Brewster's Millions (1985)

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

George Barr McCutcheon (novel)
Herschel Weingrod (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 May 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

An American excess story.

Plot:

A minor league baseball player has to waste $30m in 30 days in order to inherit $300m; however he's not allowed to tell anyone about the $300m deal.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Minor League Baseball | Baseball Player | Brooklyn Bridge | Inheritance

Cast

Richard Pryor	...	Montgomery Brewster
John Candy	...	Spike Nolan
Lonette McKee	...	Angela Drake
Stephen Collins	...	Warren Cox
Jerry Orbach	...	Charley Pegler
Pat Hingle	...	Edward Roundfield
Tovah Feldshuh	...	Marilyn
Hume Cronyn	...	Rupert Horn
Joe Grifasi	...	J.B. Donaldo
Peter Jason	...	Chuck Fleming
David White	...	George Granville
Jerome Dempsey	...	Norris Baxter
David Wohl	...	Eugene Provost
Ji-Tu Cumbuka	...	Melvin
Milt Kogan	...	Heller
Carmine Caridi	...	Salvino
Yakov Smirnoff	...	Vladimir
Rick Moranis	...	Morty King
Gloria Charles	...	Astrid
Yana Nirvana	...	Louise
Grand L. Bush	...	Rudy (as Grand Bush)
Conrad Janis	...	Businessman in Car
Rosetta LeNoire	...	Judge (as Rosetta Le Noire)
Joseph Leon	...	Stamp Store Proprietor
Robert Ellenstein	...	Mr. Carter
Reni Santoni	...	Vin Rapelito
Alan Autry	...	Biff Brown
Joseph G. Medalis	...	Bank Executive
Malachy McCourt	...	George the Doorman
Roger Til	...	Maitre d'
Allan Miller	...	Political Newscaster
Mike Hagerty	...	Furniture Warehouseman
Kelly Yaegermann	...	Law Office Receptionist
Regina Hooks	...	Tina
Allan Graf	...	Camden Brave
Archie Hahn	...	Iceberg Man
Jeffrey Mylett	...	Tailor (as Jeff Mylett)
Richard Hochberg	...	Tailor
R.D. Call	...	Courtroom Guard
Frank Slaten	...	Bailiff
Lin Shaye	...	Journalist at Rally
Wesley Thompson	...	Journalist at Rally
Strawn Bovee	...	Journalist at Rally
Matt Landers	...	Journalist at Rally
Kip Waldo	...	Heckler at Rally
Shaka Cumbuka	...	Heckler at Rally
Brad Sanders	...	Luther
Bill McConnell	...	Plaza Bartender
Margot Rose	...	Torchy's Waitress
Joel Weiss	...	Paparazzo
Candee Jennings	...	Pretty Woman in Bar (as Candy Jennings)
Bennie E. Dobbins	...	Hackensack Bulls Coach (as Bennie Dobbins)
Gary Alexander	...	Johnson
Joey Banks	...	Wilson
Steven Benson	...	Benson
Mike Paciorek	...	Scharf
Ken Medlock	...	Dixon
Robbie T. Robinson	...	Mitchell
Ken Knighten	...	3rd Batter
Hank Robinson	...	Yankee Game Umpire
Art Reichle	...	Minor League Umpire
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marina Anderson	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Ronald E. Giles	...	Crazed Fan In Battery Park (uncredited)
Naylon Mitchell	...	Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
Walter Hill

Writing credits
George Barr McCutcheon		(novel)
Herschel Weingrod		(writer) &
Timothy Harris		(writer)

Produced by
Lawrence Gordon	....	producer
Gene Levy	....	executive producer
Joel Silver	....	producer
Mae Woods	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Ry Cooder

Cinematography by
Ric Waite

Film Editing by
Freeman A. Davies		(as Freeman Davies)
Michael Ripps

Casting by
Judith Holstra
Marcia Ross

Production Design by
John Vallone

Art Direction by
William Hiney		(as William Hiney Jr.)

Set Decoration by
Richard C. Goddard

Costume Design by
Marilyn Vance

Makeup Department
Michael Germain	....	makeup artist
Tony Lloyd	....	makeup artist: Mr. Pryor
Dagmar Loesch	....	hair stylist
Julia L. Walker	....	hair stylist: Mr. Pryor (as Julia Walker)

Production Management
Gene Levy	....	unit production manager
Michael Rauch	....	unit production manager: New York (as Mike Rauch)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Beau Marks	....	first assistant director
Emmitt-Leon O'Neill	....	second assistant director
Ken Rudnick	....	assistant director: second unit, New York
Jay Tobias	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Cate Bangs	....	set designer
Ronnie Chambers	....	lead man (as Ron Chambers)
James M. Davis	....	construction foreman (as Jim Davis)
Jaymes Hinkle	....	production painter
Johnny Lattanzio	....	construction coordinator (as John Lattanzio)
John Schacht	....	lead man
Marjorie Stone	....	set designer
Edmund Villa	....	property assistant (as Ed Villa)
John Zemansky	....	property master

Sound Department
Joseph D. Blair	....	sound re-recordist
Destiny Borden	....	assistant sound editor
John Dunn	....	sound editor
Donald Flick	....	foley editor
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound editor
David W. Gray	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Ron Harris	....	adr mixer (as Ronald R. Harris)
Hilda Hodges	....	foley artist
Robert L. Hoyt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bonnie Koehler	....	sound editor
Greg W. Lowe	....	adr recordist (as Greg Lowe)
Diane Marshall	....	foley artist
Vince Melandri	....	adr editor
T.A. Moore Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Pospisil	....	assistant sound editor
Steve Purvis	....	sound editor
B. Scott Senechal	....	boom operator (as Scott Senechal)
John J. Stephens	....	sound re-recording mixer
James E. Webb	....	production sound mixer (as Jim Webb)
Linda Whittlesey	....	foley editor

Special Effects by
Clay Pinney	....	special effects

Stunts
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunt coordinator (as Bennie Dobbins)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bobby Altman	....	assistant camera
Timothy Brennan	....	best boy
Dick Colean	....	camera operator
Derek Garth	....	grip
Vinnie Gerardo	....	assistant camera
Ray Kinzer	....	key grip
Richard A. Mention III	....	assistant camera (as Ricky Mention)
Rick Neff	....	camera operator
LeRoy Patton	....	collaborative director of photography: New York
Baird Steptoe	....	assistant camera
Stephen Vaughan	....	still photographer
Charles F. Wheeler	....	additional photographer
Carl Boles	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Michael Orefice	....	best boy (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting: New York
Jim Green	....	extras casting
Carl Joy	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brian Callahan	....	set costumer: men
Stephanie Colin	....	women's set costumer
Alice Daniels	....	costumer: Mr. Pryor
Dan Moore	....	costume supervisor: men
Barbara Siebert	....	costume supervisor: women (as Barbara Siebert-Bolticoff)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Carmel Davies	....	assistant film editor
Terry Haggar	....	color consultant (as Terry P. Haggar)
Andrew Head	....	supervising color consultant
Howard Heard	....	assistant film editor
Robert Hernandez	....	assistant film editor
Rob Hummel	....	daily color consultant
Steve Johnson	....	colorist
Larry Rovetti	....	daily color consultant
Yôko Seto	....	apprentice film editor

Music Department
Kathleen Bennett	....	assistant music editor (as Kathy Bennett)
Raechel Donahue	....	vocal effects advisor
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor
Douglas Vaughan	....	music playback (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ronnie Baker	....	transportation coordinator
Russ Dwyer	....	transportation captain
Chris Haynes	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Nancy Aprile	....	cost estimator
Rafe Blasi	....	publicity coordinator
Michael Dick	....	location manager: New York
Anthony Gibson	....	production assistant
Deborah Johnson	....	assistant: Water Hill
Rashon Khan	....	assistant: Richard Pryor
David Kohan	....	production assistant
Luca Kouimelis	....	script supervisor
Jackie McEvoy	....	production office coordinator: New York
Harriet Monroe	....	assistant: Gene Levy
Paul Mooney	....	production consultant
Suzanne Nupoff	....	assistant: Lawrence Gordon
Ron Rotholz	....	assistant: Joel Silver
Preston Simms	....	craft service
Kimberly Sizemore	....	assistant: Richard Pryor
Amy Tebo	....	production assistant
Elaine K. Thompson	....	production associate
Lisbeth Wynn-Owen	....	production coordinator
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Bill McCamey	....	construction nurse (uncredited)
Jim Michaels	....	24 frame computer playback operator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Davis Entertainment
• Lawrence Gordon Productions
• Silver Pictures
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1988) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Pictures

Special Effects

• R/Greenberg Associates (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Cinema Catering  catering
• R/Greenberg Associates  titles
• Sportsrobe  costumes
• Sylvia Fay/Lee Genick & Associates Casting  extras casting New York
• Universal Title  montage
• Universal Title  optical effects

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:MG6 | Finland:S | Norway:7 | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

101 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Davis Entertainment

Trivia:

Brewster's political party "None of the Above" (NOTA) is used in jurisdictions or organizations giving a voter who is against all choices on a ballot a chance to indicate his disapproval with all of the candidates in any voting system. The underlying principle is that legitimate consent requires the ability to withhold consent, allowing voters to withhold their consent in an election to office, just as they can by voting no on ballot questions.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the Yankees game, Ken Dixon's first at bat is as a left handed hitter. But when he hits the grand slam off of Monty, the TV shows a right handed batter hitting the home run. He could be a switch hitter, but he wouldn't face the same pitcher from both sides of the plate.

Quotes:

Monty Brewster: Why is it when there's trouble we're the ones that get into it. I mean, there's a bar full of people and we're the only ones in jail.
Spike Nolan: I don't think it's racial you know, because I'm in here with you.
Monty Brewster: That's comforting.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Great World of Sound (2007)

Soundtrack:

In the Nick of Time

Critically acclaimed or not, this comedy hits the spot

When people think of the long legacy of Richard Pryor as a comedian, this film may not be at the top of the list. He has achieved greater heights personally and professionally elsewhere. Many Pryor fans may have skipper over this one altogether with a catalogue of films to choose from that include luminaries from "Car Wash" to "Stir Crazy" to "Harlem Nights." That's unfortunate really, because as comedic performances go, Pryor strikes pure gold in this unheralded film. His manic energy, his sheer frustration with the impossibility of his dilemma (spend 30 million dollars until you are dead broke and not have a single penny or asset left at the end, in order to inherit three HUNDRED million) and the fact that he channels so much believability into what would otherwise be absurd are highly laudable. With an excellent supporting cast that included the likes of John Candy and Jerry Orbach, it's hard to imagine anyone too jaded to enjoy this film. It's ridiculous and over the top, to be sure, but it's also supremely funny in a way much more pretentious comedies can't touch. Pryor breathes life into the film and the film glows as a result. Whether it's on your personal "best comedy" list or not, it's not a film you can easily excuse not watching whether a Pryor fan or not. From third rate baseball playing bum, to toast of the town millionaire, back to a bum again before a highly rewarding ending comedically and emotionally, "Brewster's Millions" pulls off the best trick of all - it makes the viewer feel like a million bucks for having watched it.