Director Michael Ritchie died April 16th at the age of 62. A Wisconsin native, Ritchie studied at Harvard before succumbing to the attractions of the theatre. He started working in television during the 1960s where he directed episodes of The Big Valley and The Man from UNCLE among others. He moved into feature films with Downhill Racer (1969) at star Robert Redford's invitation and later directed Redford again in The Candidate (1972). The latter is a classic look at American political life that hasn't lost any of its power or insights over the years. This was the start of Ritchie's most productive period when he made several films that were both popular and critically acclaimed. You can find his sly wit and sense of critical drama in Smile (1975), The Bad News Bears (1976) and Semi-Tough (1978). By the 1980s, though, Ritchie's films focused less on social criticism and more on stars. The Survivors (1983) with Robin Williams remains under-rated but Ritchie-directed vehicles for Eddie Murphy (1986's The Golden Child), Bette Midler (1980's Divine Madness) and Chevy Chase (two Fletch films) didn't quite achieve their potential. Some of the old Ritchie spark and intelligence appeared in the made-for-cable The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993) which earned him a Directors Guild Award. One of his final films was the long-awaited screen adaptation of The Fantasticks (1995) which partly brought Ritchie back to his theatrical roots.
ANN SOTHERN: 1909 - 2001
Actress Ann Sothern passed away on March 15th at the age of 89. Her film career spanned sixty years and included a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for The Whales of August (1987) and several Emmy nominations for her roles in the TV shows Private Secretary (1953) and The Ann Sothern Show (1958). Sothern was born as Harriette Lake in North Dakota. She made her first film appearance in 1927 in small roles (so small, in fact, that some sources omit any films before 1929) before deciding to work on Broadway instead. Shortly afterwards she signed with Columbia Pictures where studio head Harry Cohn insisted she change her name because there were already too many actors with the last name of Lake. So "Ann" came from her mother's name Annette and "Sothern" from Shakespearean actor E.H. Sothern. For most of the 1930s she appeared in light comedies working with Eddie Cantor, Maurice Chevalier, Mickey Rooney and Fredric March. However, it wasn't until she switched to MGM (after a brief period with RKO) and made the film Maisie (1939) that Sothern hit pay dirt. It proved enormously popular and led to a series of nine more films through 1947 when she moved into dramas and musicals. During the 50s, Sothern made a mark with her TV series but returned to mostly second tier movies in the 1960s and 1970s. Finally she earned an Oscar nomination for her work in 1987's The Whales of August (in which, incidentally, her daughter Tisha Sterling played her at an earlier age). Turner Classic Movies plans to host a retrospective film tribute to her in July. Check back for details in June.
Wildcats
Brief Synopsis
As a daughter of a lengendary gridiron star, a young woman's greatest desire is to coach a team of her own When the chauvinistic powers to be assign her to an inner city ghetto school, the spriited female has her own work cut out for her.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Michael Ritchie
Director
Goldie Hawn
James Keach
Swoosie Kurtz
Jan Hooks
M. Emmet Walsh
Film Details
Also Known As
Femme de choc, Tjejen som tog hem spelet
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Sports
Release Date
1986
Distribution Company
WARNER BROS. PICTURES DISTRIBUTION (WBPD)
Location
Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago, Illinois, USA
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 47m
Synopsis
As a daughter of a lengendary gridiron star, a young woman's greatest desire is to coach a team of her own When the chauvinistic powers to be assign her to an inner city ghetto school, the spriited female has her own work cut out for her.
Director
Michael Ritchie
Director
Cast
Goldie Hawn
James Keach
Swoosie Kurtz
Jan Hooks
M. Emmet Walsh
Nipsey Russell
Wesley Snipes
Woody Harrelson
Brandy Gold
Willie J Walton
Vincent J Isaac
Noel De Souza
Tan'ya Harris
David Nieker
Albert Michel
Sylvester Blaylock
Gloria Stuart
Ellia English
Tab Thacker
Tom E Willman
Mykelti Williamson
Richard B Brown
Gary Austin
Steven L Carlson
Robyn Lively
Bruce Mcgill
Jenny Havens
Lindsey Orr
Stan Foster
Dap Sugar Willie
David Kanakes
Ann Doran
Chino Williams
Eddie Frescas
Gwen Mcgee
Jsu Garcia
George Wyner
Royce Wallace
Lee Weaver
Rodney Hill
Bruce French
John Vargas
Deborah Webber
Pilar Delano
Tony Salome
L.l. Cool J
Crew
Philip Abramson
Set Decorator
Greg Agalsoff
Boom Operator
Jim Alexander
Sound Mixer
J Tom Archuleta
Assistant Director
Carolyn Barczak
Set Costumer
Nancy E Barr
Production Secretary
Jim Benoit
Assistant Director
John Benson
Sound Effects Editor
David Bergad
Assistant Sound Editor
Steve Berger
Art Director
James T Boyle
Gaffer
Karen A Brocco
Assistant Sound Editor
Tino Caira
Transportation Captain
Pamela Cederquist
Assistant
Joe Cocker
Song
Joe Cocker
Song Performer
L.l. Cool J
Song Performer
L.l. Cool J
Song
Randy Crawford
Song Performer
Mike Cunningham
Assistant Property Master
Gloria D'alessandro
Assistant Sound Editor
Gerrit Dangremond
Camera Operator
Glenn Daniels
Casting Assistant
Peter Davidian
Best Boy Electric
Craig Denault
Camera Operator
George Dileonardi
Transportation Captain
Thomas Dolby
Song
Marion Dougherty
Casting
Pamela Easley
Post-Production Coordinator
Tom Fears
Coach
Wayne Finkelman
Costume Designer
Roderick W. Finney
Apprentice Editor
Donna Garrett
Stunts
Jack Garsha
Color Timer
Vivien Hillgrove Gilliam
Adr/Dialogue Editor
Tom Gillman
Assistant
Brian C Glover
Assistant Camera
Daniel C Gold
Assistant Camera
Robert S Hahn
Assistant Camera
Joel Hall
Choreographer
Bill Hardin
Assistant Camera
Donald Harris
Music Editor
Richard A Harris
Editor
Steven Hiller
Assistant Camera
Deloris Horn
Assistant
James Newton Howard
Song
James Newton Howard
Music
Mort Hyatt
Key Grip
James Ingram
Song Performer
Rodger Jacobs
Makeup Artist
Ronald A Jacobs
Supervising Sound Editor
Patti James
Assistant
Michael Jeffries
Song Performer
Danny Jordan
Key Grip
Sidney A Justin Iii
Song Performer
Harriet E Kehl
Script Supervisor
Joseph Kerr
Song
Harold E Kinsle
Assistant Editor
Patrick Leonard
Song
Boris Leven
Production Designer
Bob Litt
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Lauren Lloyd
Casting Assistant
Mark Ludwig
Assistant Camera
Tom Mack
Assistant Director
Michael Magill
Assistant Sound Editor
Eddie Marks
Costume Supervisor
Phil Marshall
Music
Michael Mcdonald
Song
Frank Miller
Camera Operator
Cheri Minns
Makeup Artist
Stefanie A Moore
Assistant Director
Toni Morgan
Assistant Editor
William R Neilsen
Assistant Camera
Peter Norman
Unit Director
Emmitt-leon O'neill
Assistant Director
David Pack
Song
Jennifer Parsons
Costumer
James Pendleton
Assistant Camera
Ron Phillips
Photography
Craig Pinkard
Transportation Coordinator
Radford Polensky
Costumer
Jeanne Putnam
Assistant Sound Editor
Daniel J Richter
Costumer
Ira Stanley Rosenstein
Location Manager
Michael G Ross
Property Master
Brenda Russell
Song Performer
Ezra Sacks
Screenplay
Kim Samson
Hair Stylist
John Sanders
Coach
Nick Scarano
Costumer
Marshall Schlom
Script Supervisor
Don Schmitz
Dolly Grip
Thomas Sedor
Assistant Property Master
Robert Shoup
Sound Effects Editor
Paula Tracy Smuin
Choreographer
Karen Spangenberg
Adr/Dialogue Editor
Mavis Staples
Song Performer
Skip Surguine
Assistant Director
Anthea Sylbert
Producer
Bruce Talamon
Photography
The Isley Brothers
Song Performer
Bob Thomas
Camera Operator
Donald E. Thorin
Director Of Photography
Donald E. Thorin
Dp/Cinematographer
Barbara Tobolowsky
Assistant
Lillian Toth
Hair Stylist
Marvin Towns
Assistant Director
Lynn Troupe
Best Boy Grip
Tata Vega
Song Performer
Robert R Volpe
Assistant Property Master
Paul Vom Brack
Director Of Photography
Paul Vom Brack
Dp/Cinematographer
Aaron T Walker
Song
T-bone Walker
Song Performer
Gordon A Webb
Unit Production Manager
Gordon A Webb
Associate Producer
Cliff Wenger
Special Effects
Ernie Wheelwright
Coach
Kay H Whipple
Stunts
Hawk Wolinski
Song
Hawk Wolinski
Music
John Woodward
Transportation Captain
Film Details
Also Known As
Femme de choc, Tjejen som tog hem spelet
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Sports
Release Date
1986
Distribution Company
WARNER BROS. PICTURES DISTRIBUTION (WBPD)
Location
Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago, Illinois, USA
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 47m
Articles
TCM Remembers - Michael Ritchie
TCM Remembers - Michael Ritchie
Director Michael Ritchie died April 16th at the age of 62. A Wisconsin native, Ritchie studied at Harvard before succumbing to the attractions of the theatre. He started working in television during the 1960s where he directed episodes of The Big Valley and The Man from UNCLE among others. He moved into feature films with Downhill Racer (1969) at star Robert Redford's invitation and later directed Redford again in The Candidate (1972). The latter is a classic look at American political life that hasn't lost any of its power or insights over the years. This was the start of Ritchie's most productive period when he made several films that were both popular and critically acclaimed. You can find his sly wit and sense of critical drama in Smile (1975), The Bad News Bears (1976) and Semi-Tough (1978). By the 1980s, though, Ritchie's films focused less on social criticism and more on stars. The Survivors (1983) with Robin Williams remains under-rated but Ritchie-directed vehicles for Eddie Murphy (1986's The Golden Child), Bette Midler (1980's Divine Madness) and Chevy Chase (two Fletch films) didn't quite achieve their potential. Some of the old Ritchie spark and intelligence appeared in the made-for-cable The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993) which earned him a Directors Guild Award. One of his final films was the long-awaited screen adaptation of The Fantasticks (1995) which partly brought Ritchie back to his theatrical roots.
ANN SOTHERN: 1909 - 2001
Actress Ann Sothern passed away on March 15th at the age of 89. Her film career spanned sixty years and included a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for The Whales of August (1987) and several Emmy nominations for her roles in the TV shows Private Secretary (1953) and The Ann Sothern Show (1958). Sothern was born as Harriette Lake in North Dakota. She made her first film appearance in 1927 in small roles (so small, in fact, that some sources omit any films before 1929) before deciding to work on Broadway instead. Shortly afterwards she signed with Columbia Pictures where studio head Harry Cohn insisted she change her name because there were already too many actors with the last name of Lake. So "Ann" came from her mother's name Annette and "Sothern" from Shakespearean actor E.H. Sothern. For most of the 1930s she appeared in light comedies working with Eddie Cantor, Maurice Chevalier, Mickey Rooney and Fredric March. However, it wasn't until she switched to MGM (after a brief period with RKO) and made the film Maisie (1939) that Sothern hit pay dirt. It proved enormously popular and led to a series of nine more films through 1947 when she moved into dramas and musicals. During the 50s, Sothern made a mark with her TV series but returned to mostly second tier movies in the 1960s and 1970s. Finally she earned an Oscar nomination for her work in 1987's The Whales of August (in which, incidentally, her daughter Tisha Sterling played her at an earlier age). Turner Classic Movies plans to host a retrospective film tribute to her in July. Check back for details in June.
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States on Video September 1986
Released in United States Winter February 14, 1986
Released in United States Winter February 14, 1986
Released in United States on Video September 1986
