O.C. and Stiggs
O.C. and Stiggs is a 1987 American teen comedy film directed by Robert Altman, based on two characters that were originally featured in a series of stories published in National Lampoon magazine.[2] The film stars Daniel H. Jenkins and Neill Barry as the title characters. Other members of the cast include Paul Dooley, Jane Curtin, Martin Mull, Dennis Hopper, Ray Walston, Louis Nye, Melvin Van Peebles, Tina Louise, Cynthia Nixon, Jon Cryer and Bob Uecker.
| O.C. and Stiggs | |
|---|---|
![]() | |
| Directed by | Robert Altman |
| Screenplay by | Donald Cantrell Ted Mann |
| Story by | Tod Carroll Ted Mann |
| Produced by | Robert Altman Peter Newman |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Pierre Mignot |
| Edited by | Elizabeth Kling |
| Music by | King Sunny Adé |
Production companies | Lewis Allen/Peter Newman Productions Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Distributed by | MGM/UA Communications Co. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $7,000,000 (est.)[1] |
| Box office | $29,815[1] |
The film, a raunchy teen comedy described by the British Film Institute as "probably Altman's least successful film", was shot in 1983, but not released until long after post-production was completed (copyrighted in 1985). MGM shelved it for a couple of years, finally giving it a limited theatrical release in 1987 and 1988.
Plot summary
O.C. & Stiggs is the adventure of two Arizona teenagers. In their car, the Gila Monster, they pick up girls and torture their nemesis, Randall Schwab, while procuring liquor from "Wino Bob" (a bum who lives in the oleander bushes behind the 7-Eleven).
Cast
- Daniel H. Jenkins as O.C. (Oliver Cromwell Oglivie)
- Neill Barry as Mark Stiggs
- Jane Curtin as Elinore Schwab
- Paul Dooley as Randall Schwab
- Jon Cryer as Randall Schwab, Jr.
- Laura Urstein as Lenore Schwab
- Victor Ho as Frankie Tang
- Ray Walston as Gramps
- Donald May as Jack Stiggs
- Carla Borelli as Stella Stiggs
- Stephanie Elfrink as Missie Stiggs
- Amanda Hull as Debbie Stiggs
- James Gilsenan as Barney Beaugereaux
- Tina Louise as Florence Beaugereaux
- Cynthia Nixon as Michelle
- Greg Wangler as Jefferson Washington
- Dennis Hopper as Sponson
- Alan Autry as Goon
- Louis Nye as Garth Sloan
- Dan Ziskie as Rusty Calloway
- Martin Mull as Pat Coletti
- Melvin van Peebles as Wino Bob
- Tiffany Helm as Charlotte
- Dana Andersen as Robin
- Bob Uecker as Himself
- Margery Bond as Mrs. Bunny
- Jeannine Ann Cole as Nancy Pearson
- Nina van Pallandt as Clare Dejavue
- Thomas Hal Phillips as Hal Phillip Walker
- Danny Darst as Schwab Commercial Singer
- Caroline Aaron as Janine
- Maurice Orozco as Bandido
- Louis Enriques as Promoter
- Frank Sprague as Actor in Play
- Robert Fortier as Wino Jim
- Allan Berne, Bob Reilly, Robert Carter, Richard Thompson, Roy Gunsberg, Wayne Wallace, Robert Ledford, D.C. Warren, Lobo, and Florence White as Winos
- Fred Newman as Bongo Voice
- Special music and appearance by King Sunny Adé and His African Beats; Courtesy of Island Records, Ltd.
Crew
- A Lewis Allen/Peter Newman Production
- Executive Producer: Lewis M. Allen
- Editor: Elizabeth Kling
- Art Director: David Gropman
- Production Designer: Scott Bushnell
- Director of Photography: Pierre Mignot
- Based on a Story by: Tod Carroll & Ted Mann
- Screenplay by: Donald Cantrell & Ted Mann
- Produced by: Robert Altman and Peter Newman
- Directed by: Robert Altman
- Based on a story from: National Lampoon Magazine
- Associate Producer: Scott Bushnell
- Production Manager: Allan Nicholls
- First Assistant Directors: Stephen P. Dunn, Paula Mazur
- Second Assistant Director: Ned Dowd
- Artistic Consultant: Stephen Altman
- Set Decorator: John Hay
- Wardrobe Supervisor: Kirstine Flones-Czeki
- Hairdresser: Victor DeNicola, Jr.
- Makeup: David Craig Forrest
- Special Effects: Alan Hall/Movie Mechanics
Uncredited songs
- "Mo Ti Mo" (opening title and concert scene)
"O.C. and Stiggs" (ending title, unreleased as LP)
by King Sunny Adé and his African Beats
Production
The movie's plot was very loosely based on stories from National Lampoon magazine that were written by Ted Mann and Tod Carroll. O.C. and Stiggs were recurring characters in articles in the magazine, eventually leading up to the entire October 1982 issue being devoted to a fictional first-person account of the story of their summer, "The Utterly Monstrous Mind-Roasting Summer of O.C. and Stiggs". The plotline and main characters of the movie were significantly different from the National Lampoon stories they were based on. Most notably, the original magazine characters were destructive, malevolent teenagers, whereas the main characters of the movie were not inherently destructive, and significant portions of the magazine story were omitted from the movie.
Aftermath
In an interview years later, included on the DVD release of Tanner '88, Altman acknowledges that the film didn't work but is quick to defend the cast, which included Tanner star Cynthia Nixon, saying it was "not their fault."
Reception
The film received generally lackluster reviews.[3]
Related Works
Alan Moore's comic characters D.R. and Quinch are a science fiction take on the magazine's O.C. and Stiggs characters.[4]
References
- O.C. and Stiggs at Box Office Mojo
- Maslin, Janet (March 18, 1988). "O C Stiggs (1985) Review/Film; A Look at High School In 'O.C. and Stiggs'".
- Rotten Tomatoes
- Parkin, Lance (2013). Magic Words: The Extraordinary Life of Alan Moore. London: Aurum Press Ltd. p. 156. ISBN 9781781310779.
