Top Secret! (1984)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Directors:

Jim Abrahams
David Zucker
(more)

Writers:

Jim Abrahams (writer) &
David Zucker (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 June 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Movie? What movie?

Plot:

Parody of WWII spy movies in which an American rock and roll singer becomes involved in a Resistance plot to rescue a scientist imprisoned in East Germany.

Plot Keywords:

Spy | East Germany | Elvis | Bar Fight | Plane

Cast

Val Kilmer	...	Nick Rivers
Lucy Gutteridge	...	Hillary Flammond
Peter Cushing	...	Bookstore Proprietor
Jeremy Kemp	...	General Streck
Christopher Villiers	...	Nigel 'The Torch', Resistance Leader
Warren Clarke	...	Colonel von Horst
Harry Ditson	...	Du Quois, Resistance Member
Jim Carter	...	Déjà Vu, Resistance Member
Eddie Tagoe	...	Chocolate Mousse, Resistance Member
Omar Sharif	...	Agent Cedric
Tristram Jellinek	...	Major Crumpler
Billy J. Mitchell	...	Martin, Nick's Manager
Major Wiley	...	Train Porter
Gertan Klauber	...	Mayor of Berlin
Richard Mayes	...	Comrade Biletnikov, Russian Tenor
Vyvyan Lorrayne	...	Madam Bergerone
Nancy Abrahams	...	Pregnant Woman
Ian McNeice	...	Blind Souvenir Vendor
John Sharp	...	Maitre D'
Michael Burlington	...	Waiter
Marcus Powell	...	Little German
Louise Yaffe	...	Cafe Diner
Charlotte Zucker	...	Cafe Diner
Susan Breslau	...	Cafe Diner
Helen Kahan	...	Cafe Diner
Burton Zucker	...	Chef
Richard Pescud	...	Priest at Fleurgendorf Prison
John J. Carney	...	Klaus, Prison Interrogator
Russell Sommers	...	Student
Michael Gough	...	Dr. Paul Flammond
O.T.	...	Bruno, Prison Interrogator
Sara Montague	...	Crying Girl at Nick's Concert
Gerry Paris	...	Back-Up Singer
David Adams	...	Back-Up Singer
Geoff Wayne	...	Back-Up Singer
Steve Ubels	...	German Soldier
Chas Bryer	...	German Soldier
Mac McDonald	...	German Soldier
Mandy Nunn	...	Young Hillary
Lee Sheward	...	Young Nigel
Janos Kurucz	...	Wagon Driver / Resistance Member
Sydney Arnold	...	Albert Potato, Resistance Member
Dimitri Andreas	...	Latrine, Resistance Member
Michelle Martin	...	Der Pizzahaus Girl
Nicola Wright	...	Der Pizzahaus Girl
Lisa Gruenberg	...	Der Pizzahaus Girl
Andrew Hawkins	...	British Pilot
Richard Bonehill	...	Scarecrow
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jim Abrahams	...	German Soldier in Prop Room (uncredited)
Jack Cooper	...	Sergeant Kruger (uncredited)
Harry Fielder	...	German guard (uncredited)
Derek Lyons	...	German Soldier (uncredited)
David Zucker	...	German Soldier in Prop Room (uncredited)
Jerry Zucker	...	German Soldier in Prop Room (uncredited)

Directed by
Jim Abrahams
David Zucker
Jerry Zucker

Writing credits
Jim Abrahams		(writer) &
David Zucker		(writer) &
Jerry Zucker		(writer) and
Martyn Burke		(writer)

Produced by
Jim Abrahams	....	executive producer
Jon Davison	....	producer
Tom Jacobson	....	associate producer
Hunt Lowry	....	producer
David Zucker	....	executive producer
Jerry Zucker	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis

Film Editing by
Françoise Bonnot
Bernard Gribble

Casting by
Susan Arnold
Lucy Boulting
Mary Selway

Production Design by
Michael Lamont
Peter Lamont

Art Direction by
John Fenner
Michael Lamont

Set Decoration by
Crispian Sallis

Costume Design by
Emma Porteus

Makeup Department
Joan Carpenter	....	supervising hairdresser
Kay Freeborn	....	makeup artist
Stuart Freeborn	....	makeup supervisor
Betty Glasow	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Donald Toms	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerry Daly	....	second assistant director
Gerry Gavigan	....	first assistant director: second unit
Mike Higgins	....	second assistant director
Mike Higgins	....	key second assistant director
Barry Langley	....	assistant director
Jack Lowin	....	second unit director
Joe Powell	....	second unit director
Trevor Puckle	....	third assistant director
Andrew Warren	....	assistant director: second unit

Art Department
David Allday	....	draughtsman
Michael Boone	....	draughtsman
Jille Brown	....	art department assistant (as Jillie Brown)
Roger W. Deer	....	sketch artist (as Roger Deer)
Dennis Griffin	....	production buyer
Mark Hedges	....	stand-by prop
Wally Hill	....	props chargehand
Carol Lay	....	sketch artist
Joe Monks	....	painter
Jim Morahan	....	assistant art director
Trevor Nicol	....	carpenter
Brian Payne	....	property master
Michael Redding	....	construction manager
Ernest Smith	....	scenic artist
Jacqueline Stears	....	scenic artist
Paul Taggart	....	plasterer

Sound Department
Derek Ball	....	sound recordist
Peter Best	....	sound editor: UK
David Campling	....	supervising sound editor
Ron Davis	....	sound editor: UK
Bob Gavin	....	sound editor: UK
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ken Nightingall	....	boom operator
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Nick Allder	....	special effects supervisor
Nick Dudman	....	animatronic technician
Joe Fitt	....	special effects technician
Verner Gresty	....	animatronic technician
John McGoldrick	....	special effects technician
Sue Oakes	....	animatronic technician
Terry Schubert	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Martin Body	....	rostrum cameraman

Stunts
Jack Cooper	....	stunts (as Jackie Cooper)
Clive Curtis	....	stunts
Martin Grace	....	stunts
Frank Henson	....	stunts
Eddie Kidd	....	stunts
Gareth Milne	....	stunts
Valentino Musetti	....	stunts (as Val Musetti)
Eddie Powell	....	stunts
Joe Powell	....	stunt arranger
Doug Robinson	....	stunts
Dickey Beer	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Claydon	....	focus puller: second unit
Freddie Cooper	....	camera operator
Allen Daviau	....	director of photography: additional photography
Joe Finn	....	gaffer
John Fletcher	....	clapper loader
W.C. 'Chunky' Huse	....	grip (as Chunky Huse)
Laurie Ridley	....	still photographer
Randall Robinson	....	first assistant camera: additional photography
Tony Strachan	....	focus puller

Animation Department
Sally Cruikshank	....	animation sequence
Jeff Goldner	....	animation sequence

Casting Department
Gretchen Rennell	....	casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tiny Nicholls	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Elizabeth Barnard	....	assistant editor: USA
Michael John Bateman	....	first assistant editor
Dina Eaton	....	assistant editor: UK

Music Department
Robert Hathaway	....	music editor: UK (as Bob Hathaway)
Maurice Jarre	....	conductor
Richard Stone	....	music editor: USA
Eric Tomlinson	....	score mixer
Kevin Townend	....	orchestrator: songs

Other crew
Sid Barnsby	....	production accountant
Joy Bayley	....	production assistant: UK
Marilyn Clarke	....	continuity: second unit
Pamela Davies	....	continuity
Brian Doyle	....	publicist
Norma Garment	....	production assistant: UK
Gillian Gregory	....	choreographer
Allan James	....	location manager
Derek Lyons	....	double: Val Kilmer
Betty Moos	....	assistant to producer
Christopher Palmer	....	assistant: Maurice Jarre
Vic Smith	....	location manager
Tony Wathen	....	diving master

Thanks
Howard Kaylan	....	special thanks
Mark Volman	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Kingsmere Properties
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1985) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (Greece) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (Spain) (2002) (Spain) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1995) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The  orchestra
• Twickenham Film Studios  sound re-recording

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | German | Yiddish

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-12 | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:15 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Godrevy, St Ives, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

Kingsmere Properties

Trivia:

The surfing sequences were filmed at Holywell Bay, Cornwall, UK (a few miles down the coast from Newquay, a popular surfing town). The palm trees were fake, and the surf shack was in fact the actual lifeguard's hut (which is still there). The beach is recognizable by the two large rock formations located at the left of the beach, approx 100 meters out to sea.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Hillary is riding the motorcycle to get Nick at the lake(long shot as she is driving down the road), you can see the helmet strap going down the side of her chin to hold on the messed up "hair".

Quotes:

Blindman: Souvenirs, novelties, party tricks. Souvenirs, novelties, party tricks.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Prisoner: (#1.526)" (1985)

Soundtrack:

ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?

Batman meets Alfred!

In his first leading role, Val Kilmer plays Nick Rivers, an Elvis like pop star sent to Germany on a good will tour as a fill in for Leonard Bernstein. Once there he gets caught up in all sorts of misadventures that lead to him being a part of the French under ground resistance. Lucy Gutteridge is his German lover.

An often overlooked - maybe even misunderstood - film from the Zucker/Abrams/Zucker team (who gave us "Airplane!") the film takes pot shots at "The Man Who Knew Too Much", pintos, rock 'n roll, Nazis, and other various spy movies with more gags than you can shake a stick at. A hilarious romp of madness.

Val himself is pretty funny here, managing to both wink and not wink at the camera as he is placed in a number of absurd situations. Also interesting of note is that this one features Michael Gough, who would later play Alfred in the Batman series, and Val himself would later play Batman.