Fletch Lives (1989)

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writers (WGA):

Gregory McDonald (character)
Leon Capetanos (written by)

Release Date:

17 March 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery | Crime

Tagline:

When there's more trouble than one man can handle...there's more than one man for the job.

Plot:

Fletch is a reporter for a Los Angeles newspaper, but he acts more like a detective. When an obscure...

Plot Keywords:

Fletch | Louisiana | Mansion | Prison | Toxic Waste

Cast

Chevy Chase	...	Irwin 'Fletch' Fletcher
Hal Holbrook	...	Hamilton "Ham" Johnson
Julianne Phillips	...	Becky Culpepper
R. Lee Ermey	...	Jimmy Lee Farnsworth
Richard Libertini	...	Frank Walker
Randall 'Tex' Cobb	...	Ben Dover (as Randall 'Tex' Cobb)
Cleavon Little	...	Calculus Entropy
George Wyner	...	Marvin Gillet
Patricia Kalember	...	Amanda Ray Ross
Geoffrey Lewis	...	KKK Leader
Richard Belzer	...	Phil
Phil Hartman	...	Bly Manager
Titos Vandis	...	Uncle Kakakis
Don Hood	...	Tom Barbour
Dennis Burkley	...	Joe Jack
Noelle Beck	...	Betty Dilworth
William Traylor	...	Mr. Underhill
Barney D. Arceneaux	...	Party Guest
Roy Babich	...	Klansman
Mary Battilana	...	Bly Assistant
Don Brockett	...	Sheriff
Walter Charles	...	Tony
Robert Dawson	...	Tour Guide (as Robert M. Dawson)
Darren Dublin	...	Ancient Copy Boy
R. Bruce Elliott	...	Info Technician
Patrick Farrelly	...	O'Reilly
Grace Gaynor	...	Mrs. Underhill
Richmond Harrison	...	T'boo Ted Marshall
Catherine Hearne	...	Lyda Perl Shindley
Charlie Holliday	...	Security Guard
Christian Kauffmann	...	Bruce
Matthew Kimbrough	...	Bly Guard
Johnny Kline	...	Usher
Clarence M. Landry	...	Damon Feather
Marcella Lowery	...	Selma
Jordan Lund	...	Deputy Sheriff
Tom McCleister	...	Klansman #2 (as Thom McCleister)
Patricia G. McConnell	...	Deputy's Wife
Dick McGarvin	...	Announcer
Keith Mills	...	Church Elder (as Keith R. Mills)
Michael P. Moran	...	Morgue Attendant
Louis M. Rapaport	...	Walter Bob Buggem
Constance Shulman	...	Cindy Mae
Robert Silver	...	Kakakis Brother
Ebbe Roe Smith	...	Jim Bob
R. David Smith	...	Gordon Joe James
John Wylie	...	Accountant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John D. Bair	...	Congregation (uncredited)
Dustin Schuetter	...	Congregation member (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Ritchie

Writing credits (WGA)
Gregory McDonald		(character)
Leon Capetanos		(written by)

Produced by
Bruce Bodner	....	executive producer
Peter Douglas	....	producer
Alan Greisman	....	producer
Richard A. Harris	....	associate producer
Robert E. Larson	....	executive producer (as Bob Larson)

Original Music by
Harold Faltermeyer

Cinematography by
John McPherson

Film Editing by
Richard A. Harris

Casting by
Patricia Mock

Art Direction by
Cameron Birnie
Jimmie Bly
W. Steven Graham
Donald B. Woodruff

Set Decoration by
Susan Bode
Gary Fettis
Justin Scoppa Jr.

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Tom Miller	....	makeup artist
Michael Mills	....	makeup artist
Kaye Pownall	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Robert E. Larson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Merwin	....	second second assistant director
Peter Norman	....	second unit director
James Sbardellati	....	first assistant director
Stephen Southard	....	second assistant director
Carla Zackson	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Glenn Forbes	....	assistant property master
Rainer G. Gruetzmacher	....	construction coordinator
Stephen Hendrickson	....	visual consultant
Richard M. Kristy	....	lead man
Patrick McGuire	....	set dresser
Billy Puzo	....	scenic artist
Manny Sanchez	....	carpenter
Steven Westlund	....	property master
Thomas Wright	....	property master (as Tom Wright)
Jason Weil	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Greg Agalsoff	....	boom operator (as Gregory A. Agalsoff)
John Agalsoff Jr.	....	cable person (as John Agalsoff)
James R. Alexander	....	sound (as Jim Alexander)
Tom Bellfort	....	sound effects editor
Michael C. Casper	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joel Fein	....	sound mixer
Daniel J. Leahy	....	sound mixer (as Daniel Leahy)
Robert Shoup	....	sound effects editor
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist
Marshall Winn	....	sound editor
Dennis C. Salcedo	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gintar Repecka	....	special effects
Eric Roberts	....	special effects
Cliff Wenger	....	special effects coordinator (as Clifford P. Wenger)

Visual Effects by
Michael Backauskas	....	visual effects optical line-up
Wayne Baker	....	visual effects: Boss Films
Neil Krepela	....	visual effects supervisor
Michele Moen	....	matte painter
Howard Stein	....	visual effects editor

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunts
Richard Epper	....	stunt double
Diamond Farnsworth	....	stunts
Larry Holt	....	stunts
Paul M. Lane	....	motorcycle stunts
John S. Platt	....	stunts
John Robotham	....	stunts
Chuck Waters	....	stunt coordinator
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hugh Aodh O'Brien	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cris Thomas-Palomino	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Audie Aragon	....	best boy grip
Philip Caplan	....	camera operator
Henry Charleston	....	electrician
Stephen Clark	....	grip
Walt Fraser	....	second assistant camera (as Walter B. Fraser)
Steven W. Gage	....	dolly grip (as Steve Gage)
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Steve Gilbert	....	dolly grip
Steve Gilbert	....	electrician
Patrick James Grosswendt	....	electrician (as Pat Grosswendt)
Rick F. Gunter	....	director of photography: second unit
Rhio Haessig	....	best boy
Ronald E. High	....	first assistant camera (as Ron High)
Michael J. Jacobs	....	special unit photographer
Norman G. Langley	....	camera operator
Jim Marquette	....	second assistant camera
Patrick Marshall	....	rigging gaffer (as Pat Marshall)
Bob Miyamoto	....	grip
Rick Robinson	....	assistant camera
Gaylin P. Schultz	....	key grip (as Gaylin Schultz)
John Szajner	....	first assistant camera

Animation Department
Jane Baer	....	animation producer

Casting Department
Bernadette F. Dugas	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Karen Bellamy	....	costumer
James P. Cullen	....	costumer

Music Department
Bob Badami	....	music editor
Shirley Walker	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Steve Boyd	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Susan Agnoff	....	assistant location accountant
Kokayi Ampah	....	location manager
Dennis T. Benatar	....	location manager
Chuck Boutwell	....	production assistant
Fernando Cubillas	....	production assistant
Greg Hale	....	production assistant
Greg Hale	....	production assistant: New York
Chip Kaplan	....	assistant to director
Paul Pav	....	location manager
Susan Pickett	....	production assistant
Steven Ritchie	....	production assistant
Matthew Salvato	....	assistant location manager
Nanette Siegert	....	production coordinator
Michael Smuin	....	choreographer
Lois Thurman	....	script supervisor
Matilde Valera	....	production accountant
Robert Weibezahl	....	assistant: Mr. Larson

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• Vincent Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (1989) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• CIC Video (1990) (Spain) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1990) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Esselte Video (1990) (Finland) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Fletch Saved (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Spain:T | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:11 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

"Flash Flood" Ride, Universal Studios Theme Park, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The set of the Farnsworth Television Ministry is actually the Universal Amphitheater concert arena at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Goofs:

Continuity: Fletch attends two different tapings of the Jimmy Lee Farnsworth television show, but the announcer introduces both of them as the "4,323rd edition" of the show.

Quotes:

Fletch: All I needed now was a computer. And a ten year old kid to teach me how to use it.

Movie Connections:

References Elmer Gantry (1960)

Not As Good as the First; Not As Bad as the Rep

Fletch Lives (1989)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Chevy Chase returns as Irwin 'Fletch' Fletcher in this sequel to the 1985 flick. This time out Fletch inherits a Louisiana estate and on his first night there the woman who contacted him ends up dying. The reporter in Fletch comes and and he starts an investigation that leads him to a preacher (R. Lee Ermey) who might be hiding a few things. This movie seems to have been beaten to death when originally released and it's somewhat hard to find a positive review of it anywhere but I thought it was a lot better than its reputation. Sure, the movie isn't as smooth or as good as the first one but the most important thing is laughs and that's something I did quite a few times. The movie obviously cuts back on the various characters Chase plays as this is pretty much left to the final twenty-minutes but I didn't mind this too much. You could argue that the screenplay is lazy and just throwing him into a plot involving countless stereotypes but, again, I don't mind this because it made me laugh. The scenes with the KKK, the dumb cop with the termite in his ear and the raccoon hunt were full of stereotypes but they were all funny. Heck, we even get a spoof of SONG OF THE SOUTH. Chase isn't quite as great as in the original film but he's still good enough to keep everything moving and his various characters once again get plenty of laughs. Chase easily plays the role without any problems and even his narration can get some laughs. Ermey is good in his role as usual as is Hal Holbrook and Julianne Phillips. The one and only Randall 'Tex' Cobb does his usual tough character and gets some nice laughs. The film's actual mystery isn't all that interesting and the ending take a while to get to but I still feel this film manages to be a lot more entertaining than its rep would lead you to believe.