Overview
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Release Date:
14 November 1980 (USA)
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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. |
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Awards:
Won Golden Globe.
Another 1 nomination
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Additional Details
Runtime:
117 min | 119 min (TCM print)
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Fun Stuff
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.
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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.
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Quotes:
Vincent Vacarri:
True sex comes from between your ears, not from between your legs.
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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.