Purple Rain (1984)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Albert Magnoli

Writers:

William Blinn (written by)
Albert Magnoli (written by)

Release Date:

27 July 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Romance

Plot:

A young man with a talent for music has begun a career with much promise. He meets an aspiring singer...

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Aspiring Singer | Star | Guitar | Suicide Attempt

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Prince	...	The Kid
Apollonia Kotero	...	Apollonia
Morris Day	...	Morris
Olga Karlatos	...	Mother
Clarence Williams III	...	Father
Jerome Benton	...	Jerome
Billy Sparks	...	Billy
Jill Jones	...	Jill
Charles Huntsberry	...	Chick
Dez Dickerson	...	Dez
Brenda Bennett	...	Brenda
Susan Moonsie	...	Susan (as Susan)
Sandra Claire Gershman	...	Beautiful Babe
Kim Upsher	...	Kim
Alan Leeds	...	Stage Hand
Israel Gordon	...	Taste M.C.
Gil Jacobson	...	Cop in Basement
Joseph A. Ferraro	...	First Avenue M.C.
Joseph E. Ferraro	...	First Avenue M.C.
James French	...	Cabbie
Wendy Melvoin	...	Wendy-The Revolution (as Wendy)
Lisa Coleman	...	Lisa-The Revolution
Bobby 'Z' Rivkin	...	Bobby Z.-The Revolution (as Bobby Z.)
Matt Fink	...	Matt Fink-The Revolution
Brown Mark	...	Brown Mark-The Revolution
Garry Johnson	...	Jellybean-The Time
Mark Cardenas	...	Mark-The Time
Gerald E. Hubbard Jr.	...	Gerry-The Time
Paul Peterson	...	Paul-The Time
Jesse Johnson	...	Jesse - The Time
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jenni Olson	...	Extra (uncredited)
Tom Tangen	...	Hiker #1 (uncredited)

Directed by
Albert Magnoli

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William Blinn		written by
Albert Magnoli		written by

Produced by
Robert Cavallo	....	producer
Steven Fargnoli	....	producer
Joseph Ruffalo	....	producer

Original Music by
Michel Colombier
John L. Nelson
Prince

Cinematography by
Donald E. Thorin

Film Editing by
Albert Magnoli
Ken Robinson

Casting by
David Graham

Production Design by
Ward Preston

Set Decoration by
Anne D. McCulley		(as Anne McCulley)

Costume Design by
Marie France

Makeup Department
Richard Arrington	....	supervising makeup artist
Susan Caldwell	....	hair stylist
Jayson Jeffreys	....	key makeup artist
Earl Jones	....	hair stylist
Todd Prost	....	hair stylist
Lee Romanoff	....	key makeup artist
Susan Wenzel	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Mike Frankovich Jr.	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anthony Brand	....	first assistant director
Britt Lomond	....	first assistant director
Don Wilkerson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Thomas Anderson	....	shop foreman
Keen Bonath	....	assistant props
Clare M.S. Fishman	....	assistant props (as Claire Fishman)
Jim Johnson	....	property master
Howard McCormick II	....	lead man
Robert Scaife	....	construction coordinator (as Bob Scaife)
Wayne Smith	....	painter
Gregory Tetrault	....	swing gang
Dane Pizzuti Krogman	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Beshears	....	sound editor
Bruce Bisenz	....	sound mixer
Noah Blough	....	assistant sound editor
Neil Brody	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Cook	....	sound re-recording mixer: dialogue
Mike Dobie	....	sound editor (as Michael Dobie)
Richard C. Franklin	....	sound designer
Richard C. Franklin	....	supervising sound editor
Robert L. Harman	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Kern	....	sound editor
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Susan Rogers	....	sound technician
Douglas J. Schulman	....	boom operator (as Doug Schulman)
Marshall Winn	....	sound editor
John Asman	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Stunts
Al Jones	....	stunt coordinator
Kathleen O'Haco	....	stunts
Ron Oliney	....	stunts
Brad Orrison	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
James F. Boyle	....	chief set electrician (as Jim Boyle)
Ted Churchill	....	panaglide operator
Tom Countryman	....	crane operator (as Thomas Countryman)
Peter Davidian	....	best boy
Craig Denault	....	camera operator
Michael Dugan	....	helicopter camera operator: second unit
Bill Fleming	....	best boy
Dennis A. Frank	....	electrician (as Frank Dennis)
Jack Lee Gary	....	assistant camera (as Jack Gary)
Bob Guthier	....	electrician
Dean Hassen	....	lighting technician
Dave Hetschiesch	....	lighting technician
Gerald Hoy	....	grip
John Huddleston	....	lighting technician
Daniel R. Jordan	....	key grip (as Danny Jordan)
Neal Karlen	....	grip (as Neal Dalen)
Craig Kinchel	....	grip
Edward R. Nedin	....	electrician
Bob Petersen	....	lighting technician
Jeffrey W. Petersen	....	electrician (as Jeffrey W. Peterson)
Matthew Quast	....	playback operator
Robert Reiff	....	still photographer
Joe Rice	....	grip
Matt Rice	....	electrician
Donald Schmitz	....	dolly grip
Christopher Squires	....	assistant camera
Steve van Osdale	....	grip
Judah Hannah	....	video assist operator (uncredited)
Jerry Pope	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Peter Golden	....	casting: New York
David Graham	....	casting: Los Angeles
Riki Wuolle	....	casting: Minneapolis

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sonja Berlovitz	....	costumer: men
Jimmell Mardome	....	costumer: men

Editorial Department
Sonny Baskin	....	additional film editor
Warren Chadwick	....	additional film editor
George Davis	....	post-production assistant
Anthony DiMarco	....	executive in charge of post-production
Aubrey Head	....	color timer
George Richardson	....	post-production assistant
Allan Schultz	....	additional film editor
Mitchell Sinoway	....	additional film editor
David Taylor	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Leroy Bennett	....	special lighting for musical numbers
Jim Harrison	....	supervising music editor

Other crew
John Aton	....	location auditor
William Campbell	....	production assistant
Maxine Davis	....	production coordinator
John Dolan	....	location projectionist
Billy Graff	....	production associate
'Hawkeye' Hendricksen	....	technical advisor
Kirk Hokanson	....	location manager
Charles Huntsberry	....	security officer (as 'Big Chick' Huntsberry)
Dawn Renee Jones	....	assistant: Mr. Magnoli
Alan Leeds	....	coordinator
Dona Lien	....	production secretary
Tammy Maples	....	jungle exotic
Kerry Lyn McKissick	....	script supervisor
Paul J. Memmi	....	translator
Bonnie Metzger	....	unit publicist
Fred Moultrie	....	production accountant (as Fred S. Moultrie)
Donald Peake	....	production accountant (as Donald L. Peake)
Craig Laurence Rice	....	production assistant
Geri Rosenberg	....	production secretary
Laila Schirrmeister	....	assistant: Anne McCulley
Barbara Sobocinski	....	production secretary
Timothy Jonathan Stark	....	production assistant (as Tim Stark)
Jennifer Walton	....	secretary to the producers
Jonathan Wolf	....	production accountant (as Jonathan D. Wolf)
Millicent A. Wood	....	jungle exotic

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Purple Films
• Water

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1984) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1985) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1985) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Bon Bon  payroll services
• Complex, The  music recorded at
• Glen Glenn Sound  re-recording facilities
• Hugues/Moss Casting  casting: New York
• Louis and Vaughn  clothes
• Moultrie Accountancy Corp.  production accounting
• Plaza 3  Minneapolis casting
• Ray Mercer & Company  titles and opticals
• Sunset Sound Studios  music recorded at
• Warner Bros. Records  soundtrack

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | Norway:15 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Eagan, Minnesota, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

James Foley was offered the job of director by Prince's management after seeing a rough cut of "Reckless". He said he was too busy and declined, but recommended his editor Albert Magnoli.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the Let's Go Crazy sequence, when Morris Day is examining himself in a mirror, he takes a step to the side, revealing a stage hand in a white cap in the mirror. He realises he's in the shot and takes a step to the side.

Quotes:

Matt Fink-The Revolution: God got Wendy's periods reversed. About every 28 days she starts acting nice. Lasts about a weekend.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Soundtrack:

Modernaire

That's not Lake Minnetonka...

Not terribly different from many of the 1930s-era "backstage musicals," Purple Rain sports a contrived plotline that sees Prince (in the film referred to only as The Kid) battling rival musician Morris Day for the affections of new-in-town beauty Apollonia and a shot at stardom through a secure spot on the bill at legendary Minneapolis club First Avenue. A secondary narrative thread concerns The Kid's violent home life and his attempts to protect his mother from his raging, abusive father. Anyone looking for nuance and subtlety won't find it in the acting or the direction, but Prince's stage presence is commanding, and the musical numbers are electrifying. The Academy Award winning song score (irrefutably one of the best rock albums of the 1980s) and Prince's enigmatic, magnetic personality are undoubtedly the chief components in Purple Rain's sturdy cult, but for viewers of the right age, the youthful angst, flip attitude, and bold sexuality of the film will prove to be irresistibly attractive.