Crossroads (1986)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Walter Hill

Writer:

John Fusco (written by)

Release Date:

14 March 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

'The Kid' keeps the legend alive....

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.

Plot Keywords:

Guitar | Mississippi | Song | Legend | Deal With The Devil

Awards:

1 win

Cast

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)

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

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• For Stars Catering  catering
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  opticals

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (partial) | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:15 | West Germany:12 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:11 | Sweden:11 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

After the guitar dual, Eugene plays "Big Bad Moon" by Joe Satriani. FALSE. The riff is similar to 'Big Bad Moon' but the Satriani piece wasn't written and recorded until 1989, the movie came out in 1986!

Goofs:

Continuity: When Willie catches Frances sneaking out of their hotel he has money in his hands. His hands are empty before he goes to his bag to get money to give to Frances.

Quotes:

Scratch's Assistant: Ain't got no chance Blind Dog. You SOLD your soul. You goin' down, all the way down. Hell hounds on your trail, boy, hell hounds on your trail.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Meat Loaf: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

HE MADE A WOMAN OUT OF ME

Why Is This Movie Forgotten?

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.