Fever Pitch (1985 film)
Encyclopedia
Fever Pitch is a 1985 American film starring Ryan O'Neal
, and written and directed by Richard Brooks
.
This turned out to be the final film for Brooks, director of such acclaimed pictures as Blackboard Jungle
, Elmer Gantry
, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
and In Cold Blood
.
The film failed at the box-office after it grossed only a little more than $600,000, Fever Pitch was nominated for four Razzie Awards
, including Worst Picture, as well as contributing to O'Neal's later Razzie nomination for Worst Actor of the Decade.
Co-starring in the film were Giancarlo Giannini
, Chad Everett
, John Saxon
and Catherine Hicks
. The original music score was composed by Thomas Dolby
.
Fever Pitch has not been released on DVD
. It has no relation to the other Fever Pitch films, the 2005 baseball-themed romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore
or the 2000 soccer-themed story with Colin Firth
.
sports writer who becomes obsessed with gambling. He volunteers to do a series of articles for the newspaper on a compulsive gambler he calls "Mr. Green," who is, in fact, himself.
Taggart gets deeper and deeper into debt, compounding his problems with associated loan sharks, including the dangerous Dutchman.
The complications spill over into Taggart's personal life, as when he brings his daughter to the racetrack and is physically assaulted by a bookie to whom he owes money. Taggart's newspaper editor (John Saxon
) loves the series he's been running and has been advancing the writer considerable money, still unaware that Taggart is actually the risk-addicted Mr. Green.
Taggart goes to Gamblers Anonymous
to try to get straight, also becoming acquainted with Las Vegas
high-roller Charley Peru to try to get even and also get the Dutchman off his back.
Bizarrely, to celebrate kicking his gambling habit, Taggart goes right back to the dice tables, where his solution to getting out of debt turns out to be continuing to gamble until he can win all the money he needs.
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
, and written and directed by Richard Brooks
Richard Brooks
Richard Brooks was an American screenwriter, film director, novelist and occasional film producer.-Early life and career:...
.
This turned out to be the final film for Brooks, director of such acclaimed pictures as Blackboard Jungle
Blackboard Jungle
Blackboard Jungle is a 1955 social commentary film about teachers in an inner-city school. It is based on the novel of the same name by Evan Hunter.-Plot:...
, Elmer Gantry
Elmer Gantry
Elmer Gantry is a satirical novel written by Sinclair Lewis in 1926 and published by Harcourt in March 1927.-Background:Lewis did research for the novel by observing the work of various preachers in Kansas City in his so-called "Sunday School" meetings on Wednesdays. He first worked with William L...
, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a play by Tennessee Williams. One of Williams's best-known works and his personal favorite, the play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955...
and In Cold Blood
In Cold Blood
In Cold Blood is a 1966 book by Truman Capote.In Cold Blood may also refer to:* In Cold Blood , a 1967 film and 1996 miniseries, both based on the book* In Cold Blood...
.
The film failed at the box-office after it grossed only a little more than $600,000, Fever Pitch was nominated for four Razzie Awards
1985 Golden Raspberry Awards
The 6th Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 23, 1986 at the Morgan-Wixon Theatre in Santa Monica, California to recognize the worst the movie industry had to offer in 1985. Though Rambo: First Blood Part II won Worst Picture, Rocky IV received the greatest number of nominations and "wins"...
, including Worst Picture, as well as contributing to O'Neal's later Razzie nomination for Worst Actor of the Decade.
Co-starring in the film were Giancarlo Giannini
Giancarlo Giannini
Giancarlo Giannini is an Italian actor and dubber.Giannini was born La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. He studied at the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica in Rome, and made his film debut in a small part in Fango sulla metropoli in 1965...
, Chad Everett
Chad Everett
Chad Everett is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and television series but is probably best known for his role as Dr. Joe Gannon in the 1970s television drama Medical Center.-Early life:...
, John Saxon
John Saxon
John Saxon may refer to:* John Saxon , motion picture actor, specializing in action films* John Saxon , known for developing a new system of mathematics education...
and Catherine Hicks
Catherine Hicks
Catherine Mary Hicks is an American stage, film, television actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Annie Camden on the long-running television series 7th Heaven and as Karen Barclay in Child's Play.-Personal life:...
. The original music score was composed by Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
.
Fever Pitch has not been released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. It has no relation to the other Fever Pitch films, the 2005 baseball-themed romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
or the 2000 soccer-themed story with Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
.
Plot
Steve Taggart is a Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
sports writer who becomes obsessed with gambling. He volunteers to do a series of articles for the newspaper on a compulsive gambler he calls "Mr. Green," who is, in fact, himself.
Taggart gets deeper and deeper into debt, compounding his problems with associated loan sharks, including the dangerous Dutchman.
The complications spill over into Taggart's personal life, as when he brings his daughter to the racetrack and is physically assaulted by a bookie to whom he owes money. Taggart's newspaper editor (John Saxon
John Saxon (actor)
John Saxon is an American actor who has worked on over 200 projects during the span of sixty years. Saxon is most known for his work in horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Black Christmas, both of which feature Saxon as a policeman in search of the killer...
) loves the series he's been running and has been advancing the writer considerable money, still unaware that Taggart is actually the risk-addicted Mr. Green.
Taggart goes to Gamblers Anonymous
Gamblers Anonymous
Gamblers Anonymous is a twelve-step program for problem gamblers. GA began in Los Angeles on September 13, 1957. As of 2005 there were over 1000 GA meetings in the United States and meetings established in the United Kingdom, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Israel, Kenya, Uganda, Korea and...
to try to get straight, also becoming acquainted with Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
high-roller Charley Peru to try to get even and also get the Dutchman off his back.
Bizarrely, to celebrate kicking his gambling habit, Taggart goes right back to the dice tables, where his solution to getting out of debt turns out to be continuing to gamble until he can win all the money he needs.
Production
The newspaper editorial office scenes were all filmed at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, which always had a popular horse racing page, and solid sports gambling coverage. Many Herald Examiner and Los Angeles Times staffers had bit parts in the movie. The Herald Examiner newspaper closed in 1989.Cast
- Ryan O'NealRyan O'NealCharles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
as Steve Taggart - Catherine HicksCatherine HicksCatherine Mary Hicks is an American stage, film, television actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Annie Camden on the long-running television series 7th Heaven and as Karen Barclay in Child's Play.-Personal life:...
as Flo - Giancarlo GianniniGiancarlo GianniniGiancarlo Giannini is an Italian actor and dubber.Giannini was born La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. He studied at the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica in Rome, and made his film debut in a small part in Fango sulla metropoli in 1965...
as Charley - Bridgette AndersenBridgette AndersenBridgette Andersen was an American child actress best known for her part in the title role of the 1982 comedy Savannah Smiles.-Early life and career:...
as Amy - Chad EverettChad EverettChad Everett is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and television series but is probably best known for his role as Dr. Joe Gannon in the 1970s television drama Medical Center.-Early life:...
as Dutchman - John SaxonJohn Saxon (actor)John Saxon is an American actor who has worked on over 200 projects during the span of sixty years. Saxon is most known for his work in horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Black Christmas, both of which feature Saxon as a policeman in search of the killer...
as Sports editor - Hank GreenspunHank GreenspunHerman "Hank" Milton Greenspun was the longtime, and often controversial, publisher of the Las Vegas Sun newspaper. He purchased the Sun in 1949, and served as its editor and publisher until his death...
as Sun publisher - William SmithWilliam Smith (actor)William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942...
as Panama Hat - Keith HefnerKeith Hefner (actor)Keith Hefner is an American songwriter, composer, actor, and younger brother of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. His nicknames include "Heath the Hearthrob" and "Kissin' Keith"....
as Sweeney - Patrick CassidyPatrick Cassidy (actor)Patrick Cassidy is an American actor best known for his roles in musical theatre and television.-Personal life:...
as Soldier - William PrinceWilliam Prince (actor)William LeRoy Prince was an American actor who appeared in numerous soap operas and made dozens of guest appearances on primetime series as well as playing villains in movies like The Gauntlet and Spontaneous Combustion.-Biography:Prince was born in Nichols, New York, the son of Myrtle , a nurse...
as Mitchell