Head Office (1985)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Ken Finkleman

Writer:

Ken Finkleman (writer)

Release Date:

3 January 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

An Outrageous Comedy About Making It Big In Big Business

Plot:

Upon graduation from college with a business degree, John Issel is promptly hired by Helmes's company I.N.C...

Plot Keywords:

Senator | Heart Attack | Suicide | Big Business

Cast

Judge Reinhold	...	Jack Issel
Lori-Nan Engler	...	Rachael Helmes
Eddie Albert	...	Pete Helmes
Merritt Butrick	...	John Hudson
Ron Frazier	...	Bob Nixon
Richard Masur	...	Max Landsberger
Rick Moranis	...	Howard Gross
Don Novello	...	Sal
Michael O'Donoghue	...	Scott Dantley
Jane Seymour	...	Jane Caldwell
Wallace Shawn	...	Mike Hoover
Bruce Wagner	...	Al Kennedy
Danny DeVito	...	Frank Stedman
Ron James	...	Mark Rabinovich
John Kapelos	...	General Sepulveda
Brian Doyle-Murray	...	Colonel Tolliver (as Brian Doyle Murray)
George Coe	...	Senator Issel
Diane Robin	...	Gross' Secretary
Don King	...	Himself
Hrant Alianak	...	President Sanchez
Lee Broker	...	Mover
Howard Busgang	...	Medic
Tom Butler	...	Security Monitor
Jeremiah S. Chechik	...	Hysterical Man
Richard Comar	...	TV Reporter
Nancy Cser	...	Dantley's Secretary
Billy Curtis	...	Reverend Lynch
Dominic Cuzzocrea	...	Reporter #1
William B. Davis	...	University Dean (as William Davis)
Louis Di Bianco	...	Workman (as Louis De Bianco)
Carolyn Dunn	...	Yonge's Secretary (voice)
Denis Forest	...	Rich
Elizabeth Irwin	...	'America A.M.' host
Wally Kanin	...	Security Monitor #4
Marvin Karon	...	Art
Derek Keurvorst	...	Fundraiser
Kathleen Laskey	...	Miss Kline
Don McManus	...	Albert
Michael McManus	...	Branch Kipp (as Mike McManus)
Robin Menken	...	Marge
Maxine Miller	...	Stedman's Secretary
Myron Natwick	...	TV Anchorman
Laura Press	...	V.P. Secretary
Elizabeth Shepherd	...	Mrs. Issel
Ralph Small	...	Security Monitor
Barry Thomson	...	Security Guard
Shawn Thompson	...	Trevor Koback
Christopher Ward	...	Another Executive
Gay Claitman	...	Woman Protestor
Myra Fried	...	Woman Protestor
Megan Smith	...	Woman Protestor
Theresa Tova	...	Woman Protestor
Eric Keenleyside	...	Whale Protestor
Don Keppy	...	Whale Protestor
Tex Konig	...	Whale Protestor
Francine Volker	...	Whale Protestor
Devonne L. Green	...	Senate Investigation Reporter
Patricia Nember	...	Senate Investigation Reporter
Eric Young	...	Senate Investigation Reporter
Annie McAuley	...	Max's Girl
Catherine McClenahan	...	Max's Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anne Lockhart	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Scott Thompson	...	Man outside office building (uncredited)

Directed by
Ken Finkleman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ken Finkleman		writer

Produced by
Peter Guber	....	executive producer
Debra Hill	....	producer
Jon Peters	....	executive producer

Original Music by
James Newton Howard
Alan Howarth

Cinematography by
Gerald Hirschfeld

Film Editing by
Danford B. Greene
Robert Lederman		(as Bob Lederman)

Casting by
Deirdre Bowen
Judith Holstra
Marcia Ross

Production Design by
Elayne Barbara Ceder

Art Direction by
Gavin Mitchell

Set Decoration by
Anthony Greco
Daniel Loren May		(as Daniel May)

Costume Design by
Judith R. Gellman

Makeup Department
Ken Brooke	....	key makeup artist
Albert Paradis	....	hair stylist
Helen Stewart	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
James L. Honore	....	post-production supervisor
Marilyn Stonehouse	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patricia Rozema	....	trainee assistant director
Elizabeth Scherberger	....	second assistant director
Michael Zenon	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Camille Abbott	....	production illustrator
Carl Aldana	....	storyboard artist
Chris Biden	....	property master
Ken Clark	....	property assistant (as Kenneth Clarke)
Cloudia	....	supervising set decorator
John Fisher	....	property assistant
Bill Harman	....	construction supervisor
R. St. John Harrison	....	assistant art director
Robert James	....	assistant set decorator
Stephen Roloff	....	art design draftsman

Sound Department
Eric Boyd-Perkins	....	adr editor
Norval D. Crutcher	....	supervising sound editor
Bruce Fortune	....	sound editor
Gregory Gontz	....	assistant sound editor
Herb Heritage	....	boom operator
David M. Horton	....	sound editor
David L. Horton Jr.	....	apprentice sound editor
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Peter Shewchuk	....	sound mixer
Stephen Stalheim	....	assistant sound editor
Beth Sterner	....	foley editor

Special Effects by
Martin Malivoire	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Isa Alsup	....	computer animation (uncredited)

Stunts
Shane Cardwell	....	stunts
Jesse Cohoon	....	stunts
Marc Conway	....	stunts
Shelley Cook	....	stunt performer
Rebecca Jenkins	....	stunts
Terry McGauran	....	stunts
Dwayne McLean	....	stunt coordinator
Larry A. McLean	....	stunts
Brent Meyer	....	stunts
Leslie Munro	....	stunts
Tye Tyukodi	....	stunts
Steve Lucescu	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard J. Edesa	....	camera operator (as Richard Edesa)
Tony Eldridge	....	best boy
Ron Gillham	....	key grip (as Ronald P. Gillham)
Tony Guerin	....	apprentice assistant camera
Chris Holmes	....	gaffer
Gary B. Kibbe	....	camera operator
Jay Kohne	....	second assistant camera
Dan Lerner	....	panaglide operator
Ronald W. McLeish	....	gaffer
Larry Pall	....	director of photography: second unit
Thom Ryan	....	first assistant camera
David Whittaker	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Deirdre Bowen	....	additional casting
Peter Lavender	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gail Filman	....	assistant costume designer
Erla Lank	....	wardrober
Rose Mihalyi	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
Beau Barthel	....	second assistant film editor
James Garrett	....	apprentice assistant film editor
Ann Martin	....	first assistant film editor

Music Department
Peter Afterman	....	executive in charge of music
Mike Gromley	....	music supervisor
Seth Kaplan	....	music coordinator
Derek Power	....	music supervisor
Nicholas C. Washington	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Jim Kennedy	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Linda Callow	....	stand-in: Jane Seymour
Randi Chernov	....	assistant: Ms. Hill
Ted Churchill	....	paraglide operator
William Engel	....	production assistant
Joel Freeman	....	production executive
Aine Furey	....	location manager
Jeff King	....	assistant location manager
Jeffrey Latimer	....	production assistant
Blanche McDermaid	....	script supervisor
Jim Michaels	....	computer playback operator
Susan Montgomery	....	production auditor
Lillian Sarafinchan	....	assistant location manager
Matthew Wolchock	....	production assistant
Toby Zeldin	....	assistant: Mr. Finkleman
Deborah Zwicker	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Guber-Peters Company, The
• Home Box Office (HBO)
• Silver Screen Partners
• TriStar Pictures

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Congress Video Group
• Thorn EMI (video)

Special Effects

• Cinema Research (matte shots)

Other Companies

• Glen Glenn Sound  mixing facility
• Leading Edge Promotions Inc.  marketing arrangements
• Lion's Gate Sound  post-production facility
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals
• O.S.S.  music supervision
• Special Missions Group  weapons

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Guber-Peters Company, The

Quotes:

Jack Issel: Exactly what is our side of the Allenville story?
Max Landsberger: Were losing money hand over fist.
Jack Issel: That's not true.
Max Landsberger: No, but it's our side of the story. Lesson No.55: there are no truths, only stories.

Movie Connections:

References "Real People" (1979)

Soundtrack:

YOU'RE IN MY DREAMS

7/8ths Perfect

This movie, like many in the 1980's suffers from studio slandering. The movie is brilliantly funny for the first half. An original satire on the wall street world. The second half and climax suffers from weak plotting and a silly shoot-out. Like most eighties movies. I still don't understand why they thought every comedy ought to have had one. Definitely watch this movie though. You will laugh alot.