For the Boys (1991)
- Starring:
- Bette Midler, James Caan, (more)
- Director(s):
- Mark Rydell
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- War
My RatingTheatrical Release Information | See Details About All Versions
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, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 146 mins
Complete Cast:
- Bette Midler - Dixie Leonard
- George Segal - Art Silver
- Chris Rydell - Danny
- Arye Gross - Jeff Brooks
- Gabe Bologna - Marine at MASH
- Kimberly Ann Evans - Kate Sparks
- Sherlynn Hicks - Teleprompter Operator
- Rick Gavin Tjia - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Tony Pierce - Major at Firebase
- Morgan Ames - Awards Conductor
- Walter C. Miller - TV Director
- Ken Molina - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Beverly Ward - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Melissa Manchester - Corrine
- Richard Portnow - Milt
- Alan Haufrect - Technical Director
- Steven Kampmann - Stan
- Marc Poppel - Corpsman at MASH
- Maia Winters - Janie
- Heidi Sorenson - Showgirl
- Beau Dremann - Army Messenger
- Karen Martin - Vicki
- Melissa Hurley - 1950s Show Dancer
- Sheri Norwood - Awards Dinner Dancer
- James Patrick - Captain
- Natsuo Tomita - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Hayley Carr - Ann Sparks
- Tita Omeze - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Richard Hochberg - Merrill
- Janice Cronkhite - 1950s Show Dancer
- Andrew Bilgore - Nervous Production Assistant
- Carey Eidel - Green Room Page
- Susanne Sullivan - 1950s Show Dancer
- David Bowe - Photographer
- Jim Raposa - Dancing Airman
- Paul Thorpe - 1950s Show Dancer
- Xander Berkeley - Roberts
- David Selberg - Assistant Director
- Bud Yorkin - Phil
- Jameson Rodgers - Danny (at 4)
- Barry Michlin - Executive Producer
- Chris Wilkinson - Niles LaGuardia
- Norman Fell - Sam Schiff
- Tamaki Kawakubo - Violinist
- D David Morin - Cameraman
- Kelly Noonan - Merry Sparks
- James Caan - Eddie Sparks
- Patrick O'Neal - Shephard
- Brandon Call - Danny (at 12)
- Lada Boder - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Connie Chambers - 1950s Show Dancer
- Kirk Hansen - 1950s Show Dancer
- Arliss Howard - Husband to Dixie Leonard (uncredited)
- Shannon Wilcox - Margaret Sparks
- Theresa King - 1950s Show Dancer
- Maggie Wagner - Stan's Assistant
- Rosemary Murphy - Luanna Trott
- Gary Gershaw - Stage Manager
- Mark Roberts - Vice Admiral
- Billy Bob Thornton - Marine Sergeant
- William Marquez - Caretaker
- Michael Greene - General Scott
- Bruce Gray - 1st Sponsor
- John Doolittle - Captain Donelson
- Patrick Whyte - Audience Airman
- Annie Prager - Associate Producer
- Thom Adcox - Wounded Marine
- Sal Landi - Marine Driver
- Amy Rydell - 1950s Show Dancer
- Esther Jacobs - Ida Silver
- Lynnmarie Inge - 1950s Show Dancer
- Christopher Kaufman - Band Person
- Kristy Zlock - 1950s Show Dancer
- Steven Majewicz - 1950s Show Dancer
- Leonard Gaines - Lou Presti
- Robert Clotworthy - Navy Commander
- Jack Sheldon - Wally Fields
- Kirby Ward - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Dori Brenner - Loretta
- Stewart J. Zully - T.V. Stage Manager
- Jerald Vincent - Awards Dinner Dancer
- Andy Milder - Dressing Room Page
- Matthew Faison - 3rd Sponsor
- Raymond Rodriguez - Awards Dinner Dancer
- John O'Leary - TV Censor
- Jody Peterson - 1950s Show Dancer
- Pattie Darcy - Myra
- John Ruskin - Marine Who Stops Trucks
- Garrison Singer - Commander at Citadel
- Andrew Lauer - Corpsman on Battlefield
- Richardson Morse - 2nd Sponsor
- Fred Parnes - Jeep Driver
- Director(s):
- Mark Rydell
- Writer(s):
- Neal Jimenez, Marshall Brickman, Lindy Laub
- Producer(s):
- Bette Midler, Kathleen Long, Mark Rydell
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Violence, Questionable for Children, Profanity, Adult Situations)
- Categories:
- War
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
- 1991 - For the Boys - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy








