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





