The Idolmaker (1980)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Taylor Hackford

Writer:

Edward Di Lorenzo (writer)

Release Date:

14 November 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

He's got the look... He's got the talent... He's got the Idolmaker... He's got it all!

Plot:

Based on the life of rock promoter/producer Bob Marucci, who discovered, among others, Frankie Avalon and Fabian. |

Plot Keywords:

1950s | Rock Music | Teen Idol

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Ray Sharkey	...	Vincent 'Vinnie' Vacarri
Tovah Feldshuh	...	Brenda Roberts
Peter Gallagher	...	Caesare
Paul Land	...	Tommy Dee
Joe Pantoliano	...	Gino Pilato
Maureen McCormick	...	Ellen Fields
John Aprea	...	Pani Vacarri
Richard Bright	...	Uncle Tony
Olympia Dukakis	...	Mrs. Vacarri
Steve Peck	...	Mr. Frank Vacarri (as Steven Apostlee Peck)
Leonard Gaines	...	Luchetti
Deney Terrio	...	Jerry Martin
Charles Guardino	...	Jesse
Michael Mislove	...	Ed Sharp
Kenneth O'Brien	...	Walt Bennett
Michael Perotta	...	Carlo
Sylvia Shemmell
Myrna Smith
Afreeka Trees
Owen C. Davis
Jamie Fallin
Larry Van Claggett
Jeffrey Tanner	...	Delano
Renata Vanni
Howard Gordon	...	Scapio
Tammy Alverson		(as Tamy Alverson)
Frank Bunjic
Jed Brien
Jimmy Carter
Kim Corder
JoJo D'Amore		(as Jo Jo D'Amore)
Cherie Felice
Mallie Jackson		(as Malli Jackson)
Shelley Kirkwood
William Vincent Kulak
Anthony Marciona	...	Gino
Buddy Micucci
Alan Muir
Tony Munafo
Don Munson
Margery Nelson
Jack Neville
Thorne Nogar
James Saito
Sam Shamshak
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert P. Marcucci	...	New Jersey Heckler (uncredited)
Dean Rubin	...	New Jersey Heckler (uncredited)
Nino Tempo	...	Saxophone player (uncredited)

Directed by
Taylor Hackford

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edward Di Lorenzo		writer

Produced by
Gene Kirkwood	....	producer
Hawk Koch	....	producer (as Howard W. Koch Jr.)
R.J. Louis	....	associate producer
David Nichols	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jeff Barry

Cinematography by
Adam Holender

Film Editing by
Neil Travis

Art Direction by
David L. Snyder

Set Decoration by
Barbara Krieger

Costume Design by
Rita Riggs

Makeup Department
Marvin G. Westmore	....	makeup artist (as Marvin Westmore)

Production Management
R.J. Louis	....	production manager
Bernie Styles	....	production supervisor: New York

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clifford C. Coleman	....	assistant director
Hope R. Goodwin	....	second assistant director (as Hope Goodwin)

Sound Department
Robert Glass	....	dubbing mixer (as Bob Glass)
Petur Hliddal	....	production sound mixer
Robert Knudson	....	dubbing mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Don MacDougall	....	dubbing mixer
Clancy T. Troutman	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Ralph Gervais	....	special effects
Bob Trojan	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
David Goldner	....	special stills
Ron Grover	....	still photographer
Michael J. Schwartz	....	electrician (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Steve Potter	....	assistant editor
Arthur Schmidt	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Gene N. Fowler	....	assistant music editor
Joe Renzetti	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Gene Clinesmith	....	driver

Other crew
Judith Gill	....	production coordinator
Dan Perri	....	title designer: main titles
Barry Rosenbush	....	production associate
Deney Terrio	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Kirkwood
• Koch Company

Distributors

• United Artists (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1985) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (video)

Other Companies

• Bill Dance Casting  extras casting
• Cherokee Studios  music recorded at

Runtime:

117 min | 119 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | USA:PG (certificate #26166) | West Germany:12

Company:

Kirkwood

Trivia:

Based on the career of Robert P. Marcucci ("Vincent 'Vinnie' Vacarri"), who discovered and managed Frankie Avalon ("Tommy Dee") and Fabian ("Caesare"). Vacarri's assistant ("Brenda Roberts") is based on Marcucci's real-life assistant at the time, Rona Barrett.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The body style of the Ford Thunderbird didn't become available until the 1964 model, but when Caesare plays in Memphis, the date on the banner is March 17, 1961.

Quotes:

Vincent Vacarri: True sex comes from between your ears, not from between your legs.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Saturday Night Live: Ray Sharkey/Jack Bruce & Friends (#6.6)" (1981)

Great All-Time Lost Treasure

Tragically, released at a time when United Artists was busy going bankrupt making "Heaven's Gate" (see book FINAL CUT), this film was lost among a number of gems (Rich Kids; Pope of Greenwich Village; TrueRomance), "Idolmaker" is truly in a class by itself. Its acting is uniformly impeccable, direction, cinematography and both writing and song score--by the legendary Jeff Barry--of Barry and Cynthia Weil fame, the film is refreshingly bereft of dead spots,contrived moments and false notes (and I'm not just talking about the music).Ray Sharkey is at his volcanic best. JOE PANTOLIANO is cast against character as (no kidding) Sharkey's milquetoast songwriting partner--and acquits himself magnificently. Olympia Dukakis gives a FINE performance as Sharkey's mother--and Peter Gallagher does his own singing--while delivering the performance of a lifetime as the naive-turned-meglomaniacal Avalon character.Due to his heroin addiction, Sharkey's career floundered in years following this star-making role... lowering him to parts in the likes of "Hellhole" with Marjoe Gortner. He ended up flat broke, living with his mother in NYC.What followed was bittersweet and merits extra attention to a wonderful First Act scene: While watching the movie on TV, he was struck by scene where his mother urges him to swallow his pride and ask his estranged father to finance his start in show business.Seeing That one scene years later restored his self-esteem and inspired him to get clean and sober and get back into the game. He was barely out of rehab when he landed the role of Atlantic City mobster Sonny Steelgrave in TV's"Wiseguy"'s very first story arc. Those episodes remain cult classics,and are available on DVD. Loosely based on the career of Bob Marcucci, and his protégés Fabianand Frankie Avalon, this movie truly has it all: pathos, humor, an unflinching look at the free-for-all pre-Beatles Teen Idol gap that resulted from Elvis' stint in the Army.