Radioland Murders

Overview

A blend of screwball farce and whodunit murder mystery, this madcap period piece was the brainchild of executive producer George Lucas. In 1939, Penny Henderson (Mary Stuart Masterson) is the harried general secretary and de facto manager of a new fourth radio network, WBN. On the night that the Chicago station goes live on the air, a mysterious voice interrupts, and a series of murders soon follows, each one described by the same sonorous phantom. While Penny and her staff desperately try to keep WBN's roster of shows afloat during the unfolding crisis, her estranged husband Roger (Brian Benben), a staff writer, becomes the chief suspect. Roger is forced to dodge a detective, Lieutenant Cross (Michael Lerner), find the real killer, win Penny back, and perform last-minute script rewrites for an unhappy sponsor. As the backstage hysteria reaches a fever pitch, the show goes on with real-life radio-era pros such as George Burns and Rosemary Clooney. Although never explicitly pointed out in the film, Radioland Murders (1994) was a pseudo-prequel to an earlier Lucas feature -- Roger and Penny are the future parents of Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) from American Graffiti (1973).

Product Details

Release Date:	08/22/2006
UPC:	0025192012426
Original Release:	1994
Rating:	PG
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:48:00
Sales rank:	48,150

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Brian Benben	Roger
Mary Stuart Masterson	Penny
Ned Beatty	Gen. Whalen
George Burns	Milt
Scott Michael Campbell	Billy
Brion James	Bernie
Michael Lerner	Lt. Cross
Michael McKean	Rick
Jeffrey Tambor	Walt Whalen Junior
Stephen Tobolowsky	Max Applewhite
Christopher Lloyd	Zoltan
Larry Miller	Katzenback,Cop #7
Anita Morris	Claudette
Corbin Bernsen	Dexter Morris
Mark Fincannon	Actor
Rosemary Clooney	Anna
Bobcat Goldthwait	Wild Writer
Linda Phillips-Palo	Actor
Robert Walden	Tommy
Dylan Baker	Jasper
Billy Barty	Himself
Tracy Byrd	Herself
Candy Clark	Billy's Mom
Anne DeSalvo	Female Writer
Jennifer Dundas	Deidre
Bo Hopkins	Billy's Father
Robert Klein	Father Writer
Harvey Korman	Jules Cogley
Joey Lawrence	Frankie Marshall
Peter MacNicol	Son Writer
Ellen Albertini Dow	Organist
Mary Boucher	Soap Box Girl
Rosalie Joseph	Actor
Wilbur Fitzgerald	"Tortured" Actor
Randell Haynes	Difficult Actor/Interrogator
Mark Joy	Jack Granite
Rebecca Koon	Mildred's Mom/Ma
Gary Kroeger	Gork, Son of Fire
Tammy Lauren	"In the Mood" Bandleader
Charles Marsh	Upside Down Yodeller
Richard Olsen	"Lt. Cross" Actor/Pa
Robert Raiford	Ben Butter
Jack Sheldon	Ruffles Reedy
Barry Bell	Cop #1
Lou Criscuolo	Cop #4
Harold Bergman	Affiliate
Dave Hager	Laughing Man
D. Pender	Revolving Stage Operator
Jeffrey Pillars	Nerdy Stagehand
Pam Stone	Dottie
Amy Parrish	"The Miller Sisters" Member
Michael Moran	Cop #10
Robert Treveiler	Cop #14
Ed Lillard	Loud Affiliate

Technical Credits

Ron Osborn

Mel Smith	Director
David Beavis	Special Effects
Tom Kennedy	Special Effects
George Lucas	Executive Producer
Rick McCallum	Producer
Fred Roos	Producer
Scott Squires	Special Effects
Rosalie Joseph	Casting
Ron Osborn	Screenwriter

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Disc #1 -- Radioland Murders
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Editorial Reviews

A little-known entry in the catalog of producer George Lucas, Radioland Murders is one part murder mystery, one part screwball comedy, and one part tribute to the "golden age" of radio. Lucas's foray outside the fantasy-science fiction genre is an admirable attempt that proves difficult. Mary Stuart Masterson and Brian Benben head a large cast as a bickering married couple employed at Chicago radio station WBN, she as a secretary and he as a writer, who are separating right before the station's premier broadcast. As the live broadcast gets underway, a series of murders threaten to pull the plug. Of course, further complicating matters, Benben becomes the prime suspect and must avoid the police while trying to prove his innocence. Masterson and, especially, Benben are very funny, but they are saddled with fighting through a series of clichés, forced situations, and tired jokes. Benben mugs and takes pratfalls, albeit effectively, while Masterson is stuck in the role as his foil and the glue holding everything together while the plot comes undone. Comedian Mel Smith directs and tries hard to match the performances with the opulent period sets, but can't seem to decide the direction he wants the film to take. The film is loaded with cameos by lower-tier celebrities, often spoofing themselves, and the supporting cast features very funny performances from Michael McKean as the orchestra leader and Christopher Lloyd as the sound effects man.

All Movie Guide - Dan Friedman