My Favorite Year (1982)

Director:

Richard Benjamin

Writers:

Dennis Palumbo (screenplay)
Dennis Palumbo (story)
(more)

Release Date:

1 October 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A dissolute matinee idol is slated to appear on a live TV variety show.

Plot Keywords:

Television | Womanizer | Star | Live Television | Movie Star

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Peter O'Toole	...	Alan Swann
Mark Linn-Baker	...	Benjy Stone
Jessica Harper	...	K. C. Downing
Joseph Bologna	...	King Kaiser
Bill Macy	...	Sy Benson
Lainie Kazan	...	Belle Carroca
Anne De Salvo	...	Alice Miller
Basil Hoffman	...	Herb Lee
Lou Jacobi	...	Uncle Morty
Adolph Green	...	Leo Silver
Tony DiBenedetto	...	Alfi Bambacelli
George Wyner	...	Myron Fein
Selma Diamond	...	Lil
Cameron Mitchell	...	Karl Rojeck
Jenny Neumann	...	Connie
Corinne Bohrer	...	Bonnie
George Marshall Ruge	...	Lord Drummond
Barbara Horan	...	Lady Eleanor
John Welsh	...	Cubby Brown
Richard Brestoff	...	Extra
Jed Mills	...	Extra
Ted Grossman	...	Extra
Teresa Ganzel	...	Extra
Philip Bruns	...	Extra
Archie Hahn	...	Delivery Boy
Karen Haber	...	Extra
Priscilla Kovary	...	Priscilla
Eleanor C. Heutschy	...	Gossip Columnist (as Eleanor Heutschy)
Peter Eastman	...	Maitre d'
Fox Harris	...	Extra
Rieneke	...	Andrea
Howard George	...	Extra
Bob Windsor	...	Extra
Gloria Stuart	...	Mrs. Horn
Clyde McLeod	...	Club Dancer
Harry Bill Roberts	...	Orchestra Leader
Ramon Sison	...	Rookie Carroca
Annette Robyns	...	Sadie
Pearl Shear	...	Mrs. Kessler
Stanley Brock	...	Mr. Berkowitz
Martin Garner	...	Mr. Cantor
John Medici	...	Scalfoni
Robert G. Denison	...	Extra
John Christy Ewing	...	Extra
Vincent Sardi Jr.	...	Policeman
Cady McClain	...	Tess (as Katie McClain)
Norman Steinberg	...	Sandy
Richard Warwick	...	Technical Director
Rex Benson	...	Makeup Man
Denver Mattson	...	Thug #1
George Fisher	...	Thug #2
Bob Terhune	...	Thug #3
Nick Dimitri	...	Thug #4
Phil Adams	...	Stagehand #1
Richard E. Butler	...	Stagehand #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vince Brocato	...	Walla Walla (voice)
Lana Clarkson	...	Girl in Old Gold Cigarette Pack (uncredited)
Ilana Rapp	...	Neighborhood Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Benjamin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dennis Palumbo		screenplay
Dennis Palumbo		story
Norman Steinberg		writer

Produced by
Joel Chernoff	....	producer
Michael Gruskoff	....	producer
Art Levinson	....	associate producer
Mel Brooks	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Ralph Burns

Cinematography by
Gerald Hirschfeld

Film Editing by
Richard Chew

Casting by
Ellen Chenoweth

Production Design by
Charles Rosen

Set Decoration by
Donald J. Remacle		(as Don Remacle)

Costume Design by
May Routh

Makeup Department
Ruby Ford	....	hair stylist
Carol A. O'Connell	....	hair stylist (as Carol O'Connell)
Daniel C. Striepeke	....	makeup artist (as Dan Striepeke)

Production Management
A. Kitman Ho	....	unit production manager: New York
Art Levinson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William S. Beasley	....	first assistant director
Duncan Henderson	....	second assistant director (as Duncan S. Henderson)
Steve Wertimer	....	second assistant director: New York (as Stephen Wertimer)

Art Department
Merle Eckert	....	chief carpenter: New York
Arthur Gelb	....	graphics designer
Mentor Huebner	....	production illustrator
Duff Miller	....	assistant property master
Herbert F. Mulligan	....	set decorator: New York (as Herb Mulligan)
Gregory Pickrell	....	set designer
Michael J. Smith	....	construction coordinator
Sal Sommatino	....	property master
Kandy Stern	....	set designer

Sound Department
John H. Arrufat	....	sound effects editor (as J.H. Arrufat)
David B. Cohn	....	dialogue editor
Mia Goldman	....	assistant sound editor
Robert Grieve	....	supervising sound editor
Jerry Jost	....	production sound mixer
Gregg Landaker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christopher Newman	....	sound mixer: New York (as Chris Newman)
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Voigtlander	....	adr editor
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Duncan McEwan	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Charles Schulthies	....	special effects (as Charles R. Schulthies)

Visual Effects by
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte painter (as Matthew J. Yuricich)

Stunts
Norman Howell	....	stunts
John Moio	....	stunts
Victor Paul	....	stunt coordinator
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts (as Charles Picerni)
John Romano	....	stunts
Philip Romano	....	stunts
Tony Santoro	....	stunts
James Winburn	....	stunt double: Peter O'Toole (as James B. Winburn)

Camera and Electrical Department
Enrique Bravo	....	camera operator: New York
Richard J. Edesa	....	camera operator (as Richard Edesa)
Mike Ginsberg	....	still photographer: New York
Len Hekel	....	still photographer
Marc Hirschfeld	....	first assistant camera (as Marc D. Hirschfeld)
Adam Kimmel	....	second assistant camera: New York
James McGrath	....	key grip: New York
Donald E. Thorin Jr.	....	second assistant camera (as Donald Thorin Jr.)
Louis Tobin	....	gaffer (as Lou Tobin)
Bob West	....	key grip (as Robert G. West)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bob Mahagay	....	wardrobe supervisor
Gregory B. Peña	....	set costumer
Eric H. Sandberg	....	costumer: men
Dolores Zuniga	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Don Dittmar	....	color timer
Howard Heard	....	assistant film editor
Brian Ralph	....	negative cutter
David Solomon	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Jeff Carson	....	music editor
Harry V. Lojewski	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Carolyn Bauer	....	assistant: Mr. Benjamin
Karen Day	....	production auditor
W. Paul Henley	....	location manager
Vic Heutschy	....	unit publicist
Ingrid Johanson	....	production coordinator: New York
Marie Kenney	....	script supervisor
Kevin King	....	payroll accountant
Debra Leventhal	....	secretary to producer
James McCabe	....	location manager (as Jim McCabe)
Larry Rapaport	....	location manager: New York
Jaimie Raskin	....	production assistant
Dan Roth	....	adr voice
Willie E. Simmons Jr.	....	production assistant (as Willie Simmons)
Juanita Smith	....	assistant: Mr. Steinberg
Armand Speca	....	assistant to producer
Jean Urban	....	production secretary
Lucy Chase Williams	....	secretary: Michael Gruskoff
Randy Auerbach	....	assistant: Mr. Brooks (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Brooksfilms
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (DVD)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  VHS package design

Also Known As:

My Favourite Year (UK)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Brooksfilms

Trivia:

Benjy Stone is described as: Benjamin Steinberg; Ben Stoneberg; Ben Stoneberger.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The cameras in the Comedy Cavalcade studio are RCA TK-14s, which were not introduced until the late 1950s. (NBC would have used RCA TK-30, TK-10 or TK-11 cameras for black-and-white shows at this time.) In another scene a Marconi Mark IV camera is being pushed through a hallway; this camera also was not available until the late 1950s.

Quotes:

Benjy Stone: Bring Allan Swann to Brooklyn?
Belle: Sure, what are you ashamed of?
Benjy Stone: Everything!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Jay Leno Show: (#1.19)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Stardust

An Unexpected Good Time!

I had never heard of this film until today. In fact, I had no intention of watching this movie at all. Peter O'Toole was being honored at the Savannah Film Festival and they had scheduled to show The Lion in Winter. That being one of my favorite flicks I immediately bought a ticket. Due to some kind of problem though they changed it and showed this instead. Well, all I can say is I'm glad I stayed for this movie! It was so funny and very witty. Peter O'Toole's delivery is unabelievable especially since I don't usually associate his name with this kind of comedy. It was hysterical! A lot of those in the theatre were college students like me and hadn't seen the movie either and everyone was rolling with laughter. I highly recommend this movie for a great time and an excellent performance from O'Toole!