Deal of the Century (1983)

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers:

Paul Brickman (writer)
Bernard Edelman (book)
(more)

Release Date:

4 November 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Chevy Chase and his partners are arms dealers. They sell second-rate weapons to third world nations. But they're not out to stick it to anyone.

Plot:

Arms dealers from several companies vie to sell the most expensive and highest tech weapons to a South American dictator...

Plot Keywords:

Arms Dealer | Dictator | Spin | Christmas | Military Industrial Complex

Cast

Chevy Chase	...	Eddie Muntz
Sigourney Weaver	...	Catherine DeVoto
Gregory Hines	...	Ray Kasternak
Vince Edwards	...	Frank Stryker
William Marquez	...	Gen. Cordosa
Eduardo Ricard	...	Col. Salgado
Richard Herd	...	Lyle
Graham Jarvis	...	Babers
Wallace Shawn	...	Harold DeVoto
Randi Brooks	...	Ms. Della Rosa
Ebbe Roe Smith	...	Bob
Richard Libertini	...	Masaggi
J.W. Smith	...	Will
Carmencristina Moreno	...	Woman Singer (as Carmen Moreno)
Charles Levin	...	Dr. Rechtin
Pepe Serna	...	Vardis
Wilfredo Hernández	...	Rojas
John Davey	...	Pilot on Screen
Miguel Pinero	...	Molino
Maurice Marsac	...	Frenchman
Joe Ross	...	Russian Translator
Jonathan Terry	...	Gaylord
Robert Cornthwaite	...	Huddleston
Gwil Richards	...	Rev. Borman
Kelly Lange	...	Newscaster
Ken Letner	...	Sen. Bryce
JoMarie Payton	...	Baptist #1 (as Jo Marie Payton-Noble)
Tony Plana	...	Chicano Man
Betty Cole	...	Baptist #2
John Hancock	...	Baptist Minister
Helen Martin	...	Baptist #3
Eddie Hice	...	Bagman
David Haskell	...	Rockwell Official
Ray Manzarek	...	Charlie Simbo
David Hall	...	Rick Penido
Alex Colon	...	Street Robber
John Reilly	...	Swain
James Staley	...	JWT Assoc
Stephen Keep Mills	...	Promoter (as Stephen Keep)
Louis Giambalvo	...	Freddie Muntz
Robert Alan Browne	...	Man from Grumman
Bradford English	...	Man from McDonnell Douglas
Jim Ishida	...	Masaggi's Aide #1
Michael Yama	...	Masaggi's Aide #2
Judith Baldwin	...	Luckup Hostess #1
Jan McGill	...	Luckup Hostess #2
Frank Lugo	...	Station Wagon Driver
Loyda Ramos	...	Chicano Woman
Wendy Solomon	...	Freddie's Wife
John Stinson	...	Helicopter Reporter
Janet Louise Smith	...	Woman in Commercial
Jesus Carmona	...	Accordionist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert David Hall	...	Ray Penido (uncredited)
Patti Negri	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
William Friedkin

Writing credits
Robert Garland		uncredited &
Robert Towne		uncredited
Paul Brickman		writer
Bernard Edelman		book

Produced by
Jon Avnet	....	executive producer
Paul Brickman	....	executive producer
David Salven	....	associate producer
Steve Tisch	....	executive producer
Bud Yorkin	....	producer

Original Music by
Arthur B. Rubinstein

Cinematography by
Richard H. Kline

Film Editing by
Jere Huggins
Ned Humphreys
Bud S. Smith

Casting by
Nancy Klopper

Production Design by
Bill Malley

Set Decoration by
Richard C. Goddard

Costume Design by
Rita Riggs

Makeup Department
Frank Griffin	....	makeup artist
Kaye Pownall	....	hair stylist
Brad Wilder	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
David Salven	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terence A. Donnelly	....	first assistant director
James M. Freitag	....	second assistant director
Bruce Logan	....	second unit director in charge of optical effects

Art Department
Barry Bedig	....	property master
Stan Cockerell	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Willie D. Burton	....	production sound mixer
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound effects editor
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	sound effects editor
J. Paul Huntsman	....	supervising dialogue editor
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Christopher Jenkins)
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marvin E. Lewis	....	boom operator
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound effects editor
Andrew Patterson	....	dialogue editor
Christopher Flick	....	apprentice sound editor (uncredited)
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Joe Day	....	special effects
Mike Edmonson	....	special effects foreman
Scott Forbes	....	special effects technician
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects
Jeff Jarvis	....	special effects supervisor
Richard Stutsman	....	special effects technician
Diana Allen Williams	....	miniature model maker

Visual Effects by
William L. Arance	....	airbrush artist
Rocco Gioffre	....	matte artist
Michael Kelly	....	visual effects editor
Tom Pahk	....	model maker
David B. Sharp	....	model maker
Keith Shartle	....	production coordinator: DQI
Scott Squires	....	motion control supervisor
Robert C. Thomas	....	motion control gaffer
Hoyt Yeatman	....	motion control supervisor
Eric Guaglione	....	motion control miniature effects: optical camera assistant: DQI (uncredited)
David Merritt	....	model maker: Coast Special Effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt performer
John Escobar	....	stunts
Tony Kahana	....	stunts
Rick Sawaya	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Bettcher	....	camera operator
Kevin Jewison	....	second assistant camera
Jud Kehl	....	assistant camera
Dan Lerner	....	panaglide operator

Animation Department
Kerry Colonna	....	animation effects supervisor

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Aubrey Head	....	color timer
Bud S. Smith	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Mark Hoder	....	orchestrator
Abby Treloggen	....	music editor

Other crew
Allen Blaisdell	....	front projection operator
William Bowling	....	location manager
Betty A. Griffin	....	script supervisor
Ann Luly-Golthwait	....	misc crew (as Ann Luly)
David Salven Jr.	....	location manager
Charles A. Tamburro	....	aerial coordinator / helicopter pilot
Rick Whitfield	....	video coordinator

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Dream Quest Images

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1988) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (video)

Special Effects

• Available Light Productions
• Dream Quest Images

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:15 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Santa Barbara, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: When Eddie is in the trailer talking to Ray on the radio, he's wearing the headset with the microphone on the left side. In the next shot, it's on the right side.

Quotes:

Eddie Muntz: It's only my second day in San Miguel, and I'll tell ya', I'm ready to hitchhike to Jonestown for a few laughs and a cool drink. This place is hotter than Dolly Parton's minipad. My job takes me all over the world. Lebanon, Nicaragua... Newark. You name it, I'm in there. Always where the action is.

Movie Connections:

Features "All in the Family" (1971)

Soundtrack:

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME

A forgotten classic comedy

The overall plot of this movie is weak however there are A LOT of memorable scenes. These scenes make me watch this movie a couple times a year. This movie has a similar tone to Caddyshack, Head Office, Fletch, etc. I think it's one of Chevy's better performances. His narration in the movie helps add to the overall comical tone.

If you are at all a Chevy Chase fan and enjoy his older work (Caddyshack, Fletch, etc.) this is definitely worth renting.