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Crossroads
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Crossroads (1986) More at IMDbPro »


IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   4,466 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
John Fusco (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Crossroads on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 March 1986 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
'The Kid' keeps the legend alive.... more
Plot:
Ralph Macchio is Lightning Boy. A kid who can make a slide guitar sing. Blind Dog is an old pro who knows it. Together, they're headed to a place where deals are made. And legends are born. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
User Comments:
Why Is This Movie Forgotten? more (69 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Ralph Macchio ... Eugene Martone
Joe Seneca ... Willie Brown

Jami Gertz ... Frances
Joe Morton ... Scratch's Assistant
Robert Judd ... Scratch

Steve Vai ... Jack Butler
Dennis Lipscomb ... Lloyd
Harry Carey Jr. ... Bartender
John Hancock ... Sheriff Tilford
Allan Arbus ... Dr. Santis
Gretchen Palmer ... Beautiful Girl / Dancer
Al Fann ... Pawnbroker
Wally Taylor ... O.Z

Tim Russ ... Robert Johnson
Tex Donaldson ... John McGraw
Guy Killum ... Willie at 17
Akosua Busia ... Woman at Boardinghouse
Edward Walsh ... Harley Tethune
Allan Graf ... Alvin
Royce Wallace ... Hotel Proprietress
J.W. Smith ... Man at Auto Wrecking Yard

Diana Bellamy ... Hospital Supervisor
Johnny M. Reyes ... Orderly

Karen Huie ... Nurse #1
Robin Townsend ... Nurse #2
Jeanne Kiely ... Nurse #3
Winifred Freedman ... Nurse #4
Dolores Aguanno ... Nurse #5
Debra Laws ... Nurse #6

Diane Robin ... Nurse #7
Leslie Morris ... Bus Station Clerk
Gloria Delaney ... Jookhouse Woman #1

JoMarie Payton ... Jookhouse Woman #2 (as Jo Marie Payton-France)
Angela Robinson ... Jookhouse Woman #3
Deborra Hampton ... Jookhouse Woman #4
Le Van Hawkins ... Jookhouse Man #1
Jason Ross ... Jookhouse Man #2
Natasha Peacock ... Young Girl at Crossroads
Agnes Narciso ... Miss Narciso
Frank Frost ... Jookhouse Musician (Harmonica / Vocalist)
John Price ... Jookhouse Musician (Drums)
Otis Taylor ... Jookhouse Musician (Lead Guitar)
Richard 'Shubby' Holmes ... Jookhouse Musician (Bass Guitar)
Terry L. Evans ... Jookhouse Musician (Keyboard)
Bobby A. King ... Guitar Duel Sequence Singer #1
Sam King ... Guitar Duel Sequence Singer #2
Arnold McCuller ... Guitar Duel Sequence Singer #3
Willie J. Greene Jr. ... Guitar Duel Sequence Singer #4
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Marina Anderson ... Barfly (uncredited)

John Otrin ... Paramedic (uncredited)
Cal Wilson ... Jookhouse Man #3 (uncredited)
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Directed by
Walter Hill 
 
Writing credits
John Fusco (written by)

Produced by
Mark Carliner .... producer
Mae Woods .... associate producer
Tim Zinnemann .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
Ry Cooder 
 
Cinematography by
John Bailey 
 
Film Editing by
Freeman A. Davies  (as Freeman Davies)
 
Casting by
Judith Holstra 
Marcia Ross 
 
Production Design by
Jack T. Collis 
 
Art Direction by
Albert Heschong 
 
Set Decoration by
Marvin March 
 
Makeup Department
Michael Germain .... makeup artist
Dagmar Loesch .... hair stylist
 
Production Management
Raymond Hartwick .... unit production manager (as Ray Hartwick)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chris Soldo .... first assistant director
Barry K. Thomas .... dga trainee
Robert Yannetti .... second assistant director (as Bob Yannetti)
 
Art Department
Sam Brinson .... labor foreman
Robert L. Clark .... paint foreman (as Robert Clark)
Dennis DeWaay .... construction coordinator (as Dennis DeWay)
Steven E. Fegley .... construction foreman
Paul Myerberg .... lead man
Terry Nagel .... construction foreman
Nancy Patton .... set designer
Lawrence Ross Shepard .... construction gang boss (as Larry Shephard)
James E. Tocci .... set designer
Rick Young .... property master
Edward Zingelewicz .... stand-by painter (as Edward Louis Zingelewicz)
 
Sound Department
Andy Aaron .... sound effects recordist
Randle Akerson .... sound editor
James Cavarretta .... sound recordist
Anna R. Delanzo .... cable person
John P. Fasal .... special sound effects
Carl Fischer .... boom operator
Richard Bryce Goodman .... production sound mixer
Maggie Greenwood .... assistant sound editor
Mike Haney .... sound recordist
Rick Kline .... sound re-recording mixer
Bonnie Koehler .... supervising sound editor
Janet Fiona Mason .... assistant sound editor (as Janet Mason)
Donald O. Mitchell .... sound re-recording mixer
Kevin O'Connell .... sound re-recording mixer
Beth Sterner .... sound editor
David E. Stone .... sound editor
Gary Wright .... foley editor
Avram D. Gold .... adr editor (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh .... special effects coordinator (as Larry Cavanaugh)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Barlia .... camera operator (as Louis Barlia)
Frederick Hamm .... second assistant camera
Dustin A. Huber .... best boy electric
Al LaVerde .... key grip
Ronald W. McLeish .... chief lighting technician
Richard A. Mention III .... first assistant camera
Ron Phillips .... still photographer
John Powers .... grip
George R. Schrader .... dolly grip
Ty Suehiro .... best boy grip
Gary A. Theard .... playback operator
Stephen Vaughan .... still photographer
Edmond Wright .... grip
Michael Hofstein .... additional camera operator (uncredited)
Richard Walden .... additional camera operator (uncredited)
 
Casting Department
Barbara Harris .... voice casting
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dan Moore .... costumer: men
Barbara Siebert .... costumer: women (as Barbara Siebert-Bolticoff)
 
Editorial Department
Donah Bassett .... negative cutter
Carmel Davies .... assistant film editor
Robert Hernandez .... assistant film editor
Robert Raring .... color timer
Yôko Seto .... assistant film editor
 
Music Department
Martin J. Bram .... music editor
Scott Grusin .... music editor
Mark Ettel .... score engineer (uncredited)
Bill Kanengiser .... musician: guitar double (uncredited)
Arlen Roth .... musician: guitar (uncredited)
 
Transportation Department
Dan Anglin .... transportation coordinator
Ron Riner .... transportation captain
Billy G. Arter .... transportation coordinator (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Sheila Barnes .... production associate
Hilary Clark .... unit publicist
Jan Kemper .... script supervisor
Shari Leibowitz .... production office coordinator
Mary Meacham .... title designer
Marie Pastor .... production associate
Ken Ryan .... production auditor
Eric Schwab .... location manager
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Runtime:
99 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Black and White (partial) | Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Though the blues guitar sounds aren't truly coming from Ralph Macchio's fingers, the actor is actually playing note for note the music of Steve Vai and Ry Cooder. His fingering, slides and bends are precise until the "main" solo, which incorporates Paganini's 5th Caprice, in which it is obvious he is not fingering the correct location on the guitar, as well with the patterns, this can be seen since he uses mainly the same pattern (scale on the top frets, then another one in the bottom frets) and all the scale portion of it, the scales are shifting and changing sound, but his patterns remain the same. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the kid is dueling with Steve Vai, you can clearly see in the background the audience applauding his guitar skills, and yet the only sound to be heard is coming from the guitars. more
Quotes:
Frances: Blind Dog and Lightning Boy? Who the hell are you guys supposed to be?
Eugene Martone: We're bluesmen...
Willie Brown: *I'm* the bluesman, he's from Long Island!
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
MAINTENANCE MAN more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
41 out of 44 people found the following comment useful.
Why Is This Movie Forgotten?, 18 December 2003
8/10
Author: carflo from Texas

This is a really, really good movie and I don't understand why no one ever mentions it or why it is never on cable.

It has everything that I love in a movie: good story, great characters well acted, fine comedy and powerful touching drama. Ralph Macchio is a brilliant young guitar student, Eugene Martone, at Julliard (or some other equally good music school) who does not want to play Mozart. He wants to play guitar like his idol, a long dead blues guitar legend. In search of his dreams, he breaks an elderly black blues player out of a prison nursing home.

The two of them go on an odyssey to the Mississippi Delta in quest of memories and dreams. As in any odyssey, they meet a variety of fascinating and/or dangerous characters along the way. Eugene must also overcome the obstacles and tests that all those who quest must face - until it is time to face the ultimate test against the greatest blues guitarist in the Delta.

I enjoy music, but my knowledge is superficial. I probably wouldn't know a good guitar riff from a raft, but even I could recognize awesome guitar work in the final sequence of Crossroads.

So, if you like good movies and good acting and great guitar music, please check out Crossroads. If enough of us spread the word, it may no longer be a forgotten classic.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (69 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Crossroads (1986)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Did i dream this....(Question about the trailer) IceCoolPsycho
'guitar movies' mihael-simonka
Ralphs age? funnyguy22
DVD nicholasmcnaughton
Full Movie Available on Youtube. timeless_aquarius
The REAL Crossroads racer12_99
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