Fletch (1985)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writers:

Gregory McDonald (novel)
Andrew Bergman (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 May 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery

Tagline:

Meet the only guy who changes his identity more often than his underwear.

Plot:

Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, Los Angeles journalist, really lives for his profession. As Jane Doe, he publishes...

Plot Keywords:

Fletch | Drugs | Beach | Disguise | Reporter

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Chevy Chase	...	Irwin 'Fletch' Fletcher
Joe Don Baker	...	Chief Jerry Karlin
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson	...	Gail Stanwyk
Richard Libertini	...	Frank Walker
Tim Matheson	...	Alan Stanwyk
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Dr. Joseph Dolan
George Wendt	...	Fat Sam
Kenneth Mars	...	Stanton Boyd
Geena Davis	...	Larry
Bill Henderson	...	Speaker
William Traylor	...	Ted Underhill
George Wyner	...	Marvin Gillet
Tony Longo	...	Detective #1
Larry Flash Jenkins	...	Gummy
Ralph Seymour	...	Creasy
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	...	Himself
James Avery	...	Detective #2
Reid Cruickshanks	...	Sergeant
Bruce French	...	Dr. Holmes
Burton Gilliam	...	Bud
David W. Harper	...	Teenager (as David Harper)
Chick Hearn	...	Himself
Alison La Placa	...	Pan Am Clerk (as Alison Laplaca)
Joe Praml	...	Watchman
William Sanderson	...	Jim Swarthout
Penny Santon	...	Velma Stanwyk
Robert Sorrells	...	Marvin Stanwyk
Beau Starr	...	Willy
Nico De Silva	...	Waiter
Peggy Doyle	...	Identification Nurse
Rick Garcia	...	Waiter
Grace Gaynor	...	Mrs. Underhill
Freeman King	...	Cop #1
Loraine Shields	...	Records Nurse
Bill Sorrells	...	Surfer Cop
Arnold F. Turner	...	Reporter #2 (as Arnold Turner)
Roger Ammann	...	Cop #3
Mary Battilana	...	Madeline Turner
Henry 'Hank' Bleeker	...	Surfer Cop #2
Donald Chaffin	...	Banquet Guest
Darren Dublin	...	Reporter
Kristine M. Gossman	...	Secretary
Irene Olga López	...	Maid
Merv Maruyama	...	Chinese Busboy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Terrence Evans	...	Man with Shotgun (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Ritchie

Writing credits
Gregory McDonald		(novel)
Andrew Bergman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Peter Douglas	....	producer
Alan Greisman	....	producer
Gordon A. Webb	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Harold Faltermeyer

Cinematography by
Fred Schuler

Film Editing by
Richard A. Harris

Casting by
Patricia Mock

Production Design by
Boris Leven

Art Direction by
Todd Hallowell

Set Decoration by
Marvin March

Costume Design by
Gloria Gresham

Makeup Department
Ken Chase	....	makeup artist
Bunny Parker	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Gordon A. Webb	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wolfgang Glattes	....	first assistant director
Warren Gray	....	second assistant director: second unit
Peter Norman	....	second unit director
Larry Rapaport	....	second assistant director
Chuck Sanford	....	first assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Michael Dale	....	property assistant
Leonard Early	....	construction foreman
Louis M. Mann	....	set designer (as Louis Mann)
Paul Myerberg	....	lead man
Pat O'Connor	....	property master
Richard Reseigne	....	construction coordinator (as Dick Reseigne)

Sound Department
Greg Agalsoff	....	boom operator
James R. Alexander	....	sound mixer (as Jim Alexander)
David Franklin Bergad	....	apprentice sound editor
Karen Brocco	....	assistant sound editor
Vivien Hillgrove Gilliam	....	adr editor
Vivien Hillgrove Gilliam	....	dialogue editor
Ronald Jacobs	....	supervising sound editor
Michael Magill	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Miller	....	sound recordist
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Richard R. Portman)
Robert Shoup	....	sound editor
Karen Spangenberg	....	sound editor
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Cliff Wenger	....	special effects
Eric Roberts	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Vince Deadrick Jr.	....	stunts (as Vince Paul Deadrick Jr.)
Richard L. Duran	....	stunts (as Richard Duran)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts
Richard Epper	....	stunts
Joe Finnegan	....	stunts
George Fisher	....	stunts
Tim Gilbert	....	stunts
Dean Jeffries	....	stunt coordinator
Neal Kaz	....	stunts
Gene LeBell	....	stunts
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (as William Carey Loftin)
Ray Marek	....	stunts
John P. McGroarty	....	stunts
Rick Overton	....	stunts
John S. Platt	....	stunts (as John Platt)
J.N. Roberts	....	stunts
Walter Robles	....	stunts
Fred Scheiwiller	....	stunts
Bob Terhune	....	stunts
Dick Warlock	....	stunts
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (as George Wilbur)
Lance Warlock	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Barlia	....	camera operator
Clyde E. Bryan	....	assistant camera (as Clyde Bryan)
Stephen Clark	....	grip
Earl Gilbert	....	chief lighting technician
Jeff Goldenberg	....	assistant camera
Rhio Haessig	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Jud Kehl	....	assistant camera (as Judd Kehl)
William Kenney	....	grip (as Bill Kenney)
Gary B. Kibbe	....	director of photography: second unit (as Gary Kibbe)
Henry M. Lebo	....	camera operator (as Hank Lebo)
Mike Mandel	....	grip
Gaylin P. Schultz	....	key grip (as Gaylin Schultz)
Raymond Stella	....	camera operator (as Ray Stella)
Randy Tepper	....	still photographer
Arvel Youngblood	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Kenneth D. Zunder	....	assistant camera (as Ken Zunder)

Casting Department
Carol Lefko	....	casting assistant
Carlos Tappin	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
James W. Tyson	....	assistant costume designer (as Jim Tyson)
James W. Tyson	....	costumer: men (as Jim Tyson)

Editorial Department
Pamela Easley	....	apprentice film editor
Jack Garsha	....	color timer
Toni Morgan	....	assistant film editor
Wally Weber	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Jeff Carson	....	music editor
Greg Fulginiti	....	music engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ken Lubin	....	transportation captain
Craig Pinkard	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Joe Bernard	....	craft service
Jonathan Burrows	....	produced by special arrangement with
Cheryl Burton	....	assistant: Mr. Greisman
Paul A. Calabria	....	animal trainer (as Paul Calabria)
Pamela Cederquist	....	production assistant
Karin Dew	....	animal trainer
Mark Fitzgerald	....	production assistant
Chip Fowler	....	production coordinator
Wolfgang Glattes	....	production consultant
Roz Glazer	....	assistant: Mr. Douglas
Phyllis Gardner Hirsen	....	unit publicist
Ray Whitehead Kuhn	....	assistant: Mr. Ritchie
James Maull	....	auditor (as Jim Maull)
George McDowell Agnew	....	intern (as George McDowell)
Ira S. Rosenstein	....	location manager (as Ira Rosenstein)
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Daniel Cameron	....	security officer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• Vincent Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1988) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (2002) (Spain) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD) (HD-DVD)

Special Effects

• Universal Title

Other Companies

• MCA Records  soundtrack album
• Renato Aragão Produções Cinematográficas  brazilian administrative producer
• Universal Title  titles

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Australia:M (Cable TV rating) | Netherlands:6 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:11 | Norway:12 (1985) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Irwin Fletcher's daydream of playing in the NBA was based partly on another "Earvin"; former L.A. Laker Magic Johnson. In the movie's promotional poster, Fletch's team ID card bears the name "Magic Christian" (a reference to The Magic Christian (1969), a 1969 Peter Sellers movie based on a Terry Southern novel).

Goofs:

Continuity: Fletch looks at a picture of Sally Ann Cavanaugh as the mother turns the pages in the photo album. We see Fletch holding the picture and the album's pages aren't being flipped.

Quotes:

[to Gail Stanwyck, who answers the door wearing a towel]
Fletch: Can I borrow your towel? My car just hit a water buffalo.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: The Best of David Spade (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Letter To Both Sides

Wisecrack mystery yarn

Chevy Chase plays investigative reporter Irwin M. Fletcher, nicknamed Fletch, who's disguising himself as a junkie on the beach to uncover a smuggling ring. He gets spotted by Tim Matheson, a real estate millionaire, who asks Fletch to kill him so his wife can receive the inherit. Fletch goes snooping around and finds out that his smuggling ring investigation might somehow be tied to the millionaire.

With a different leading man this film could very well have been a full blown thriller. Imagine John Frankenheimer directing and Robert De Niro starring. But, in dealing with what's at hand, Fletch is a good comedy where Chase can showcase his range of disguises and delivery of good one-liners. Chase absolutely smothers the film with wisecracks and the overall very well constructed mystery is nearly overlooked. With repeated viewings I've actually come to appreciate the film more for it's genuinely gripping detective story elements, it really does boast a solid mystery that unfolds well.

There's one thing for sure here; you have to be a fan of Chevy Chase for this film to work for you. Since I'm a fan the film is in high regard. Chase's wisecracks aren't all brilliant but they're mostly very good and here he's at the top of his game.

Fletch and Clark Griswold are the two characters Chevy Chase will most be remembered for.