Gung Ho (1986)

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

Edwin Blum (story)
Lowell Ganz (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

14 March 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

When East meets West, the laughs shift into high gear!

Plot:

When a Japanese car company buys an American plant, the American liason must mediate the clash of work attitudes between the foreign management and native labor.

Plot Keywords:

Japanese | Friendship | Fight The System | Fiat | Culture Clash

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Michael Keaton	...	Hunt Stevenson
Gedde Watanabe	...	Oishi Kazihiro
George Wendt	...	Buster
Mimi Rogers	...	Audrey
John Turturro	...	Willie
Sô Yamamura	...	Mr. Sakamoto (as Soh Yamamura)
Sab Shimono	...	Saito
Rick Overton	...	Googie
Clint Howard	...	Paul
Jihmi Kennedy	...	Junior
Michelle Johnson	...	Heather DiStefano
Rodney Kageyama	...	Ito
Rance Howard	...	Mayor Conrad Zwart
Patti Yasutake	...	Umeki Kazihiro (as Patti Yasuiake)
Jerry Tondo	...	Kazuo
Dennis Sakamoto	...	Matsumura
Stan Egi	...	Kenji (as Stanford Egi)
Martin Ferrero	...	Crandall
James Ritz	...	Tony
Dock P. Ellis Jr.	...	Luke
Richard M. McNally	...	Milt
Jean Speegle Howard	...	Lady in Market (as Jean Speegle)
Thomas Ikeda	...	Instructor #1
Noboru Kataoka	...	Management Trainee
Mariye Inouye	...	Secretary
Juhachiro Takada	...	Instructor #2
Linda Carola	...	Cashier
Jun Lyle Kamesaki	...	Kazihiro's Son
Tamie Saiki	...	Kazihiro's Daughter
Charlie Samaha	...	Store Owner
Nann Mogg	...	Store Owner's Wife
Paul C. Nolan	...	Dr. Klotzer
R. Scott Peck	...	Union Member
Joseph Pilato	...	Union Member
William S. Bartman	...	Union Member
Tommy Lafitte	...	Union Member
James Cash	...	Mayor's Aide
Kim Chan	...	Member of Board
Bill Dalzell	...	Irwin
Tak Kubota	...	Failed Executive
Frank Seals Jr.	...	Umpire (as Frank Seals)
Maria Barney	...	Softball Fan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John W. Iwanonkiw	...	Car builder (uncredited)
Lynette Jenkins	...	Luke's Wife (uncredited)
Daniel Krell	...	Auto Worker (uncredited)
Fred Lehman	...	Auto Worker (uncredited)
Wil Masisak	...	Worker with Chips (uncredited)
Joe Shelby	...	Union Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Ron Howard

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edwin Blum		story
Lowell Ganz		screenplay
Lowell Ganz		story
Babaloo Mandel		screenplay
Babaloo Mandel		story

Produced by
Deborah Blum	....	producer
Lowell Ganz	....	associate producer
Tony Ganz	....	producer
Ron Howard	....	executive producer
Jan R. Lloyd	....	associate producer
Babaloo Mandel	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Thomas Newman

Cinematography by
Donald Peterman		(as Don Peterman)

Film Editing by
Daniel P. Hanley		(as Daniel Hanley)
Mike Hill		(as Michael Hill)

Casting by
Karen Rea

Production Design by
James L. Schoppe		(as James Schoppe)

Art Direction by
Jack G. Taylor Jr.

Set Decoration by
John H. Anderson		(as John Anderson)

Costume Design by
Betsy Cox

Makeup Department
Janis Clark	....	hair stylist
Janet Flora	....	makeup artist
Ric Sagliani	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Neil A. Machlis	....	production manager
Luis A. Sartor	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Ganz	....	second unit director
Janet G. Knutsen	....	second assistant director
Jan R. Lloyd	....	first assistant director
Aldric La'Auli Porter	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Nigel A. Boucher	....	lead man
Guy Bushman	....	assistant property master
Steven M. Levine	....	property master
Charles R. Lipscomb	....	lead man
Wil Masisak	....	set designer: neon lighting
James F. Orendorff	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Clint Althouse	....	boom operator
Michael J. Cerone	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard S. Church	....	sound mixer
Anthony J. Ciccolini III	....	supervising sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Harriet Fidlow	....	sound editor
Robert Hein	....	sound editor
Michael Jacobi	....	adr editor
Dennie C. Modes	....	cable person
Jeffrey Stern	....	sound editor
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Stan Parks	....	special effects

Stunts
Allan Graf	....	stunts
Ted Grossman	....	stunts
Brian Imada	....	stunts
Jeff Imada	....	stunts
Mike H. McGaughy	....	stunts (as Mike McGaughy)
Kenny Searle	....	stunts (as Kenneth Searle)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dana Altomare	....	second assistant camera: New York
Adger W. Cowans	....	still photographer
Glenn David	....	best boy grip
Richard Dow	....	dolly grip
Peter Eco	....	director of photography: New York
Mel Kekuewa	....	electrician
Gábor Kövér	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Norman Lang	....	electrician
Jeffrey Laszlo	....	camera operator: New York
Wright K. Manning	....	gaffer
Nick McLean	....	director of photography: second unit
Keith Peterman	....	camera operator
Scott Rathner	....	second assistant camera: New York
Calmar Roberts	....	first assistant camera (as Calmar King Roberts Jr.)
Waverly Smothers	....	best boy grip
Calvin Sterry	....	key grip
Ken M. Suzuki	....	best boy electric

Casting Department
William H. Bartman	....	extras casting coordinator
Glenn F. Haines	....	casting assistant
Clayton Hill	....	extras casting: Pittsburgh
Sharon Hill	....	extras casting: Pittsburgh

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Thomas C. Dickason	....	costumer: men
Daniel J. Lester	....	costume supervisor: men
Marisa Urruti	....	Argentine costumes

Editorial Department
Guy Barresi	....	assistant film editor
Terry Haggar	....	color timer
Mary McGlone	....	assistant film editor
Roger Tweten	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Peter Afterman	....	music supervisor
Tony Bongiovi	....	special music consultant
Kenneth Karman	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Joel Marrow	....	transportation coordinator
Stewart Satterfield	....	transportation captain
Kenny Searle	....	transportation captain (as Kenneth V. Searle)

Other crew
LeAnne Baker	....	production assistant
Pater Beshar	....	production assistant
Bruce Carter	....	production assistant
Peggy Coleman	....	production assistant
Carline Davis-Dyer	....	script supervisor
Brad Dechter	....	source arrangements
Lillian O. MacNeill	....	script supervisor (as Lillian MacNeil)
Louisa Marie	....	assistant: Mr. Howard
Michael John Meehan	....	location manager (as Michael Meehan)
Eric Myers	....	unit publicist
Brad Peterman	....	production assistant
Evangelina Rivera	....	production assistant
Gary Rocklen	....	title designer
Nicolas Sarudiansky	....	production assistant
Nina Saxon	....	title designer
Margie Walker	....	production assistant
Gayle Wurthner	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1989) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (Spain) (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1987) (Spain) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• White Gloves  negative cutting

Also Known As:

Working Class Man

Runtime:

112 min | USA:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | New Zealand:PG | Finland:S | Norway:11 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The park scene was filmed in Beaver, Pennsylvania. The film crew built the gazebo especially for the film, and left it as a gift to the city, where it remains today.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Hunt is talking to the workers at a union rally, he strikes up memories of the "high school state title basketball game in Pittsburgh". Pennsylvania's state title in basketball is always played in Hershey.

Quotes:

Kazihiro: [to Sakamoto] We could use another man on wipers.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cars (2006)

Soundtrack:

WORKING CLASS MAN

terrific, underrated movie

This is a wonderful movie with a fun, clever story and the dynamics of culture differences and the running theme of what's important in life make this a very under-appreciated movie. Don't let the cynics of the world deter you from seeing this. Keaton has wonderful moments and I wonder at the fact that comedy is never appreciated, because actors like Keaton make going from humor to serious bits look tremendously easy. Great movie all around!