Four Friends (1981)

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writer:

Steve Tesich (writer)

Release Date:

11 December 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

All the boys love Georgia...and Georgia loves all the boys!

Plot:

This story of four working-class kids in a small industrial town--who go their separate ways after high...

Plot Keywords:

High School | Wedding | Pregnancy | Immigration | Love

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Craig Wasson	...	Danilo
Jodi Thelen	...	Georgia
Michael Huddleston	...	David
Jim Metzler	...	Tom
Scott Hardt	...	Young Danilo
Elizabeth Lawrence	...	Mrs. Prozor
Miklos Simon	...	Mr. Prozor
Michael Kovacs	...	Prozor Neighbor
Beatrice Fredman	...	Mrs. Zoldos
Pier Calabria	...	Conductor
Zaid Farid	...	Rudy
David Graf	...	Gergley
Felix Shuman	...	Principal
George Womack	...	Mr. Bellknap
Todd Isaacson	...	Senior Kid
Sharon Kemp	...	Rudy's Girlfriend
Reed Birney	...	Louie
Harlan Hogan	...	Announcer
Elizabeth Goldstein	...	Quiz Bowl Girl
Julia Murray	...	Adrienne
Dick Sollenberger	...	Doctor
Lois Smith	...	Mrs. Carnahan
James Leo Herlihy	...	Mr. Carnahan
Ramiro Carrillo	...	Man Mopping
Mercedes Ruehl	...	Woman in Taxi
James Maxwell	...	Hippie
Glenne Headly	...	Lola
Paul Greco	...	Car Thief
Petrea Burchard	...	Lady Flag Burner
Natalia Nogulich	...	Vera (as Natalija Nogulich)
Branko Vasich	...	Serbian Worker
Ruzica Markovic	...	Old Lady in Cemetery
Helen Nogulich	...	Vera's Mother
Linh Thanh Ly Nguyen	...	Vietnamese Child #1
Thu Anh Ly Nguyen	...	Vietnamese Child #2
Nga Bich Thi Duong	...	Tom's Wife
Brandon Green	...	Isador
William Salatich	...	Purser
Alice Elliott	...	David's Wife
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Minkoff	...	Bit
Paul Swearingen	...	Teenager in town (uncredited)

Directed by
Arthur Penn

Writing credits
Steve Tesich		(writer)

Produced by
Stephen F. Kesten	....	associate producer
Gene Lasko	....	producer
Julia Miles	....	executive producer
Arthur Penn	....	producer
Michael Tolan	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Elizabeth Swados

Cinematography by
Ghislain Cloquet

Film Editing by
Marc Laub
Barry Malkin

Production Design by
David Chapman

Art Direction by
Dick Hughes

Set Decoration by
Robert Drumheller

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris

Makeup Department
Vincent Callaghan	....	makeup artist (as Vince Callaghan)
Anthony Cortino	....	hair stylist
Dee Crededio	....	hair stylist
Dee Crededio	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Steven Felder	....	unit manager: New York
Stephen F. Kesten	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cheryl Downey	....	first assistant director
Gene Lasko	....	second unit director
Joseph P. Reidy	....	second assistant director: New York (as Joseph Reidy)
Steven Tramz	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Michael Bird	....	property master
Dominic Contursi	....	set dresser
Phil Contursi	....	set dresser (as Philip Contursi)
Kenneth J. Gagnon Sr.	....	carpenter (as Ken Gagnon)
Pamela Garrett	....	scenic artist
James Halligan	....	construction coordinator
Aaron Holden	....	props
David L. Johnson	....	carpenter (as David Johnson)
Danny Miller	....	head laborer
Robert Miller	....	construction grip
Joseph C. Nieminski	....	scenic artist
Daniel Robert	....	props (as Danny Robert)
Dan Roberts	....	props (as Danny Robert)
Edward Swanson	....	carpenter (as Ed Swanson)
Richard A. Ventre	....	scenic artist
Kenneth Vogt	....	props
Dave Weinman	....	set dresser (as David Weinman)
Morris Weinman	....	set dresser
Timothy W. Tiedje	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stan Bochner	....	supervising sound editor
Nathan Boxer	....	production sound (as Nat Boxer)
Paul Cavagnero	....	assistant sound editor
Anthony J. Ciccolini III	....	sound editor (as Anthony Ciccolini III)
Janet Conn	....	assistant sound editor
Ray Cymoszinski	....	production sound
Lee Dichter	....	sound recordist
Harriet Fidlow	....	dubbing editor
Daniel Gianneschi	....	cable person
Robert Hein	....	assistant sound editor
Neil L. Kaufman	....	sound editor
Dan Lieberstein	....	sound editor
Richard Nord	....	assistant sound editor
Fred Rosenberg	....	assistant sound editor (as Fredric D. Rosenberg)
Tracey Smith	....	assistant sound editor
Mel Zelniker	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Al Griswold	....	special effects

Stunts
Colette Alexander	....	stunts
Gene Hartline	....	stunts
Harry Madsen	....	stunt coordinator
Harry Madsen	....	stunt double
Brett Smrz	....	stunt double
Victoria Vanderkloot	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Ed Auksel	....	generator operator (as Edward Auksel)
James Blanford	....	first assistant camera
Enrique Bravo	....	camera operator (as Ricky Bravo Sr.)
Ricky Bravo	....	second assistant camera (as Ricky Bravo Jr.)
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator
Eugene F. Crededio	....	electrician (as Eugene Crededio)
John D. Crededio	....	electrician (as John Crededio)
William Dambra	....	electrician
Vincent Delaney	....	best boy
Robert Dolan	....	rig electrician
Peter J. Donoghue	....	grip (as Peter Donoghue)
Thomas Ford	....	grip (as Tom Ford)
James V. Gartland	....	key grip
Jack Kennedy	....	best boy
Thomas Lewis	....	grip
Robert McLain	....	grip
Charles Meere	....	gaffer
Frank Miller	....	stand-by camera operator
Tom Prate	....	dolly grip (as Thomas Prate Jr.)
Hal Schullman	....	stand-by camera operator
James Zenk	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Lisa Clarkson	....	extras casting
Jane Alderman	....	casting: Chicago (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Melissa Franz	....	wardrobe: women
Jay Hurley	....	wardrobe assistant
Patrick R. Norris	....	wardrobe: men (as Patrick Norris)

Editorial Department
John David Coles	....	editing room assistant
Glenn Cunningham	....	assistant editor
Dorian Harris	....	assistant editor
Otto Paoloni	....	color consultant
Jeffrey Wolf	....	associate editor

Music Department
George Avakian	....	music executive
Carolyn Dutton	....	additional music arranger
Paul Griffin	....	music arranger: "Shop Around"
Norman Hollyn	....	music supervisor
Elizabeth Swados	....	conductor
Roy B. Yokelson	....	music recording engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Jim Smith	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Pamela Adler	....	assistant to producers
Julie Arenal	....	choreographer
Lucille Baumann	....	production accountant
Vebe Borge	....	production assistant
Frank Cacciatore	....	provider: period cars
Heston Clapp	....	secretary: Mr. Penn
Kay Clifford	....	production assistant
Stan Cohen	....	caterer
Eileen Eichenstein	....	production office coordinator
James E. Foote	....	operations manager (as James Foote)
Barry Foy	....	production assistant
Sam Goldrich	....	payroll services
Ann Guerin	....	unit publicist
June Rachel Guterman	....	location manager
Bill Higgins	....	production assistant
Nancy Hopton	....	script supervisor
Sondra Horton	....	production assistant
Robert Jellen	....	insurance (as Bob Jellen)
Jan Mason	....	secretary
Colleen O'Neill	....	office manager: New York
Matthew Penn	....	production assistant
Suzana Peric	....	production assistant
Debbie Reichig	....	assistant production accountant
Thomas Rosen	....	teamster captain
David Smalley	....	provider: period cars
Wendy Tannenbaum	....	production assistant
Nadja Tesich	....	assistant to executive producer
Rachel Ticotin	....	dance assistant
Urban 'Spark' Ullman	....	production assistant
Chris Vassilopolous	....	provider: period cars
Marcus Viscidi	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Cinema 77
• Filmways Pictures
• Florin
• Geria Productions

Distributors

• Filmways Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1982) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Orion Pictures Corporation
• VCL Video (1988) (West Germany) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Sturm's Special Effects International (snow making)

Other Companies

• Alderman and Guerra  Chicago casting
• Computer Opticals  titles and opticals
• P.P.I.  payroll services
• Regent Sound Studios  music recording
• Sound One Corporation  post-production facilities
• Universal Recording Corporation  music recording

Also Known As:

Georgia's Friends

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Sweden:15 (original rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Cinema 77

Trivia:

Filmed on the campus of Northwestern University (Evanston IL).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: As Danilo Prozor is fighting with Gergley in the bar, one can see the shape of knee pads worn under Prozor's trousers.

Quotes:

Danilo: [to his estranged father] Are we just gonna keep his up?
Mr. Prozor: What is it you are suggesting?
Danilo: I don't know... I've never even seen you smile.
Mr. Prozor: [long pause] When you were born I smiled.
Danilo: Well I guess I wasn't paying attention, that slipped by me.
Mr. Prozor: When you were born…I... took off my hat and I... beat on the table with it! And I'm almost sure... I was smiling...
[pauses, smiles for real, they all laugh]
Danilo: That looks good on you Papa!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Arthur Penn (1995)

Soundtrack:

La Moderna

Will some company PLEASE make a DVD of this film!???

Will some company PLEASE make a (good+) DVD of this film!??? Aside from being a wonderful film about relationships and friendships, "Four Friends" is the ONLY film I've ever seen -- And I have, literally, spent *years* of my life watching films! -- that captures the essence of the 60s experience (and I was there!): the idealism, the hope, the freedom, the confusion, the betrayals, and ultimately its upbeat but bittersweet denouement. And all of this is accomplished without being a story about any of the numerous upheavals of that era, although many are just touched upon... as part of the tapestry. But the story is primarily about the characters and their friendship over about 10~15 years... and that those survived and deepened, despite the tragedies of that turbulent decade. Absolutely a joy and must-see film... even if one's not an old hippie!!!