The Choirboys [Blu-ray]

Director: Robert Aldrich Robert Aldrich

Overview

Loosely based on former policeman Joseph Wambaugh's humorous novel, The Choirboys determinedly explores the stunted interior lives of a large crew of callous, bigoted L.A. policemen. These men get together to lend one another emotional support. However, the means they choose for this do not enhance their sensitivity or their judgement. When one of them has a really bad day, he asks his buddies to come to "choir practice," and they get together for alcoholic benders of fairly epic proportions. When one of them accidentally shoots a homosexual teen cruising a city park, everyone (including higher-ups) gets called on to help with the cover-up. The Choirboys, which was a critical and box-office failure, had an impressive cast list, including such well-known performers as Blair Brown, James Woods, Randy Quaid, Lou Gossett Jr., Perry King and Charles Durning.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/09/2021
UPC:	0738329251888
Original Release:	1977
Rating:	R
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Language:	English
Time:	1:59:00
Sales rank:	23,726

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Charles Durning	Spermwhale Whalen
Perry King	Baxter Slate
Louis Gossett Jr.	Calvin Motts
Clyde Kusatsu	Francis Tanaguchi
Stephen Macht	Van Moot
Tim McIntire	Roscoe Rules
Randy Quaid	Proust
Chuck Sacci	Sartino
James Woods	Bloomguard
Burt Young	Scuzzi,Vice officer
Robert Webber	Riggs
Jeannie Bell	Fanny
Blair Brown	Mrs. Lyles
Michele Carey	Ora Lee Tingle
Charles Haid	Yanov
Joe Kapp	Hod Carrier
Barbara Rhoades	Hadley
Phyllis Davis	Foxy/Gina,Capt. Drobeck
Jack Deleon	Luther Quigley
George Di Cenzo	Lt. Grimsley
David Spielberg	Lt. Finque
Vic Tayback	Pete Zoony
Michael Wills	Blaney
Susan Batson	Sabrina
Claire Brennan	Carolina Moon
Claire Brennon	Carolina Moon
Don Stroud	Lyles
Dimitri Logothetis	Card player
Louise Lorimer	Fox
Bob Minor	Hod carrier 2
Loni-Kaye Harkless	Secretary
Maria O'Brien	Carrier 2's wife
Cheryl Smith	Tammy
John Steadman	Odello
Lomax Study	Businessman
Bill Walker	Tilden
Suzanne Zenor	Blonde

Technical Credits

Joseph Wambaugh

Robert Aldrich	Director
Merv Adelson	Producer
Mario Bregni	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Mark Damon	Executive Producer
Lee Rich	Producer
Joseph Wambaugh	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

There is a great film waiting to be found within the pages of the Joseph Wambaugh novel that gives this film its name. Unfortunately, Robert Aldrich and crew failed to deliver it with this film. The script faithfully translates many scenes and whole chunks of dialogue from the book verbatim but something went missing in the translation. This happens mainly because Aldrich's direction of the tale is uncharacteristically flat-footed, missing out on the surreal, cartoonish edge of the novel and delivering a finished product that lacks irony or any attempt to criticize the policemen heroes for the role they play in the vicious cycle of their careers. As a result, key scenes with a dark racial, social or sexual edge to them lack the sense of danger they should have and play out like crass gags from a particularly raunchy sitcom. The cast gives it their all, with pros like Charles Durning and Burt Young turning in solid work as police force veterans. However, normally reliable actors like Don Stroud and Perry King turn in overwrought performances, probably due to the shrill, one-note tone of the script and direction. Even the technical aspects of The Choirboys seems off: Joseph Biroc's cinematography has a dull, overlit "t.v.-movie" look to it and Frank DeVol's score includes humor-minded songs that sound like outtakes from the score of Car 54, Where Are You. In short, fans of Wambaugh's novels would be better off sticking with The Onion Field or The New Centurions rather than this misguided adaptation.