The Ski Bum (film)
| The Ski Bum | |
|---|---|
Avco Embassy | |
Release date | |
Running time | 95 minutes[a] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $750,000[2] |
The Ski Bum is a 1971 American drama film directed by Bruce D. Clark, written by Bruce D. Clark and Marc Siegler, and starring Zalman King, Charlotte Rampling, Joseph Mell, Dimitra Arliss, Tedd King and Dwight Marfield. Based on the 1965 novel The Ski Bum by Romain Gary, it was released by Embassy Pictures.[3][4][5]
Plot
Ski instructor Johnny is carrying on a romance with Samantha, a married woman who also serves as the hostess at a ski lodge. Samantha coaxes Jack into giving skiing lessons to the Stones, a rich family whose patriarch is the head of a mysterious company planning to take over the resort.
Cast
- Zalman King as Johnny
- Charlotte Rampling as Samantha
- Joseph Mell as Burt Stone
- Dimitra Arliss as Liz Stone
- Tedd King as Maxwell Enderby
- Dwight Marfield as Doctor Walter Graham
- Freddie James as Brad Stone
- Lori Shelle as Lisa Stone
- Pierre Jalbert as Roger
- Anna Karen Morrow as Golda Lanning
- Paul Jabara as Rocco
- Michael Lerner as Rod
- Don Campbell as Randy
- Noah Keen as Marty
- David Chow as Otto
- Penelope Spheeris as Star the Witch
- Deborah Smaller as Janey
Background
Joseph E. Levine bought the rights to make a film out of the Romain Gary story in 1964, but spent years trying to get a suitable screenplay; those who worked on the project included author and critic Hollis Alpert.[6] At various times Peter O'Toole, Christopher Jones, Warren Beatty and Jon Voight were reportedly considered for the starring role;[5] Robert Redford was also approached but turned the part down.[7] Finally Levine gave a trio of UCLA film students a $750,000 budget and free rein to do what they wanted, resulting in a film that had little to do with the book.[2][6]
Release
The film opened at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco but closed after one week.[2]
Reception
Notes
- ^ A few sources, including Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, give a running time of 136 minutes, but this is contradicted by the American Film Institute Catalog and the contemporary New York Times review. The longer time may be a misprint for 1 hour 36 minutes.
References
- The San Francisco Examiner. p. 30. "...which opens today at the Fox-Warfield and Spruce Drive-in."
- ^ a b c d e Har. (January 20, 1971). "Film Reviews: The Ski Bum". Variety. p. 13. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "The Ski Bum (1971) - Overview". TCM.com. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
- ^ Hal Erickson. "The Ski Bum (1971) - Bruce Clark". AllMovie. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
- ^ a b "The Ski Bum - History". American Film Institute. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
- ^ a b c Siskel, Gene (March 17, 1971). "A Horrifying Duo". Chicago Tribune. p. II-7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (June 15, 1969). "Interview with Robert Redford". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Greenspun, Roger (December 2, 1971). "Screen: Many Lives of 'The Ski Bum'". The New York Times.
- The San Francisco Examiner. p. 8.
External links
- The Ski Bum at IMDb
- The Ski Bum at the American Film Institute Catalog
