Shakes the Clown (1991)

Director:

Bobcat Goldthwait

Writer (WGA):

Bobcat Goldthwait (written by)

Release Date:

13 March 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Loved by children. Desired by women. Adored by bartenders everywhere.

Plot:

Shakes plods about his duties as party clown, and uses all of his free time getting seriously drunk...

Plot Keywords:

Clown | Mime | Party | Murder | Cult Favorite

Cast

Bobcat Goldthwait	...	Shakes the Clown
Julie Brown	...	Judy
Bruce Baum	...	Ty the Rodeo Clown
Steve Bean	...	Beaten Mime in Park
Blake Clark	...	Stenchy the Clown
Eliza Coyle	...	Enthusiastic Mime
Paul Dooley	...	Owen Cheese
Gerald F. Edelstein	...	2nd Party Dad
Robin Williams	...	Mime Class Instructor (as Marty Fromage)
Jack Gallagher	...	Officer Crony
Paige Gosney	...	Billy
Kathy Griffin	...	Lucy
Florence Henderson	...	The Unknown Woman
Scott Herriott	...	Floor Director
Melissa Hurley	...	Producer at Big Time Cartoon Circus
Tim Kazurinsky	...	1st Party Dad
Tom Kenny	...	Binky the Clown
Paul Kozlowski	...	HoHo the Clown
Jeremy Kramer	...	Detective Boar (as Jeremy S. Kramer)
Sydney Lassick	...	Peppy the Clown
Joel Murray	...	Milkman
Bob Nickman	...	Gas Station Owner
LaWanda Page	...	Female Clown Barfly (as La Wanda Page)
Shane Ricci	...	Obnoxious Kid at Party
Adam Sandler	...	Dink the Clown
Johnny Silver	...	Clown Tailor
Cary Smith	...	Mom at Party
Dan Spencer	...	Boots the Clown
Greg Travis	...	Randi the Rodeo Clown
Tony V.	...	Broken Saddle Bouncer (as Tony V)
Tom Villard	...	Dirthead in Car
Martin Charles Warner	...	Male Clown Barfly

Directed by
Bobcat Goldthwait

Writing credits (WGA)
Bobcat Goldthwait		(written by)

Produced by
Michael Bennett	....	line producer
Melissa Cobb	....	associate producer
Paul Colichman	....	producer
Miles A. Copeland III	....	executive producer
Barry Krost	....	executive producer
Ann Luly-Golthwait	....	producer (as Ann Luly)
Steven Reich	....	associate producer
Harold Welb	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Tom Scott

Cinematography by
Bobby Bukowski		(director of photography)
Elliot Davis		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
J. Kathleen Gibson

Casting by
Donald Paul Pemrick		(as Don Pemrick)

Production Design by
Pamela Woodbridge

Art Direction by
Christopher Neely		(as Christopher B. Neely)

Set Decoration by
Marty Huyette

Costume Design by
Stephen M. Chudej

Makeup Department
Lance Anderson	....	special effects makeup artist: Make-Up Designs, Inc.
Karen Asano-Myers	....	hair designer
Jeffrey S. Farley	....	makeup effects artist (as Jeff Farley)
Kathryn Fenton	....	makeup designer (as Kathryn Kelly)
Andy 'Happy' Gersh	....	makeup assistant: clown
Chuck 'Lucky' Gibbs	....	makeup assistant: clown
Joshua Ruben	....	makeup assistant: clown

Production Management
Kevin Reidy	....	executive in charge of production
Graham Stumpf	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matthew J. Clark	....	first assistant director (as Matthew Clark)
Rosemary C. Cremona	....	second assistant director (as Rosemary Cremona)
Robert Lorenz	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Carlos Barbosa	....	construction coordinator
Richard Brunton	....	assistant art director (as Richard G. Brunton)
Scott Edward Collins	....	set dresser
Blair Martin	....	property master
Carew Papritz	....	constructor
Duncan Rouleau	....	sketch artist
Phillip Schneider	....	scenic painter (as Phil Schneider)

Sound Department
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist (as Vanessa A. Ament)
Barbara J. Boguski	....	adr editor
Stephen R. Brown	....	boom operator
Gregory Cheever	....	sound recordist
Burness Dembrowski	....	dialogue editor (as Burness J. Demrowski)
Paul J. Diller	....	sound transferer (as Paul Diller)
Giovanni Di Simone	....	sound mixer
Stacey A. Foiles	....	sound editor
Armond Ghzanian	....	sound assistant
Warren Kleiman	....	adr mixer
Steve Kohler	....	foley mixer
Christopher Lewis	....	sound editor (as Christopher J. Lewis)
Heather McPherson	....	foley artist
Kevin Potter	....	sound transferer
Steve Rice	....	dialogue editor
Tom Ruff	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Tom W. Ruff)
Art Schiro	....	sound recordist (as Arthur Schiro)
Jackson Schwartz	....	foley mixer
Ann L. Thornberg	....	sound assistant
Steve Van Meter	....	adr recordist
James G. Williams	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Lewis Yewdall	....	supervising sound editor
Lisa A. Yewdall	....	post sound coordinator

Special Effects by
Gary D'Amico	....	special effects coordinator
Ken Speed	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Richard Kilroy	....	matte artist

Stunts
Gregory J. Barnett	....	additional stunts
Sandy Berumen	....	additional stunts
Richard L. Blackwell	....	additional stunts
John Blenkhorn	....	additional stunts (as John Todd Blenkhorn)
John Cade	....	additional stunts
Doc D. Charbonneau	....	additional stunts
Carl Ciarfalio	....	additional stunts
Wally Crowder	....	additional stunts
Mark A. Cuttin	....	additional stunts
BJ Davis	....	additional stunts (as B.J. Davis)
Dick Dial	....	additional stunts
Christopher Doyle	....	additional stunts (as Chris Doyle)
Steven Graves	....	additional stunts (as Steve Graves)
Gary Guercio	....	additional stunts
Norman Howell	....	additional stunts
Scott Land	....	clown stilt walker
Lane Leavitt	....	additional stunts
Gene LeBell	....	additional stunts
Michael R. Long	....	additional stunts
Dennis Madalone	....	additional stunts
Eddie Matthews	....	additional stunts (as Eddie Mathews)
Steve Picerni	....	additional stunts
Spiro Razatos	....	additional stunts
Spiro Razatos	....	stunt double
Kip Reynolds	....	stilt walker
Michael J. Sarna	....	additional stunts (as Michael John Sarna)
Jim Stephan	....	additional stunts
Tim Trella	....	stunt coordinator
Ric Roman Waugh	....	additional stunts (as Ric Waugh)
Merritt Yohnka	....	additional stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Anderson	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as Eric R. Anderson)
Alicia Craft	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Bill Daimant	....	grip (as Bill Daimont)
Doug Dole	....	dolly grip (as Douglas Dole)
Don Duffield	....	dolly grip
Ira Eichner	....	camera operator
Robert Forrest	....	dolly grip
Matthew G. Gordy	....	electrician (as Matt Gordy)
Jeff Graham	....	second assistant camera
Bodo Holst	....	first assistant camera
Paul Janossy	....	camera assistant (as Paul Janosi)
Eric M. Klein	....	best boy grip (as Eric 'The Kid' Klein)
Calvin Maehl	....	gaffer
Matthew Thomas Moles	....	electrician (as Matt 'The Arm' Moles)
Edward J. Pei	....	additional cinematographer (as Ed Pei)
Felix Rivera	....	best boy electric
Eric Schmidt	....	third grip
Bryan H. Shepard	....	grip
Ted Soqui	....	still photographer
Tom Stackpoole	....	first assistant camera (as Tom D. Stackpoole)
Shawn Stone	....	grip
Rick Stribling	....	key grip (as Ricky Stribling)
Michael Tolochko	....	electrician
Kerrec 'K-Man' Williams	....	electrician (as Kerrec Williams)

Casting Department
Gregory Concors	....	casting assistant (as Greg Concors)
Deverin Karol	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Winifred Clements	....	wardrobe supervisor
Melinda Leeson	....	seamstress
Amy Fern Poliskin	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
David C. Eichhorn	....	assistant editor (as David Eichhorn)
Douglas Purgason	....	assistant editor (as Douglas Zip Purgason)

Music Department
Paul Di Franco	....	music supervisor: I.R.S. Media
Tom Scott	....	music performer

Transportation Department
John Blenkhorn	....	driver: production van (as John T. Blenkhorn)
Chuck Clarke	....	transportation coordinator
David Coffey	....	driver (as Dave Coffey)
Eugene Farrington	....	driver: honeywagon (as Gene Farrington)
Stephen R. Hudis	....	driver
Paul Jones	....	driver
John Ornstein	....	transportation captain (as John P. Ornstein)

Other crew
Mark Barbolak	....	business affairs: I.R.S. Media (as Mark Barbolak Esq.)
Paula M. Bass	....	assistant production coordinator (as Paula M. Hammerel)
Liz Chiz	....	assistant: Ms. Phillips
Paul Clowdus	....	production accountant
Richard D. Endacott	....	location assistant
Harlan M. Freedman	....	production coordinator
Jim Goldthwait	....	key set production assistant
Amy Heneghan	....	craft service
Stacy A. Herkert	....	assistant: Bobcat
Melissa Hurley	....	choreographer
Mary Jeffreys	....	office assistant: I.R.S. Media
Alletta Y.L. Kriak	....	assistant: Mr. Copeland (as Alletta Kriak)
Betty Linn	....	duck trainer
Sam Mandel	....	legal affairs: I.R.S. Media (as Sam Mandel Esq.)
Dickson McMurray	....	title designer
April Morley	....	dog trainer
Rose Ordile	....	duck trainer (as Rosemarie Ordile)
Ruben H. Perez Jr.	....	production assistant
Toni Phillips	....	production assistant
Doree Reno	....	business affairs: I.R.S. Media
Lilli Rouleau	....	assistant: Mr. Colichman (as Lilli Fields Rouleau)
Hugo Scales	....	office assistant: I.R.S. Media
Patrick Shiffrar	....	assistant: Mr. Reich
Bonnie Sills	....	location manager
Bailey Spencer	....	legal affairs: I.R.S. Media
Jane Tani	....	accounting consultant: Bobway
Regi Toscano	....	office assistant: I.R.S. Media
Barbara Tuss	....	script supervisor
Rachel Villa	....	production accountant
Seth Willenson	....	marketing consultant: I.R.S. Media
Harley Williams	....	legal affairs: I.R.S. Media (as Harley Williams Esq.)
Karen Wondra-Grisham	....	office assistant: I.R.S. Media
Martin Yu	....	business affairs: I.R.S. Media (as Marty Yu)
Bundy Chanock	....	set medic (uncredited)

Thanks
Tasha Goldthwait	....	thanks

Production Companies

• IRS Media

Distributors

• IRS Media (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20/20 Vision (1993) (UK) (VHS)
• Sony Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Clowns - Ihr Lachen bringt den Tod (Germany) [de]
Pähkähullu klovni (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Um Palhaço Suspeito (Brazil) [pt]

MPAA:

Rated R for language and drug use.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

IRS Media

Trivia:

Cameo: [Robin Williams]the mime instructor.

Quotes:

Mime Class Instructor: Everybody get ready to fry our bacon... Ready?... Here we go!... Raise 'em! And we go suck in the little pork belly and... FRY! C'mon Chuck... we want to fry off that little fat ass of yours! FRY!... FRY!... FRY!... Chuckie! C'mon everbody, let's sizzle! We're gonna sizzle off little pork but, aren't we? Fry yourself...

Movie Connections:

References "Star Trek" (1966)

Soundtrack:

Clowns

Much maligned in its time, but it aged like fine wine

A reviewer at the Boston Globe once called this, "The Citizen Kane of alcoholic clown movies." Given the number of points of comparison, who could argue?

I was reminded of this when I recently saw the 2003 movie, "Bad Santa" -- which was a similar one-joke, cynical comedy about an obnoxious alcoholic employed as a character meant to bring joy into the lives of children. (The name "Shakes" takes on a whole new meaning when the lead character attempts to detox.) If that one joke works, so goes the movie. So for comparison, I recently rented it not long after seeing "Bad Santa."

While Bad Santa received a great number of favorable critical reviews, this movie wasn't as fortunate. Upon further review, I have to say that this movie never got the credit it deserved.

Is it a great movie? Oh no. This is a movie that attempts to be so bad and foul, rolling in its own filth, that best targets people with the right, low-expectation mindset. But you could also say that of "There's Something About Mary."

It employs humor in some of the background scenes a la "Airplane." Its use of cheesy 70s actors is pure genius and helps complete the joke. (Nevermind Robin Williams, an early Adam Sandler, and the then-future voice of Sponge Bob Squarepants as the evil Binky the Clown.) If you can manage a smirk during John Waters' "Mondo Trasho," you'll likely find the movie to be quite funny overall.

It's Bobcat's opus, and its no wonder he never really made much of anything since; the same was true for Orson Wells after "Citizen Kane"...