Taps (1981)

Director:

Harold Becker

Writers:

Devery Freeman (novel)
Robert Mark Kamen (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

20 December 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

This school is our home, we think it's worth defending.

Plot:

Military cadets take extreme measures to insure the future of their academy when its existence is threatened by local condo developers.

Plot Keywords:

Grenade | Accidental Death | Rifle | Machine Gun | Fight Scene

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

George C. Scott	...	General Harlan Bache
Timothy Hutton	...	Cadet Major Brian Moreland
Ronny Cox	...	Colonel Kerby
Sean Penn	...	Cadet Captain Alex Dwyer
Tom Cruise	...	Cadet Captain David Shawn
Brendan Ward	...	Charlie
Evan Handler	...	Edward West
John P. Navin Jr.	...	Derek Mellott
Billy Van Zandt	...	Bug
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Cadet Captain J.C. Pierce
Donald Kimmel	...	Billy Harris
Tim Wahrer	...	Cadet Major John Cooper
Tim Riley	...	Hulk
Jeff Rochlin	...	Shovel
Rusty Jacobs	...	Rusty
Wayne Tippit	...	Master Sergeant Kevin Moreland
Jess Osuna	...	Dean Ferris
Earl Hindman	...	Lieutenant Hanson
James Handy	...	Sheriff
Steven Ryan	...	Marshal
Jay Gregory	...	Interviewer
Karen Braga	...	Woman Announcer
Ralph Drischell	...	Stewart
Jane Cecil	...	Secretary
Thomas Medearis	...	Male Clerk
Amelia Romano	...	Mrs. Malloy
Sheila Marra	...	Lori Cable
Gary McCleery	...	Townie
Michael Longfield	...	Townie (as L. Michael Craig)
Arnold Mazer	...	Townie (as Arnie Mazer)
Chris Hagan	...	Townie
John Taylor	...	Cadet
Lou Milione	...	Cadet
Eugene Krumenacker	...	Cadet
John McBrearty	...	Cadet
David McGinley	...	Cadet
Frank Chambers	...	Cadet
John Faucher	...	Cadet
John Newmuis	...	Cadet
Declan Weir	...	Cadet
Paul Lyons	...	Cadet
Ryan Helm	...	Cadet
Tom Hutchinson	...	Cadet
Tom Klunis	...	Parent
Elizabeth Perry	...	Parent
Brenda Currin	...	Parent
Jeanne Fisher	...	Parent
Robena Rogers	...	Parent
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
M. James Arnett	...	Parent
John Rittenhouse	...	Townie
Matthew Kenna	...	Townie (uncredited)

Directed by
Harold Becker

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Devery Freeman		novel "Father Sky"
Robert Mark Kamen		writer
James Lineberger		adaptation
Darryl Ponicsan		writer

Produced by
Howard B. Jaffe	....	producer
Stanley R. Jaffe	....	producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Owen Roizman

Film Editing by
Maury Winetrobe

Casting by
Shirley Rich

Art Direction by
Stan Jolley
Alfred Sweeney

Set Decoration by
Carl Biddiscombe		(as Carl Biddescombe)

Makeup Department
Frank Bianco	....	hair stylist
Robert Jiras	....	makeup artist (as Bob Jiras)

Production Management
Norman A. Cook	....	production manager (as Norman Cook)
Phillip M. Goldfarb	....	production manager (as Phillip Goldfarb)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
M. James Arnett	....	second unit director (as Jim Arnett)
William M. Elvin	....	second assistant director (as Bill Elvin)
Nikita Knatz	....	second unit director
Michael Looney	....	second assistant director
Thomas J. Mack	....	assistant director (as Tom Mack)
Charles Myers	....	first assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Russell Goble	....	property master
Leon Harris	....	production illustrator
Nikita Knatz	....	production illustrator: second unit
Duane R. Marion	....	lead man
Wayne Smith	....	stand-by painter
Ken Walker	....	assistant property master (as Kenny Walker)
Mickey Woods	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Ralph Babcock	....	boom operator
Bruce Bell	....	sound editor
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Gary Bourgeois)
Gordon Daniel	....	sound editor
Greg Dillon	....	sound editor
James Fritch	....	sound editor (as Jim Fritch)
Bert Hallberg	....	sound mixer (as Bertil Hallberg)
Arthur Jackson	....	utility sound technician (as Arthur J. Jackson)
James J. Klinger	....	sound editor (as Jim Klinger)
Marvin I. Kosberg	....	sound editor (as Marvin Kosberg)
William L. McCaughey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Nicolo	....	sound recordist
Anthony Palk	....	sound editor (as Tony Palk)
Gary Shepherd	....	sound editor
Howard S. Wollman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Howard Wollman)

Special Effects by
James Camomile	....	special effects
Fred Cramer	....	special effects
Dennis Dion	....	special effects
Gary Elmendorf	....	special effects (as Garry Elmendorf)
Andrew 'Sandy' Overholtzer	....	special effects (as Andrew Overhaltzer)
Paul Stewart	....	special effects (as Paul H. Stewart)

Stunts
M. James Arnett	....	stunt coordinator (as Jim Arnett)
M. James Arnett	....	stunts (as Jim Arnett)
David R. Ellis	....	stunts (as David Ellis)
Gary Hymes	....	stunts
Bobby Porter	....	stunts
Anthony Redd	....	stunts
J.N. Roberts	....	stunts
R.A. Rondell	....	stunts
Reid Rondell	....	stunts
John Sherrod	....	stunts
Brett Smrz	....	stunts
Brian Smrz	....	stunts
Frank James Sparks	....	stunts (as Frank Sparks)
Reid Rondell	....	stunt double: Tom Cruise (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Garrett Brown	....	steadicam operator
Ted Churchill	....	panaglide operator
James Glennon	....	camera operator
Craig Haagensen	....	first assistant camera (as Craig Hagenson)
Rob Hahn	....	first assistant camera
Gary Holt	....	gaffer
David Jarrell	....	best boy electric
Larry Orlick	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Scott Rathner	....	second assistant camera
Bob Rose	....	key grip (as Bobby Rose)
Tim Ryan	....	dolly grip (as John 'Tim' Ryan)
George Silano	....	camera operator
William H. Steiner	....	camera operator: second unit
Ladislaus Vidor	....	director of photography: second unit (as Zoli Vidor)
Ronald Vidor	....	steadicam operator
Josh Weiner	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Jo Doster	....	extras casting
Darilyn Stringer	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barry Kellogg	....	costumer
Michael J. Long	....	costumer
Eddie Marks	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Jim Faris	....	additional editor (as James Faris)
Dennis E. Lew	....	first assistant editor
Michael Luciano	....	additional editor
Saul Saladow	....	assistant editor (as Saul R. Saladow)
Eric A. Sears	....	assistant editor
Florence Williamson	....	assistant editor (as Flo Williamson)

Music Department
Jerry MacDonald	....	music editor
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar
Gary Ulmer	....	scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Aram Betkijian	....	transportation captain
Paul Sullivan	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Marion Billings	....	publicist
William Chapman	....	production coordinator (as Bill Chapman)
Sara Colleton	....	assistant: Mr. Becker
Joel L. Fink	....	cadet coordinator
Harry Hauss	....	helicopter pilot (as Harold S. Hauss)
Andrea Jaffe	....	publicist
Robert A. Jaffe	....	location coordinator
Marie Kenney	....	script supervisor
Joanne Knapp	....	production secretary
Harry Litwack	....	teaching coordinator
Michelle Marchetti	....	production secretary
Michel Mention	....	assistant: Mr. Jarre
Craig Nannos	....	technical advisor: military (as J. Craig Nannos)
Kathy Rowe	....	assistant: Mr. Jaffe
Joyce Webb	....	script supervisor: second unit
Paul McKenna	....	technical advisor: military (uncredited)
Paul McKenna	....	technical advisor: military (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1984) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Paramount Pictures  star trek footage
• Ryder Sound Services  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

The Siege at Bunker Hill: T.A.P.S (UK) (TV title)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #26439) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Due to the 1980 Screen Actors Guild writer's strike, filming on the campus of Valley Forge Military Academy took much longer (60 days) than originally planned. It caused such a disruption that the commandant of the school subsequently advised his colleagues not to allow film productions at their schools. The next year both Valley Forge and the Citadel military academies denied filmmakers of The Lords of Discipline (1983) access to their grounds, leading it to be filmed in England instead.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When all the adult staffers of Bunker Hill Academy are loaded onto the bus, we see a Captain and a few other uniformed soldiers. Bache's statement that the Cadet Major is only outranked by the commanding general, then, is untrue. Active military personnel outrank ANY cadet in a K-12 military academy.

Quotes:

General Harlan Bache: Was I scared! I must have lost fifty pounds, all of it brown.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Home Improvement: Taps (#6.24)" (1997)

Freudian look at paramilitary schooling

TAPS was a movie about a seige at a military academy which is about to be closed. The film also meshed civilian harsh views towards the military and a freudian look at the psychological angle used to turn young men into hardend killers only to have the civilians learn they cannot be controlled. TOM CRUISE gives great range in his role as a cadet who turns psychopathic; a man who meshed a little too well with his OCS/ROTC training, into a killing machine without thought or remorse. The portrayl of cruise as this character is chilling. This is not a bad film, as it reflects the post vietnam view of civilians toward the US MILITARY. The film also focuses on the other cadets who begin to lose favor with the seige and want to end it, only to be manipulated by TOM CRUISES character and a elite group of students ear marked for special forces. The film concentrates on a command power struggle between Crusie and TIMOTHY HUTTON, who is grieving the loss of their school GENERAL played by GEORGE C. SCOTT, who is killed by angry youths; a catalyst for the takeover. As the film progresses the governor sends in RONNY COX as a national guard commander with a m-60 tank platoon to stop the problem. The film continues until the climax and we are left with a question...who watches the watchers? Ultimately who was responsible for the malfunction at this school and the LORD OF THE FLIES break up into sects within the seige group holding onto the school? Was it the system that trains a man to become a hardend killer only to say...."whoops we can't control him" or diffuse him. Or is this a commentary on a peace time initiative when there is no war to fight...perhaps a commentary on U.S. military doctrine and philosophy and ultimately psychology in the post Vietnam years with no war to fight. We train our service men and cadet for battle but do we train them on discernment on how to pick those fights? This is a question left unanswered by this film, yet undoubtedly raised by it.