Under the Rainbow
(1981)
PG | 105 mins | Comedy | 31 July 1981
Cast:
Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher, Eve Arden [ More ]Director:
Steve RashWriters:
Pat McCormick, Harry Hurwitz, Martin Smith, Pat Bradley, Fred BauerProducer:
Fred BauerCinematographer:
Frank StanleyEditor:
David BlewittProduction Designer:
Peter WooleyProduction Company:
Orion Pictures CompanyArticles in the 19 Mar 1979 HR and the 9 Nov 1979 Entertainment Today reported that Under The Rainbow would be Innovisions/ECA’s first project in their multi-picture deal with Orion Pictures. Producer Fred Bauer wrote the original story, which was developed by Pat Bradley. The company hired writers Pat McCormick, Harry Hurwitz, and Martin Smith to write the script.
An item in the 9 Nov 1979 DV reported that principal photography would begin on 1 Jul 1980 in Culver City, CA. However, as noted in the 11 Aug 1980 LAT, Orion postponed filming due to the 1980 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strike, which began 21 Jul 1980. The 14 Oct 1980 HR stated principal photography began 13 Oct 1980.
The 17 Dec 1980 LAHExam reported that Orion considered replacing Chevy Chase with actor Robert Hays just prior to filming. Chase’s best friend, Doug Kenney, had recently died in an accident, and Chase was in a “deep depression.” Studio executives were concerned about Chase’s ability to work, but decided not to replace him. When the project went well past its fourteen-week shooting schedule and had doubled its $7 million budget, Orion executive Mike Medavoy insisted that Chase was not the problem, “despite reports to the contrary.” Medavoy attributed the problems to hiring 150 little people with no prior acting experience. An item in the 4 Mar 1981 DV reported that actress Carrie Fisher collapsed on the set a week earlier and was briefly hospitalized, reportedly due to the “after-effects of the flu and ...
Articles in the 19 Mar 1979 HR and the 9 Nov 1979 Entertainment Today reported that Under The Rainbow would be Innovisions/ECA’s first project in their multi-picture deal with Orion Pictures. Producer Fred Bauer wrote the original story, which was developed by Pat Bradley. The company hired writers Pat McCormick, Harry Hurwitz, and Martin Smith to write the script.
An item in the 9 Nov 1979 DV reported that principal photography would begin on 1 Jul 1980 in Culver City, CA. However, as noted in the 11 Aug 1980 LAT, Orion postponed filming due to the 1980 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strike, which began 21 Jul 1980. The 14 Oct 1980 HR stated principal photography began 13 Oct 1980.
The 17 Dec 1980 LAHExam reported that Orion considered replacing Chevy Chase with actor Robert Hays just prior to filming. Chase’s best friend, Doug Kenney, had recently died in an accident, and Chase was in a “deep depression.” Studio executives were concerned about Chase’s ability to work, but decided not to replace him. When the project went well past its fourteen-week shooting schedule and had doubled its $7 million budget, Orion executive Mike Medavoy insisted that Chase was not the problem, “despite reports to the contrary.” Medavoy attributed the problems to hiring 150 little people with no prior acting experience. An item in the 4 Mar 1981 DV reported that actress Carrie Fisher collapsed on the set a week earlier and was briefly hospitalized, reportedly due to the “after-effects of the flu and exhaustion.” Fisher’s agent noted that her original deal specified a twelve-week shooting schedule, and the film was “now in its twentieth week.” Discussions were underway for how much longer Fisher’s presence was required. The 26 Mar 1981 DV reported the completion of principal photography.
The film marked the feature film debut of actors Zelda Rubenstein and Phil Fondacaro.
Under the Rainbow was among the films listed in the Dec 1981 Rolling Stone article, “Big Bucks, Big Losers, Twenty-four Films that Bombed in 1981.” The article estimated the film’s production budget at $20 million, while domestic rentals to date were $6 million.
The end cast credits conclude with the credit for Leonard Barr who portrayed “Pops,” and his credit is followed by the statement: “Good-bye, Leonard, we’ll miss you very much…”
End credits include approximately seventy transportation department personnel. However, the text was too small and illegible to read on the two prints viewed by AFI.
End credits include the following statements: “Special thanks to Bill Lytle, without whom this picture would have been called ‘A Small Hotel’” and, “We would also like to thank the following people and companies for their help and cooperation: Amtrak; John Butterworth; Joe Lipsher; Ray Martin/Raymar Co.; Pacific Railroad Society, Inc.; Billy Barty Foundation for Little People; R.M.S. Queen Mary; Dr. David R. Rimoin; Union Pacific Railroad; City Council of Culver City, R. Ronald Perkins, Mayor, Paul A. Jacobs, Vice-Mayor, Richard Brundo, Councilman, Richard M. Alexander, Councilman, Paul Netzel, Councilman; Dale Jones, Chief Administrative Officer; Warren Spry, Municipal Services Director; Robert Ogle, City Attorney; Culver City Police Department; Culver City Fire Department; Culver City Unified School District; Linwood E. Howe Elementary School; Caryll Wild and the Downtown Merchants Association of Culver City; Culver City Historical Society; Culver City Chamber of Commerce.” The “thanks” also included a list of approximately two hundred personal names and companies. However, the text was too small and illegible to read on the two prints viewed by AFI. End credits also include the statement: "Filmed at Kings Point Corporation, Laird International Studios and at The Burbank Studios, Burbank, California."
In 1938 Culver, Kansas, a little person named Rollo Sweet lives at a mission, where he awaits a letter from Hollywood regarding an acting role. The residents gather around the radio to listen to an address from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but the reception is poor. Rollo climbs onto the roof and adjusts the antennae, but falls off. Unharmed, he runs inside to listen to the speech. Meanwhile, in Nazi Germany, Hitler is angered by the President’s address and sends Otto Kriegling, a dwarf Nazi spy, to California to pass secret invasion plans to a Japanese operative dressed in a white suit. At the Culver City Studios in California, studio chief Louis appoints Annie Clark as “special talent coordinator” for the 150 little people arriving by train to appear as “munchkins” in the film, The Wizard of Oz. He also assigns his nephew, Homer, to assist Annie. Homer books rooms for the munchkins at the quiet Culver Hotel across the street from the studio. However, the receptionist hides the reservation so the hotel owner, Lester Hudson, will leave his nephew, Henry Hudson, in charge of the empty hotel and take her to a convention. Meanwhile, Secret Service Agent Bruce Thorpe is assigned to escort a foreign Duke and Duchess and their dog, Streudel, to California. The Duke insists an assassin is targeting him, but no one believes him. On the train to California, the Duke accidentally shoots Streudel while the Duchess is at the bar. As the porter helps the Duke and Bruce find a replacement dog, ...
In 1938 Culver, Kansas, a little person named Rollo Sweet lives at a mission, where he awaits a letter from Hollywood regarding an acting role. The residents gather around the radio to listen to an address from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but the reception is poor. Rollo climbs onto the roof and adjusts the antennae, but falls off. Unharmed, he runs inside to listen to the speech. Meanwhile, in Nazi Germany, Hitler is angered by the President’s address and sends Otto Kriegling, a dwarf Nazi spy, to California to pass secret invasion plans to a Japanese operative dressed in a white suit. At the Culver City Studios in California, studio chief Louis appoints Annie Clark as “special talent coordinator” for the 150 little people arriving by train to appear as “munchkins” in the film, The Wizard of Oz. He also assigns his nephew, Homer, to assist Annie. Homer books rooms for the munchkins at the quiet Culver Hotel across the street from the studio. However, the receptionist hides the reservation so the hotel owner, Lester Hudson, will leave his nephew, Henry Hudson, in charge of the empty hotel and take her to a convention. Meanwhile, Secret Service Agent Bruce Thorpe is assigned to escort a foreign Duke and Duchess and their dog, Streudel, to California. The Duke insists an assassin is targeting him, but no one believes him. On the train to California, the Duke accidentally shoots Streudel while the Duchess is at the bar. As the porter helps the Duke and Bruce find a replacement dog, the Duke reveals that the dead dog is “Streudel the thirteenth,” and his near-sighted wife has never noticed the changing pets. When they reach Union Station in Los Angeles, an assassin makes an unsuccessful attempt on the Duke’s life. Rollo, who was tired of waiting in Kansas, stows away on the same train. As he disembarks, a security guard chases him into the station where Annie and Homer are meeting the Wizard of Oz munchkins, and Rollo quickly blends in with the cast. At the Culver Hotel, Henry Hudson posts a sign renaming it “The Hotel Rainbow.” A bus transporting the Japanese Amateur Photography Society, or “JAPS,” breaks down in front of the hotel, and the Japanese men dressed in white suits check rent rooms. Bruce, the Duke and Duchess, and Streudel reach the hotel, not realizing an assassin is following them. Annie, Homer, and the munchkins arrive at the hotel to discover their reservation is missing and there are not enough rooms. Bruce has booked the entire fourth floor for the Duke and Duchess, and refuses to offer any rooms to Annie, citing security reasons. However, Akido, leader of the Japanese tourists, offers to share some of their rooms, and Annie lends him a copy of The Wizard of Oz screenplay. Munchkins and tourists overflow the lobby as Otto Kriegling arrives, searching for his contact among the similarly-dressed Japanese men, while Nakamuri, a Japanese spy, searches for Otto. At dinner, Otto mistakenly assumes Akido is the Japanese spy and slips the secret plans inside the screenplay. Moments later, Otto meets Nakamuri and realizes he gave the plans to the wrong person. The assassin tries to poison the Duke’s drink, but accidentally poisons Akido. When Annie stops at his table to retrieve the script. Akido drinks the wine and dies. Otto and Nakamuri believe Annie killed him to get the secret plans, but Henry Hudson thinks Akido died of a heart attack and hides the body in the freezer until his uncle returns. During the evening, the munchkins undergo costume fittings and makeup for the next day’s filming. Upon returning from the studio, their shenanigans and parties cause mayhem throughout the hotel. Bruce and Annie’s paths cross as Otto and Nakamuri attempt to retrieve the secret papers, and the assassin repeatedly tries to kill the Duke. Rollo overhears Otto and Nakamuri plot against Annie, and he rushes to her aid. It is a wild night of murder, parties, fights, chases, kidnapping and the blossoming romance between Bruce and Annie. In the morning, Otto and Nakamuri trap Bruce, Annie, the Duke and Duchess, and Streudel in the hotel barbershop. Bruce hides the papers inside a locket on Streudel’s collar and lets him out the door before revealing the dog has the secret plans. Otto leaves Nakamuri to guard the hostages and runs after the dog. As Otto chases Streudel onto the studio lot, Rollo rallies the munchkins and they pursue the spy through various film sets. Meanwhile, the assassin sneaks into the barbershop to kill the Duke, but he and Nakamuri kill each other. Bruce and Annie join the pursuit at the studio, although Bruce reveals that he misled Otto by retaining the secret plans. Otto steals a truck to escape, and Rollo gives chase in a horse and carriage. As Otto discovers that the plans are not in the locket, Rollo’s carriage veers out of control and he crashes into the Wizard of Oz Emerald City entrance. When Rollo regains consciousness, he is back at the mission in Kansas, recovering from his fall. Rollo realizes it was all a dream, featuring his friends at the mission. They lead Rollo outside where Homer Henkel has arrived to take him to Hollywood as part of “Zeemeyer’s Midgets” acting troupe. Rollo boards the bus and meets “agent to the stars” Al Zeemeyer, who bears a striking resemblance to Otto Kriegling. As Rollo leaves for Hollywood, Henry Hudson raises a sign over the mission, renaming it the “Rainbow Mission.”
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