For the Boys (1991)
- Starring:
- Bette Midler, James Caan, (more)
- Director(s):
- Mark Rydell
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Format(s):
- DVD
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Synopsis of For the Boys
Bette Midler stars as a Martha Raye-type entertainer during the World War II era in this big-budget nostalgia piece. Midler plays big-band singer Dixie Leonard, who is chosen to perform at an overseas USO Christmas show by her uncle Art Silver (George Segal), a comedy writer for famed comedian Eddie Sparks (James Caan). Dixie is shuttled to London, where she is thrown on-stage with Eddie, who takes an immediate dislike to her. But her performance is a sensation, and the audience can't stop howling at Dixie's smart one-liner comebacks to Eddie. Dixie is catapulted to stardom, and the repartee between Eddie and Dixie becomes the stuff of legend. The two spar together through World War II, the McCarthy era, and Vietnam. But Dixie stops speaking to Eddie when he fires a writer for being a communist sympathizer and, later, she doesn't speak to him again after he arranges for a reunion between her and her son on the battlefields of Vietnam. Finally, Dixie, now an old woman, is cajoled to appear on a television awards show to reunite with a now decrepit Eddie, age 91. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 146 mins
Complete Cast of For the Boys
- Bette Midler - Dixie Leonard
- George Segal - Art Silver
- Chris Rydell - Danny
- Arye Gross - Jeff Brooks
- Steven Kampmann - Stan
- Barry Michlin - Executive Producer
- Jameson Rodgers - Danny (at 4)
- Beverly Ward - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Mark Roberts - Vice Admiral
- Billy Bob Thornton - Marine Sergeant
- William Marquez - Caretaker
- Michael Greene - General Scott
- Esther Jacobs - Ida Silver
- Raymond Rodriguez - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Garrison Singer - Commander at Citadel
- Kelly Noonan - Merry Sparks
- D. David Morin - Cameraman
- Steven Majewicz - 1950s Show Dancer
- Leonard Gaines - Lou Presti
- Robert Clotworthy - Navy Commander
- James Patrick - Captain
- Stewart J. Zully - T.V. Stage Manager
- Bruce Gray - 1st Sponsor
- Patrick Whyte - Audience Airman
- Annie Prager - Associate Producer
- Thom Adcox - Wounded Marine
- Rosemary Murphy - Luanna Trott
- Gary Gershaw - Stage Manager
- Susanne Sullivan - 1950s Show Dancer
- David Bowe - Photographer
- John Doolittle - Captain Donelson
- Hayley Carr - Ann Sparks
- Paul Thorpe - 1950s Show Dancer
- Matthew Faison - 3rd Sponsor
- Kristy Zlock - 1950s Show Dancer
- Sal Landi - Marine Driver
- Natsuo Tomita - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Carey Eidel - Green Room Page
- Sheri Norwood - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Tamaki Kawakubo - Violinist
- Sherlynn Hicks - Teleprompter Operator
- Kimberly Ann Evans - Kate Sparks
- Gabe Bologna - Marine at MASH
- Norman Fell - Sam Schiff
- Chris Wilkinson - Niles LaGuardia
- Tony Pierce - Major at Firebase
- James Caan - Eddie Sparks
- Patrick O'Neal - Shephard
- Brandon Call - Danny (at 12)
- John O'Leary - TV Censor
- Pattie Darcy - Myra
- Jody Peterson - 1950s Show Dancer
- Maggie Wagner - Stan's Assistant
- Lada Boder - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Melissa Manchester - Corrine
- Richard Portnow - Milt
- Alan Haufrect - Technical Director
- Bud Yorkin - Phil
- David Selberg - Assistant Director
- Rick Gavin Tjia - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Fred Parnes - Jeep Driver
- Richardson Morse - 2nd Sponsor
- Tita Omeze - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Richard Hochberg - Merrill
- Janice Cronkhite - 1950s Show Dancer
- Andrew Bilgore - Nervous Production Assistant
- Lynnmarie Inge - 1950s Show Dancer
- Jim Raposa - Dancing Airman
- Maia Winters - Janie
- Heidi Sorenson - Showgirl
- Beau Dremann - Army Messenger
- Walter C. Miller - TV Director
- Ken Molina - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Kirby Ward - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Dori Brenner - Loretta
- Marc Poppel - Corpsman at MASH
- Christopher Kaufman - Band Person
- Jerald Vincent - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Andy Milder - Dressing Room Page
- Xander Berkeley - Roberts
- Karen Martin - Vicki
- Melissa Hurley - 1950s Show Dancer
- Jack Sheldon - Wally Fields
- Amy Rydell - 1950s Show Dancer
- Andrew Lauer - Corpsman on Battlefield
- Arliss Howard - Husband to Dixie Leonard (uncredited)
- Kirk Hansen - 1950s Show Dancer
- Connie Chambers - 1950s Show Dancer
- Morgan Ames - Awards Conductor
- John Ruskin - Marine Who Stops Trucks
- Theresa King - 1950s Show Dancer
- Shannon Wilcox - Margaret Sparks
- Director(s):
- Mark Rydell
- Writer(s):
- Marshall Brickman, Lindy Laub, Neal Jimenez
- Producer(s):
- Bonnie Bruckheimer-Martell, Kathleen Long, Margaret Jennings South
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Violence, Questionable for Children, Profanity, Adult Situations)
- Categories:
- War
- 1991 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
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