The Hollywood Knights
Encyclopedia
The Hollywood Knights is an American motion picture comedy
written and directed by Floyd Mutrux
depicting the crass and mischievous antics and practical jokes of the remaining members of a 1950s-era car club turned social fraternity in and around Beverly Hills and Hollywood in 1965. The cast, led by Robert Wuhl
as the fraternity's charismatic leader Newbomb Turk, features Tony Danza
and a young Michelle Pfeiffer
as high school sweethearts as well as Fran Drescher
and Stuart Pankin
in supporting roles.
night in 1965, a group of high school pranksters (the eponymous 'Hollywood Knights'), who are enraged by the Beverly Hills Residents' Association's success in arranging for the shutdown and demolition of their favorite hangout "Tubby's Drive-In" diner and replacing of it with an office building, launch a sustained and comically vengeful campaign against the principals of the uptight association and two bumbling local police
officers charged with the responsibility of keeping the "The Knights" in check during their last night in Beverly Hills. The ensuing antics include, among other things, a sexual encounter involving premature ejaculation
, a punch bowl being "spiked" with urine
, an initiation ceremony involving four pledges who are left in Watts wearing nothing but the car tires they are left to carry, a cheerleader who forgets to don her briefs before performing at a pep rally, several impromptu drag races, and the lead character of Newbomb Turk (Robert Wuhl
) singing a version of 'Volare
' and punctuating the end of each musical phrase with a burst of flatulence
. "Mooning" also plays a prominent role in the film. In fact, one of the advertising slogans attempted to exploit the Apollo space program of then-recent memory by touting that The Hollywood Knights was the first movie "to moon a man on the land."
that had closed down at 7310 N. Van Nuys Blvd, in Los Angeles
, California
.
Robert Wuhl
, Tony Danza
and Stuart Pankin
all played teenage characters, although Wuhl and Danza were both in their late twenties, and Pankin was 33 years old.
Director Floyd Mutrux revealed on the audio commentary of the Columbia
DVD release that he was at one point going to direct Urban Cowboy
(1980), and that he would have been likely to cast Michelle Pfeiffer
in the role of Sissy. The producer of that film, Robert Evans, also preferred Pfeiffer, but the eventual director, James Bridges
, refused to cast anyone but Debra Winger
in the part.
, today the film is primarily notable for the début performances of many well-known actors.
Tony Danza
was famous for having played dimwitted boxer
Tony Banta on the television sitcom Taxi
since 1978, but he had not appeared in a feature film prior to this production.
The lead role of Newbomb Turk was former stand-up comic
Robert Wuhl
's first film performance, and he would later win two Emmy Awards in the category of 'Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
' for his collaboration with Billy Crystal
on the script of the 63rd
and 64th
Academy Awards
ceremonies.
Fran Drescher
had appeared in a small role in Saturday Night Fever
(1977) and American Hot Wax
(1978) prior to this film, but she would not establish herself fully until her successful television sitcom The Nanny
(1993) aired on CBS
. She was nominated for two Golden Globes and two Emmys for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.
The only actor in The Hollywood Knights who went on to a long and successful career in cinema was Michelle Pfeiffer
, who went on to earn three Academy Award nominations and a host of other acting awards for her roles in Dangerous Liaisons
(1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys
(1989) and Love Field
(1992).
The movie built a cult-like following during the 1980s due to repeated late-night airings on HBO.
Columbus, Ohio band New Bomb Turks
took their name from the film's protagonist.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
written and directed by Floyd Mutrux
Floyd Mutrux
Floyd Mutrux is an American stage and film director, writer, producer, and screenwriter.- Career :He began his work in Hollywood as an uncredited writer for Two-Lane Blacktop...
depicting the crass and mischievous antics and practical jokes of the remaining members of a 1950s-era car club turned social fraternity in and around Beverly Hills and Hollywood in 1965. The cast, led by Robert Wuhl
Robert Wuhl
-Early life:Wuhl was born in Union, New Jersey to a Jewish family, including a father who worked as a produce distributor. After attending Union High School, Wuhl headed to the University of Houston, where he was active in the drama department and the Epsilon-Omicron Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon...
as the fraternity's charismatic leader Newbomb Turk, features Tony Danza
Tony Danza
Tony Danza is an American actor best known for starring on the TV series Taxi and Who's the Boss?, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards...
and a young Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
as high school sweethearts as well as Fran Drescher
Fran Drescher
Francine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
and Stuart Pankin
Stuart Pankin
Stuart Pankin is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Pankin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Dickinson College, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Columbia University.-Career:...
in supporting roles.
Plot
On HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
night in 1965, a group of high school pranksters (the eponymous 'Hollywood Knights'), who are enraged by the Beverly Hills Residents' Association's success in arranging for the shutdown and demolition of their favorite hangout "Tubby's Drive-In" diner and replacing of it with an office building, launch a sustained and comically vengeful campaign against the principals of the uptight association and two bumbling local police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officers charged with the responsibility of keeping the "The Knights" in check during their last night in Beverly Hills. The ensuing antics include, among other things, a sexual encounter involving premature ejaculation
Premature ejaculation
Premature ejaculation is a condition in which a man ejaculates earlier than he or his partner would like him to. Premature ejaculation is also known as rapid ejaculation, rapid climax, premature climax, or early ejaculation....
, a punch bowl being "spiked" with urine
Urine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
, an initiation ceremony involving four pledges who are left in Watts wearing nothing but the car tires they are left to carry, a cheerleader who forgets to don her briefs before performing at a pep rally, several impromptu drag races, and the lead character of Newbomb Turk (Robert Wuhl
Robert Wuhl
-Early life:Wuhl was born in Union, New Jersey to a Jewish family, including a father who worked as a produce distributor. After attending Union High School, Wuhl headed to the University of Houston, where he was active in the drama department and the Epsilon-Omicron Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon...
) singing a version of 'Volare
Volare (song)
"Nel blu dipinto di blu" , popularly known as "Volare" , is Domenico Modugno's signature song....
' and punctuating the end of each musical phrase with a burst of flatulence
Flatulence
Flatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply gas...
. "Mooning" also plays a prominent role in the film. In fact, one of the advertising slogans attempted to exploit the Apollo space program of then-recent memory by touting that The Hollywood Knights was the first movie "to moon a man on the land."
Cast
- Robert WuhlRobert Wuhl-Early life:Wuhl was born in Union, New Jersey to a Jewish family, including a father who worked as a produce distributor. After attending Union High School, Wuhl headed to the University of Houston, where he was active in the drama department and the Epsilon-Omicron Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon...
as Newbomb Turk - Tony DanzaTony DanzaTony Danza is an American actor best known for starring on the TV series Taxi and Who's the Boss?, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards...
as Duke - Fran DrescherFran DrescherFrancine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
as Sally - Leigh FrenchLeigh French-External links:...
as Jacqueline Freedman - Randy Gornel as Wheatly
- Gary GrahamGary GrahamGary Graham is an American actor. He is probably best known for his starring role as Detective Matthew Sikes in the television series Alien Nation , which was followed by the TV movies Alien Nation: Dark Horizon , Alien Nation: Body and Soul , Alien Nation: Millennium , Alien Nation: The...
as Jimmy Shine - Sandy HelbergSandy HelbergSandy Helberg is an American actor.Born in Frankfurt, Germany, grew up in Toledo, Ohio, he moved to New York where he studied acting with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Sandy did stand-up and was part of an improv group that worked clubs in Greenwich Village. He later moved to Los...
as Officer Clark - James Jeter as Smitty
- Stuart PankinStuart PankinStuart Pankin is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Pankin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Dickinson College, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Columbia University.-Career:...
as Dudley Laywicker - P.R. PaulP.R. PaulPaul Ray Rosenbaum , known by the stage name P. R. Paul, is an American actor who is best known for playing the role of Montgomery McNeil on the TV series Fame.-External links:...
as Simpson - Michelle PfeifferMichelle PfeifferMichelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
as Suzie Q - Gailard SartainGailard SartainGailard Sartain is an American comedic and serious actor, often playing characters with roots in the South. He is also an accomplished and successful painter and illustrator.-Early years and education:...
as Bimbeau - Julius Averitt as Earle
- Richard SchaalRichard SchaalRichard Schaal is an American television actor.He was married to actress Valerie Harper from 1964 to 1978. His daughter is actress Wendy Schaal by his first marriage to Lois née Treacy....
as Nevans - Steve Ballard as Mechanic
- Debra FeuerDebra FeuerDebra Feuer is an American actress. She starred in the movies Moment by Moment, The Hollywood Knights, To Live and Die in L.A., MacGruder and Loud, and in the italian movie Il burbero, as well as Homeboy, in which she starred with her then husband Mickey Rourke.Feuer played a minor role in the TV...
as Cheetah
Production notes
The filming location for 'Tubby's Drive-In' was an old A&W Root BeerA&W Root Beer
A&W Root Beer is a brand of root beer, primarily available in the United States and Canada, that was started in 1919 by Roy Allen. In 1922, Allen partnered with Frank Wright. They combined their initials to create the brand "A&W" and inspired a restaurant chain which was founded 1922. The first A&W...
that had closed down at 7310 N. Van Nuys Blvd, in Los Angeles
Los 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...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Robert Wuhl
Robert Wuhl
-Early life:Wuhl was born in Union, New Jersey to a Jewish family, including a father who worked as a produce distributor. After attending Union High School, Wuhl headed to the University of Houston, where he was active in the drama department and the Epsilon-Omicron Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon...
, Tony Danza
Tony Danza
Tony Danza is an American actor best known for starring on the TV series Taxi and Who's the Boss?, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards...
and Stuart Pankin
Stuart Pankin
Stuart Pankin is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Pankin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Dickinson College, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Columbia University.-Career:...
all played teenage characters, although Wuhl and Danza were both in their late twenties, and Pankin was 33 years old.
Director Floyd Mutrux revealed on the audio commentary of the Columbia
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
DVD release that he was at one point going to direct Urban Cowboy
Urban Cowboy
Released as a 2× vinyl record album, re-released on CD in 1995.Side A:#Hello Texas – Jimmy Buffett #All Night Long – Joe Walsh #Times Like These – Dan Fogelberg #Nine Tonight – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band...
(1980), and that he would have been likely to cast Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
in the role of Sissy. The producer of that film, Robert Evans, also preferred Pfeiffer, but the eventual director, James Bridges
James Bridges
James Bridges was an American screenwriter and film director.Bridges was born in Paris, Arkansas. He got his start as a writer for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and one of his episodes, "An Unlocked Window", earned him a 1966 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Episode in a TV...
, refused to cast anyone but Debra Winger
Debra Winger
Mary Debra Winger is an American actress. Three-times an Oscar nominee, she received awards for acting in Terms of Endearment, for which she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in 1983, and in A Dangerous Woman, for which she won the Tokyo International Film Festival...
in the part.
Legacy
Widely considered to be an inferior rip-off of American GraffitiAmerican Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
, today the film is primarily notable for the début performances of many well-known actors.
Tony Danza
Tony Danza
Tony Danza is an American actor best known for starring on the TV series Taxi and Who's the Boss?, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards...
was famous for having played dimwitted boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
Tony Banta on the television sitcom Taxi
Taxi (TV series)
Taxi was an American sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. The series, which won 18 Emmy Awards, including three for "Outstanding Comedy Series", focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher...
since 1978, but he had not appeared in a feature film prior to this production.
The lead role of Newbomb Turk was former stand-up comic
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
Robert Wuhl
Robert Wuhl
-Early life:Wuhl was born in Union, New Jersey to a Jewish family, including a father who worked as a produce distributor. After attending Union High School, Wuhl headed to the University of Houston, where he was active in the drama department and the Epsilon-Omicron Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon...
's first film performance, and he would later win two Emmy Awards in the category of 'Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program debuted in 1957, and has been annually awarded most years since 1964. It has had many slight name changes, mostly involving the addition or subtraction of the word comedy. Generally, the category has...
' for his collaboration with Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal
William Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
on the script of the 63rd
63rd Academy Awards
The 63rd Academy Awards were presented March 25, 1991 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The show was hosted by Billy Crystal.The prominent winner was Dances with Wolves which earned seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Joe Pesci winning Best Supporting Actor...
and 64th
64th Academy Awards
The 64th Academy Awards were presented March 30, 1992 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The show was the third consecutive to be hosted by Billy Crystal...
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
ceremonies.
Fran Drescher
Fran Drescher
Francine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
had appeared in a small role in Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
(1977) and American Hot Wax
American Hot Wax
American Hot Wax is a 1978 biopic film directed by Floyd Mutrux and written by John Kaye telling the story of Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who was instrumental in introducing and popularizing rock 'n' roll in the 1950s...
(1978) prior to this film, but she would not establish herself fully until her successful television sitcom The Nanny
The Nanny (TV series)
The Nanny is an American television sitcom co-produced by Sternin & Fraser Ink, Inc., and Fran Drescher in association with TriStar Television for the CBS network...
(1993) aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. She was nominated for two Golden Globes and two Emmys for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.
The only actor in The Hollywood Knights who went on to a long and successful career in cinema was Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
, who went on to earn three Academy Award nominations and a host of other acting awards for her roles in Dangerous Liaisons
Dangerous Liaisons
Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 drama film based upon Christopher Hampton's play, Les liaisons dangereuses, which in turn was a theatrical adaptation of the 18th-century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos....
(1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys
The Fabulous Baker Boys
The Fabulous Baker Boys is a 1989 American romantic drama musical film written and directed by Steve Kloves, and starring real life brothers Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges as two brothers struggling to make a living as lounge jazz pianists in Seattle...
(1989) and Love Field
Love Field (film)
Love Field is a 1992 American independent drama film written by Don Roos and directed by Jonathan Kaplan, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Dennis Haysbert...
(1992).
The movie built a cult-like following during the 1980s due to repeated late-night airings on HBO.
Columbus, Ohio band New Bomb Turks
New Bomb Turks
The New Bomb Turks are an American punk rock band formed at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio in 1990. The founding members are Jim Weber, Eric Davidson, Bill Randt, and Matt Reber. Sam Brown replaced Bill Randt on drums in 1999. Early on their inspiration came from the Devil Dogs, Lazy...
took their name from the film's protagonist.