Brody won from his friends over the course of the summer Jeffrey and his team eventually win back what was unfairly lost including a good profit besides Impressed that he was defeated without cheating Phil says they can skip this stock boy nonsense and offers him the salesman job but Jeffrey declines Realizing the mistakes he made in rejecting his father s good advice Jeffrey makes up with his dad in a touching scene at Larry s Fish House Any Fish You Wish where his family is dining Cast EditMatt Dillon as Jeffrey Willis Hector Elizondo as Arthur Willis Richard Crenna as Phil Brody Jessica Walter as Phyllis Brody Janet Jones as Carla Samson Brian McNamara as Steve Dawkins Fisher Stevens as Hawk Ganz Leon Robinson as Fortune Smith Bronson Pinchot as Alfred Shultz Molly McCarthy as Ruth Willis Martha Gehman as Nikki Willis Carole Davis as Joyce Brody Frank Campanella as Colonel Cal Eastland Richard Stahl as Charlie Cooper Joe Grifasi as Mario Minetta Ron McLarty as Pat McCarty Seth Allen as Jerry Berlin Adam Klugman as Lewis Madrone Ray Roderick as Danny Walsh Steven Weber as Paul Hirsch Irving Metzman as Big Sid Googy Gress as Freddy Eric Douglas as Donny Marisa Tomei as Mandy Tracy Reiner as Polly Kristina Kossi as Kristina Brad Kane as Mitch Steve Witting as Frank Novella Nelson as LizzyProduction EditCass Elliot of the Mamas amp The Papas fame told producer and friend Michael Phillips about Neil Marshall s script which took over ten years to finally get made into a film 5 Location EditThe principal location for the movie was the Silver Gull Beach Club in Breezy Point in New York City s Rockaways inside the Gateway National Recreation Area Reception EditBox office Edit The film grossed a total of 23 859 382 domestically 2 Critical response Edit On the review aggreagtor website Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 85 based on 20 reviews with an average rating of 6 8 10 6 7 Soundtrack EditA soundtrack to the film was released by Motown 8 Jesse Frederick Breakaway Martha and the Vandellas Love Is Like a Heat Wave The Chiffons He s So Fine Acker Bilk Stranger on the Shore Dion Runaround Sue Little Richard Good Golly Miss Molly Barrett Strong Money That s What I Want The Impressions It s All Right Hank Ballard amp The Midnighters Finger Poppin Time The Chiffons One Fine Day The Silhouettes Get a Job Maureen Steele Boys Will Be Boys Stage musical EditA stage musical based on The Flamingo Kid is currently in development for a future Broadway production The musical features a book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Robert L Freedman music by Tony Award nominee Scott Frankel and direction by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak 9 Following in the footsteps of Tresnjak and Freedman s Tony Award winning A Gentleman s Guide to Love and Murder The Flamingo Kidpremiered at Hartford Stage in Hartford Connecticut and ran from May 9 to June 15 2019 The cast included Jimmy Brewer as Jeffrey Samantha Massell as Karla Adam Heller as Arthur Marc Kudisch as Phil Brody Lesli Margherita as Phyllis Brody Liz Larsen as Ruth Lindsey Brett Carothers as Joyce Ben Fankhauser as Steve and Alex Wyse as Hawk The creative team also included Denis Jones choreographer Bruce Coughlin orchestrations Alexander Dodge scenic design Linda Cho costume design Philip Rosenberg lighting design and Peter Hylenski sound design 10 Remake EditDeadline Hollywood announced in September 2012 that Walt Disney Pictures was developing a remake of The Flamingo Kid Brett Ratner and Michael Phillips were to act as producers on the film while music video director Nzingha Stewart was working on the script 11 In 2015 it was reported that ABC Studios was contemplating a half hour television comedy series based on The Flamingo Kid 12 but nothing came of that either References Edit The Unstoppables Spy November 1988 p 90 a b The Flamingo Kid 1984 Box Office Mojo Retrieved January 18 2023 The Flamingo Kid AFI Catalog of Feature Films Retrieved March 12 2021 Blank Ed December 28 1984 Traditional values put to the test in an effective Flamingo Kid Pittsburgh Press Retrieved March 12 2021 The Flamingo Kid New York Daily News Retrieved March 12 2021 The Flamingo Kid 1984 Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved March 12 2021 Kilgannon Corey March 13 2013 At a Beach Club a Battle to Rebuild After the Storm The New York Times p A32 Various The Flamingo Kid Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Discogs Retrieved March 12 2021 Gans Andrew Lesli Margherita Marc Kudisch More Will Join Jimmy Brewer in Hartford Stage s The Flamingo Kid Playbill April 2 2019 Retrieved March 12 2021 The Flamingo Kid hartfordstage org Retrieved March 12 2021 Fleming Mike Jr September 19 2012 Brett Ratner Backing Flamingo Kid Remake At Disney Deadline Hollywood Retrieved March 12 2021 Harley Nick August 14 2015 Disney s The Flamingo Kid Coming to TV Den of Geek Retrieved March 12 2021 External links EditOfficial website at MGM The Flamingo Kid at IMDb The Flamingo Kid at AllMovie The Flamingo Kid at the American Film Institute Catalog Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Flamingo Kid amp oldid 1139676895, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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