Fat City (1972)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

John Huston

Writer:

Leonard Gardner (novel)

Release Date:

26 July 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Plot:

The film tells the story of two boxers and their problems. One of them is on the decline of his career...

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Title Fight | Money | Loneliness | Comeback

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 13

4:00 AM

TCM

Cast

Stacy Keach	...	Tully
Jeff Bridges	...	Ernie
Susan Tyrrell	...	Oma
Candy Clark	...	Faye
Nicholas Colasanto	...	Ruben
Art Aragon	...	Babe
Curtis Cokes	...	Earl
Sixto Rodriguez	...	Lucero
Billy Walker	...	Wes
Wayne Mahan	...	Buford
Ruben Navarro	...	Fuentes
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Álvaro López	...	Rosales (uncredited)
Carl D. Parker	...	Paymaster (uncredited)
Al Silvani	...	Referee-Tully / Lucero fight (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
Leonard Gardner		(novel "Fat City")

Produced by
David Dworski	....	associate producer
John Huston	....	producer
Ray Stark	....	producer

Cinematography by
Conrad L. Hall		(as Conrad Hall)

Film Editing by
Walter Thompson

Casting by
Fred Roos
Jennifer Shull

Production Design by
Richard Sylbert

Set Decoration by
Morris Hoffman

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins

Makeup Department
Virginia Jones	....	hair stylist
Jack H. Young	....	makeup artist (as Jack Young)

Production Management
Russell Saunders	....	unit production manager (as Russ Saunders)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Russell Saunders	....	assistant director (as Russ Saunders)

Art Department
Richard M. Rubin	....	property master

Sound Department
Tom Overton	....	sound
Arthur Piantadosi	....	sound

Special Effects by
Paul Stewart	....	special effects

Stunts
Nick Bullom	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rachel Schedler	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Del Ruth	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Richard Moore	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John A. Anderson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Margaret Booth	....	supervising editor
Abe Lincoln Jr.	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor (as Ken Hall)
Marvin Hamlisch	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Gladys Hill	....	assistant: John Huston
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Denny Shanahan	....	unit publicist
Al Silvani	....	fight consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Rastar Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1978) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1973) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (Spain)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium, Stockton, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

John Huston initially wanted Marlon Brando to play the role of Tully. When Brando informed Huston repeatedly that he needed some more time to think about it, Huston finally came to the conclusion that the star wasn't really interested and looked out for another actor until he finally cast the then relatively unknown Stacy Keach.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Oma proposes a toast to Tully at the bar, suddenly she's holding a lighted cigarette, which vanishes again in the next shot.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Way We Were: Looking Back (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Look of Love

The side of boxing we rarely see

Probably one of the most realistic films about boxing. Not the big prime time fights but the small time boxing matches that spring up in town after town. Great performances all around with extra notice to Nick Colasanto as Ruben who could be related to his Coach in "Cheers" and Stacy Keach as the brain-addled old fighter that will never be able to quit. His fight scene at the end with the Mexican boxer who is only there for a paycheck win or lose, really says a lot about how boxing can be a pathetic sport. Keach's Tully is probably how a lot of boxers end up. Typical late John Huston film that focuses on the underbelly of American society. And a good one too.