Cannery Row (film): Difference between revisions

Cannery Row
Cannery Row
	Theatrical release poster by John Solie
Directed by	David S. Ward
Screenplay by	David S. Ward; William Graham
Based on	Cannery Row; Sweet Thursday; by John Steinbeck
Produced by	Michael Phillips
Starring	Nick Nolte; Debra Winger; Audra Lindley;
Narrated by	John Huston
Cinematography	Sven Nykvist
Edited by	David Bretherton
Music by	Jack Nitzsche
Production; companies	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Chai Productions;
Distributed by	MGM/United Artists Distribution and Marketing
Release date	February 12, 1982 (United States);
Running time	120 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$11.5 million
Box office	$1.8 million

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Cannery Row is a 1982 American comedy-drama film directed by David S. Ward in his directorial debut, starring Nick Nolte and Debra Winger. The movie is adapted from John Steinbeck's novels Cannery Row (1945) and Sweet Thursday (1954).^[2]^[3]

Plot

During World War II, declining fish stocks lead to the shutdown of the fishing and canning industry in Monterey, California. The bums and prostitutes living on the city's skid row lead colorful and adventurous lives in a balmy seaside setting.

Eddie "Doc" Daniels, a self-employed marine biologist, lives in a dockside warehouse and researches octopuses. Suzy DeSoto, works at the local bordello only out of necessity.

A collection of linked vignettes describes life on Cannery Row. It is depicted as an impoverished area inhabited by a motley band of people who have experienced failures, but somehow have found their niche among strangely kindred souls.

Doc and Suzy do not quite fit in, but are accepted. Mack and the boys gather frogs and sell them to give a surprise party for Doc, which turns into a brawl and breaks the tank housing Doc's octopus collection. To make amends, they decide to gift him with a microscope, but mistakenly purchase a telescope.

A deeper mystery revolves around why Doc stays in Cannery Row. Suzy discovers that Doc was once a professional baseball pitcher but quit.

Another character, Maxie Baker - known locally as "The Seer" - spends his days playing his trumpet on the beach. He depends on the gifts that mysteriously appear, such as groceries. Suzy eventually learns that the Seer is a former baseball player whom Doc injured with a pitch to the head; Doc has been looking after him. Doc and Suzy ultimately find love.

Cast

Nick Nolte as Doc Eddie Daniels
Debra Winger as Suzy DeSoto
Audra Lindley as Fauna
M. Emmet Walsh as Mack
Tom Mahoney as Hughie
John Malloy as Jones
James Keane as Eddie
Sunshine Parker as Maxie "The Seer" Baker
Rosanna DeSoto as Ellen Sedgewick
Frank McRae as Hazel
Santos Morales as Joseph and Mary
Anne Lockhart as Barmaid
John Huston as Narrator

Production

Raquel Welch was originally cast as Suzy but was fired after the first few days of production and replaced by actress Debra Winger, who was 15 years her junior. Welch sued the filmmakers for breach of contract. In the case, MGM claimed Welch was fired for being a "temperamental actress" whose behaviour caused the film to go overbudget. She insisted on doing her hair and make-up at home, and would refuse to co-operate with the director or producers unless she got her own way, thus breaching her $250,000 pay or play contract herself. Welch won the case, and was awarded a reported settlement of $10.8 million in court in 1986. The judgement was upheld at an appeal in 1990, but the whole affair tarnished Welch's reputation in Hollywood. After launching her lawsuit, Welch was never offered another starring role in a major motion picture again.^[4]^[5]^[6] Second unit filming took place in San Diego, California.^[7]

Reception

Critical reception

In his two-and-a-half star review, Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert wrote of the film: "The movie is almost always good to look at, thanks to Richard MacDonald's sets (he linked together two giant sound stages) and Sven Nykvist's photography. And Nolte and Winger are almost able to make their relationship work, if only it didn't seem scripted out of old country songs and lonely hearts columns. It's tough to pull off a movie like this, in the semi-cynical 1980s (it would have been impossible in the truly cynical seventies). I guess we no longer believe in the essential heroism of the little guy, and in the proposition that anyone can succeed with a little luck."^[8] Vincent Canby of The New York Times dubbed the film 'precious nonsense' and felt it was a poor adaptation of Steinbeck.^[9] Variety praised Nolte and Winger's performance, but felt the material wasn't up to them.^[10]

Cannery Row holds a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes film review aggregator based on 7 reviews by critics.^[11]

MGM reaction

MGM head of production David Begelman later said he should not have greenlit the film, saying it "was beyond the reach of the filmmaker to realise the wonderful, wonderful values he had in a brilliant script."^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Boyer, Peter; Pollock, Dale (28 March 1982). "MGM-UA AND THE BIG DEBT". Los Angeles Times. p. 11.
^ Steinbeck, John (1993) [1945]. Cannery Row (Reprint ed.). London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0140177381.
^ Steinbeck, John (1954). Sweet Thursday. New York City: Viking Press. ISBN 978-0670686865.
^ Caulfield, Deborah (28 June 1986). "Welch Licks Wounds Of Battle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
^ Murphy, Kim (25 June 1986). "Raquel Welch Awarded $10.8 Million Over Firing". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
^ Higgins, Bill (10 December 2015). "Hollywood Flashback: When Raquel Welch, Fired and Replaced by an Actress 15 Years Younger, Sued MGM (and Won)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
^ (1983-12-01). Spotlight on filming in SD County. Daily Times-Advocate, 52, 56-57.
^ Ebert, Roger. Chicago Sun-Times film review, January 1, 1982. Accessed: June 22, 2013.
^ Canby, Vincent (12 February 1982). "The Fanciful Dropouts on 'Cannery Row'". The New York Times.
^ "Cannery Row". January 1982.
^ "Cannery Row". Rotten Tomatoes.

External links

[MGM-1] Boyer, Peter; Pollock, Dale (28 March 1982). "MGM-UA AND THE BIG DEBT". Los Angeles Times. p. 11.

[2] Steinbeck, John (1993) [1945]. Cannery Row (Reprint ed.). London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0140177381.

[3] Steinbeck, John (1954). Sweet Thursday. New York City: Viking Press. ISBN 978-0670686865.

[4] Caulfield, Deborah (28 June 1986). "Welch Licks Wounds Of Battle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 April 2016.

[5] Murphy, Kim (25 June 1986). "Raquel Welch Awarded $10.8 Million Over Firing". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 April 2016.

[6] Higgins, Bill (10 December 2015). "Hollywood Flashback: When Raquel Welch, Fired and Replaced by an Actress 15 Years Younger, Sued MGM (and Won)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 April 2016.

[7] (1983-12-01). Spotlight on filming in SD County. Daily Times-Advocate, 52, 56-57.

[8] Ebert, Roger. Chicago Sun-Times film review, January 1, 1982. Accessed: June 22, 2013.

[9] Canby, Vincent (12 February 1982). "The Fanciful Dropouts on 'Cannery Row'". The New York Times.

[10] "Cannery Row". January 1982.

[11] "Cannery Row". Rotten Tomatoes.

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@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 | name           = Cannery Row
 | image          = Cannery row poster small.jpg
-| image_size     =
 | alt            =
 | caption        = Theatrical release poster by John Solie
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 * [[Audra Lindley]]
 }}
+| narrator       = [[John Huston]]
 | music          = [[Jack Nitzsche]]
 | cinematography = [[Sven Nykvist]]
@@ Line 24: / Line 25: @@
 * Chai Productions
 }}
-| distributor    = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer#MGM/UA Entertainment|MGM/UA Entertainment Company]]
+| distributor    = MGM/[[United Artists]] Distribution and Marketing
 | released       = {{Film date|1982|2|12|United States}}
 | runtime        = 120 minutes
@@ Line 32: / Line 33: @@
 | gross          = $1.8 million<ref name="MGM"/>
 }}
-'''''Cannery Row''''' is a 1982 American [[comedy-drama|comedy-drama film]] directed by [[David S. Ward]] in his [[List of directorial debuts|directorial debut]], starring [[Nick Nolte]] and [[Debra Winger]].  The movie is adapted from [[John Steinbeck]]'s novels ''[[Cannery Row (novel)|Cannery Row]]'' (1945) and ''[[Sweet Thursday]]'' (1954).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/canneryrow00stei_0|title=Cannery Row|first=John|last=Steinbeck|author-link=John Steinbeck|publisher=[[Penguin Books]] ({{small|1993}}) [[Viking Press]] ({{small|Original}})|location=[[London]] ({{small|1993}}) [[New York City]] ({{small|Original}})|orig-year=1945|year=1993|edition=Reprint|isbn=978-0140177381|url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Sweet Thursday|first=John|last=Steinbeck|author-link=John Steinbeck|publisher=[[Viking Press]]|location=[[New York City]]|year=1954|edition=1st|isbn=978-0670686865}}</ref>
+'''''Cannery Row''''' is a 1982 American [[comedy-drama]] film directed by [[David S. Ward]] in his [[List of directorial debuts|directorial debut]], starring [[Nick Nolte]] and [[Debra Winger]].  The movie is adapted from [[John Steinbeck]]'s novels ''[[Cannery Row (novel)|Cannery Row]]'' (1945) and ''[[Sweet Thursday]]'' (1954).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/canneryrow00stei_0|title=Cannery Row|first=John|last=Steinbeck|author-link=John Steinbeck|publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |location=[[London]] |orig-date=1945|year=1993|edition=Reprint|isbn=978-0140177381|url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Sweet Thursday|first=John|last=Steinbeck|author-link=John Steinbeck|publisher=[[Viking Press]]|location=[[New York City]]|year=1954 |isbn=978-0670686865}}</ref>
 ==Plot==
-The story is about the [[skid row]] denizens of [[Monterey, California]], during [[World War II]].  As declining fish stocks are shutting down a previously rich fishery and the dependent canning industry, bums and prostitutes lead colorful and adventurous lives in a balmy seaside setting.
+During [[World War II]], declining fish stocks lead to the shutdown of the fishing and canning industry in [[Monterey, California]]. The bums and prostitutes living on the city's [[skid row]] lead colorful and adventurous lives in a balmy seaside setting.
-Doc, a self-employed [[marine biologist]], lives in a dockside warehouse and researches octopuses. Suzy DeSoto, a girl from the local [[bordello]], is working there only out of necessity.
+Eddie "Doc" Daniels, a self-employed [[marine biologist]], lives in a dockside warehouse and researches octopuses. Suzy DeSoto, works at the local [[bordello]] only out of necessity.
-A collection of linked vignettes describes life on [[Cannery Row]].  It is depicted as an impoverished area inhabited by a motley band of people who have experienced failures, but somehow have found their niche and a community of strangely kindred souls.
+A collection of linked vignettes describes life on [[Cannery Row]].  It is depicted as an impoverished area inhabited by a motley band of people who have experienced failures, but somehow have found their niche among strangely kindred souls.
-Doc and Suzy don't quite fit in, but are accepted. Mac and the boys gather frogs and sell them to give a surprise party for Doc, which turns into a brawl and breaks the tank housing Doc's octopus collection.  To make amends, they buy Doc a present of a microscope but mistakenly get him a telescope, instead.
+Doc and Suzy do not quite fit in, but are accepted. Mack and the boys gather frogs and sell them to give a surprise party for Doc, which turns into a brawl and breaks the tank housing Doc's octopus collection.  To make amends, they decide to gift him with a microscope, but mistakenly purchase a telescope.
 A deeper mystery revolves around why Doc stays in Cannery Row. Suzy discovers that Doc was once a professional baseball pitcher but quit.
-Another character, the Seer, spends his days playing his horn.  He depends on the gifts that mysteriously appear, such as groceries. Suzy eventually learns that the Seer is a former baseball player whom Doc injured with a pitch to the head, and now Doc takes care of him.  Doc and Suzy ultimately find love.
+Another character, Maxie Baker - known locally as "The Seer" - spends his days playing his trumpet on the beach. He depends on the gifts that mysteriously appear, such as groceries. Suzy eventually learns that the Seer is a former baseball player whom Doc injured with a pitch to the head; Doc has been looking after him. Doc and Suzy ultimately find love.
 ==Cast==
-* [[Nick Nolte]] as Doc
+* [[Nick Nolte]] as Doc Eddie Daniels
-* [[Debra Winger]] as Suzy
+* [[Debra Winger]] as Suzy DeSoto
 * [[Audra Lindley]] as Fauna
 * [[M. Emmet Walsh]] as Mack
@@ Line 55: / Line 56: @@
 * John Malloy as Jones
 * James Keane as Eddie
-* [[Sunshine Parker]] as The Seer
+* [[Sunshine Parker]] as Maxie "The Seer" Baker
 * [[Rosanna DeSoto]] as Ellen Sedgewick
 * [[Frank McRae]] as Hazel
@@ Line 63: / Line 64: @@
 ==Production==
-[[Raquel Welch]] was cast as Suzy but was fired after the first few days of production and replaced by an actress 15 years her junior. Welch sued the filmmakers and won a reported settlement of more than $10 million in court.<ref>{{cite news|last=Caulfield|first=Deborah|title=Welch Licks Wounds Of Battle|date=28 June 1986|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1986-06-28/entertainment/ca-25727_1_cannery-row|access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Murphy|first=Kim|title=Raquel Welch Awarded $10.8 Million Over Firing|date=25 June 1986|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1986-06-25/local/me-20292_1_raquel-welch|access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Higgins|first=Bill|title=Hollywood Flashback: When Raquel Welch, Fired and Replaced by an Actress 15 Years Younger, Sued MGM (and Won)|date=10 December 2015|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-flashback-raquel-welch-fired-845470|access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref>
+[[Raquel Welch]] was originally cast as Suzy but was fired after the first few days of production and replaced by actress [[Debra Winger]], who was 15 years her junior. Welch sued the filmmakers for breach of contract. In the case, MGM claimed Welch was fired for being a "temperamental actress" whose behaviour caused the film to go overbudget. She insisted on doing her hair and make-up at home, and would refuse to co-operate with the director or producers unless she got her own way, thus breaching her $250,000 [[pay or play]] contract herself. Welch won the case, and was awarded a reported settlement of $10.8 million in court in 1986. The judgement was upheld at an appeal in 1990, but the whole affair tarnished Welch's reputation in Hollywood. After launching her lawsuit, Welch was never offered another starring role in a major motion picture again.<ref>{{cite news|last=Caulfield|first=Deborah|title=Welch Licks Wounds Of Battle|date=28 June 1986|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-28-ca-25727-story.html|access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Murphy|first=Kim|title=Raquel Welch Awarded $10.8 Million Over Firing|date=25 June 1986|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-25-me-20292-story.html|access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Higgins|first=Bill|title=Hollywood Flashback: When Raquel Welch, Fired and Replaced by an Actress 15 Years Younger, Sued MGM (and Won)|date=10 December 2015|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-flashback-raquel-welch-fired-845470|access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref> Second unit filming took place in [[San Diego, California]].<ref>(1983-12-01). ''Spotlight on filming in SD County''. ''[[Daily Times-Advocate]]'', 52, 56-57.</ref>
 ==Reception==
 ===Critical reception===
-In his two-and-a-half star review, ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' film critic [[Roger Ebert]] wrote of the film: "The movie is almost always good to look at, thanks to Richard MacDonald's sets (he linked together two giant sound stages) and Sven Nykvist's photography. And Nolte and Winger are almost able to make their relationship work, if only it didn't seem scripted out of old country songs and lonely hearts columns. It's tough to pull off a movie like this, in the semi-cynical 1980s (it would have been impossible in the truly cynical seventies). I guess we no longer believe in the essential heroism of the little guy, and in the proposition that anyone can succeed with a little luck."<ref>[http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cannery-row-1982 Ebert, Roger]. ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' film review, January 1, 1982.  Accessed: June 22, 2013.</ref> Vincent Canby of ''[[The New York Times]]'' dubbed the film 'precious nonsense' and felt it was a poor adaptation of Steinbeck.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/12/movies/the-fanciful-dropouts-on-cannery-row.html</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' praised Nolte and Winger's performance, but felt the material wasn't up to them.<ref>https://variety.com/1981/film/reviews/cannery-row-1200425248/</ref>
+In his two-and-a-half star review, ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' film critic [[Roger Ebert]] wrote of the film: "The movie is almost always good to look at, thanks to Richard MacDonald's sets (he linked together two giant sound stages) and Sven Nykvist's photography. And Nolte and Winger are almost able to make their relationship work, if only it didn't seem scripted out of old country songs and lonely hearts columns. It's tough to pull off a movie like this, in the semi-cynical 1980s (it would have been impossible in the truly cynical seventies). I guess we no longer believe in the essential heroism of the little guy, and in the proposition that anyone can succeed with a little luck."<ref>[http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cannery-row-1982 Ebert, Roger]. ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' film review, January 1, 1982.  Accessed: June 22, 2013.</ref> [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' dubbed the film 'precious nonsense' and felt it was a poor adaptation of Steinbeck.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/12/movies/the-fanciful-dropouts-on-cannery-row.html|title = The Fanciful Dropouts on 'Cannery Row'|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 12 February 1982|last1 = Canby|first1 = Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' praised Nolte and Winger's performance, but felt the material wasn't up to them.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/1981/film/reviews/cannery-row-1200425248/|title = Cannery Row|date = January 1982}}</ref>
+''Cannery Row'' holds a 71% rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] film review aggregator based on 7 reviews by critics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cannery_row|title = Cannery Row|website = [[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>
-''Cannery Row'' holds a 71% rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] film review aggregator based on 7 reviews by critics.<ref>https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cannery_row</ref>
 ===MGM reaction===
 MGM head of production [[David Begelman]] later said he should not have greenlit the film, saying it "was beyond the reach of the filmmaker to realise the wonderful, wonderful values he had in a brilliant script."<ref name="MGM"/>
@@ Line 77: / Line 79: @@
 ==External links==
-* {{imdb title|id=0083717|title=Cannery Row}}
+* {{IMDb title|0083717}}
-* {{rotten-tomatoes|cannery_row|Cannery Row}}
+* {{Rotten Tomatoes|cannery_row}}
-* {{Allmovie title|id=8021|title=Cannery Row}}
+* {{TCMDb title|75|Cannery Row}}
-* {{tcmdb title|75|Cannery Row}}
 {{John Steinbeck}}
@@ Line 88: / Line 89: @@
 [[Category:1982 films]]
 [[Category:1982 comedy-drama films]]
-[[Category:American films]]
 [[Category:American comedy-drama films]]
-[[Category:English-language films]]
+[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
 [[Category:Films scored by Jack Nitzsche]]
 [[Category:Films based on American novels]]
 [[Category:Films based on works by John Steinbeck]]
 [[Category:Films set in California]]
+[[Category:Films set in slums]]
 [[Category:Films set in the 1940s]]
 [[Category:Films set in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
@@ Line 101: / Line 102: @@
 [[Category:Films produced by Michael Phillips (producer)]]
 [[Category:1982 directorial debut films]]
-[[Category:1982 comedy films]]
-[[Category:1982 drama films]]
 [[Category:Films based on multiple works]]
+[[Category:Films directed by David S. Ward]]
+[[Category:Films with screenplays by David S. Ward]]
+[[Category:1980s American films]]
+[[Category:Films shot in San Diego]]
+[[Category:English-language comedy-drama films]]