L.A. Story (1991)

Director:

Mick Jackson

Writer (WGA):

Steve Martin (written by)

Release Date:

8 February 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Something funny is happening in L.A.

Plot:

With the help of a talking freeway billboard, a "wacky weatherman" tries to win the heart of an English newspaper reporter, who is struggling to make sense of the strange world of early-90s Los Angeles.

Plot Keywords:

Male Female Relationship | Earthquake | City Name In Title | Abstract Art | Helicopter

Cast

Steve Martin	...	Harris K. Telemacher
Victoria Tennant	...	Sara McDowel
Richard E. Grant	...	Roland Mackey
Marilu Henner	...	Trudi
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	SanDeE*
Susan Forristal	...	Ariel
Kevin Pollak	...	Frank Swan
Sam McMurray	...	Morris Frost
Patrick Stewart	...	Mr. Perdue, Maitre D' at L'Idiot
Andrew Amador	...	Bob, News Anchor
Gail Grate	...	Gail, News Anchor
Eddie De Harp	...	Maitre D' at Brunch
M.C. Shan	...	Rap Waiter at L'Idiot
Frances Fisher	...	June
Iman	...	Cynthia
Tommy Hinkley	...	Ted
Larry Miller	...	Tom
Anna Crawford	...	Sharon (as Anne Crawford)
Samantha McCoy	...	Sheila (as Samantha Caulfield)
Thornton Simmons	...	Man
Dennis Dragon	...	Crook
Richard Stahl	...	Bank Executive
Aaron Lustig	...	Boring Speaker
Julianna McCarthy	...	Woman (as Juliana McCarthy)
Time Winters	...	Floss Waiter at L'Idiot
Pierre Epstein	...	Chef
Wesley Thompson	...	Jesse
George Plimpton	...	Straight Weatherman
David Glyn Price	...	Pilot (as David G. Price)
Wesley Mann	...	Tony, Gas Station Attendant
Mark Steen	...	Tod PA
Jaime Gomez	...	Tod PA
Amy Wallace	...	Tod PA
Cheryl Baker	...	Changing Room Woman
May Boss	...	Old Woman (as Mary R. Boss)
Scott Johnston	...	Co-Pilot
Robert Lind	...	Chainsaw Juggler
Tony Marsico	...	Hard Rock Patron
Burt Macke	...	Cameraman (as Burt Nacke)
Mary Pedersen	...	Airline Ticket Agent
Matt Stetson	...	Spokesmodel Teacher
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Lithgow	...	Harry Zell (scenes deleted)
Brian Banowetz	...	Bellman (uncredited)
Sean Michael Beyer	...	Parking Valet (uncredited)
Michael E. Burgess	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Chevy Chase	...	Carlo Christopher (uncredited)
Woody Harrelson	...	Harris' Boss (uncredited)
Terry Jones	...	Sara's Mother (voice) (uncredited)
Rick Moranis	...	Gravedigger (uncredited)
Robert Picardo	...	Voicephone (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Mick Jackson

Writing credits (WGA)
Steve Martin		(written by)

Produced by
Mario Kassar	....	executive producer
Steve Martin	....	executive producer
Daniel Melnick	....	producer
Michael I. Rachmil	....	producer (as Michael Rachmil)

Original Music by
Peter Rodgers Melnick		(as Peter Melnick)

Cinematography by
Andrew Dunn		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Richard A. Harris
Greg Le Duc		(video)
Shane A. Walsh		(documentary segment)

Casting by
Mindy Marin

Production Design by
Lawrence Miller

Art Direction by
Charles Breen

Set Decoration by
Chris Butler

Costume Design by
Rudy Dillon

Makeup Department
Robert Ostermann	....	makeup artist
Joy Zapata	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Chris Coles	....	production manager
Michael R. Sloan	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Albert Cho	....	second assistant director
Albert M. Shapiro	....	assistant director

Art Department
Steve Callas	....	construction coordinator
Michael Anthony Jackson	....	storyboard artist
Daniel R. Jennings	....	set designer
Philip Steuer	....	property master
Douglas M. Vaughn	....	set dresser

Sound Department
David W. Alstadter	....	foley mixer
Lon Bender	....	supervising sound designer
Neal Burger	....	sound editor (as Neal Berger)
Stuart Copely	....	sound editor
Dino Dimuro	....	sound effects editor
Larry Kemp	....	supervising sound editor
Richard King	....	sound editor
Lou Kleinman	....	sound editor
Steve Mann	....	sound editor
Harrison D. Marsh	....	utility sound technician
Glenn T. Morgan	....	sound editor
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recordist
Roul	....	sound editor
Steve F.B. Smith	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Gina Spiro	....	sound assistant
James G. Stewart	....	sound recordist
Mark P. Stoeckinger	....	supervising sound editor
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer
Douglas Vaughan	....	boom operator
James E. Webb	....	production sound
Asher Yates	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Alan E. Lorimer	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Chuck Comisky	....	visual effects supervisor
Christopher Nibley	....	visual effects director of photography
Luc G. Nicknair	....	first assistant camera/Vistavision first assistant camera (uncredited)

Stunts
Joe Dunne	....	stunt coordinator
Bob Herron	....	stunts
Courtney Pakiz	....	stunt diver
George Marshall Ruge	....	stunts
Cris Thomas-Palomino	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Adam Alphin	....	camera loader
Jack Bauer	....	best boy grip
Edward Gold	....	camera operator
Peter C. Jensen	....	steadicam operator
Michael Kelem	....	aerial camera operator
Lane Russel	....	second assistant camera
Michael Shanman	....	lighting board operator
Patricia Van Over	....	first assistant camera (as Pattie Vanover)
Shane A. Walsh	....	camera operator: documentary
Thomas Enright	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Marko Friedman	....	costumer
Lisa Stewart	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Noori Dehnahi	....	post-production coordinator
Jane Kass	....	assistant editor
Michael Rafferty	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Steven Bernstein	....	orchestrator
Nicky Ryan	....	music producer

Other crew
Michael Barnes	....	legal attorney
Steve Cowie	....	set production assistant
Gina Fortunato	....	assistant production coordinator
Mario Kassar	....	presenter
Diana Lui	....	production assistant
Liz Matthews	....	assistant location manager
Debbie Merril	....	roller skating instructor: Mr. Martin
Boone Narr	....	animal trainer
Anthony L. Paquet	....	first aid
Anne Trop	....	assistant: Mick Jackson
Ray Zimmerman	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Carolco Pictures
• IndieProd Company Productions
• L.A. Films

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1991) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1996) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Artisan Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Films
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Maple Pictures (2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• Unirecord Internacional (Spain)
• VCL Communications GmbH (Germany) (video)

Other Companies

• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance
• American Airlines  air transportation
• Complete Film Company  completion guaranty provided by
• Complete Film Corporation  completion bond
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  publicity
• Illusion Arts  matte shots
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Movie Movers  hair and make-up trailers
• PMK Public Relations  publicity
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Precision Film Cutting  negative cutting
• Segue Music  music editing

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Netherlands:AL | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

1206 N. Orange Grove Avenue, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company:

Carolco Pictures

Trivia:

Cameo: [Paula Abdul]roller skater in front of Tail O' the Pup.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Sarah tells Harris of her weekend plans with her ex-husband, her hands change position on the car door between shots.

Quotes:

Harris: If confusion about your love life is ruining your day, I think it's good to go over to your best friend's house and ruin her day too.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in All That I Need (2005)

Soundtrack:

You Drive Me To Distraction

Martin at His Best

When Steve Martin is hot, he's really hot. L.A. Story, written by Steve Martin, is hot. The entire film keeps you in a state of constant chuckling. And, the movie has more than a few moments of comedic genius. It's the cumulative effect of little jokes littered throughout the film, both verbal and visual, that keeps you in stitches. On top of that, it piques your interest.

Here's what I mean: while Martin mercilessly it pokes fun of L.A. for it's flakiness, it's love and tolerance of idiosyncrasies, it's constant preoccupation with image, it's narcissism, the humor is never vulgar, crass, or shallow. For example, one scene takes place in the municipal art museum. We see Harry Telemacher (Steve Martin), with his friends, rapt in admiration for a painting. The camera angle comes from the canvas itself, where we watch Harry, deep in thought, dissertate on the subjects in the portrait, their motives, actions, and hidden agendas. He moves forward, backward, forward again, as if in active dialogue with the lacquer. At last, moving backward, he concludes his remarks by wrinkling his nose in disgust and saying `Look at the way he's holding her: it's almost filthy!' And then the camera moves around to Telemacher's perspective. The painting's a total abstraction. There isn't a distinct line in the entire rectangular frame. In the argot of Postmodernism, one might call it a `readerly' work of art.

It's the perfect metaphor for L.A., where you may interpret anything, any way you like. There's no standard, except one's own `personal reality.' No one can use social norms as a personal club to tell someone else, `You're wrong,' because there is none. It's all `what-E-verrrr.'

Best of all, L.A. Story is a love story, the kind of love that adores someone as much for their faults as for their virtues. Martin's satire is so effective because he loves the city so much.