A Man Called Sarge

Last updated

A Man Called Sarge
A Man Called Sarge poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed by Stuart Gillard
Written byStuart Gillard
Produced by
Starring
Narrated by Don LaFontaine
Cinematography David Gurfinkel
Edited byRichard Candib
Music byChuck Cirino
Distributed by The Cannon Group
Release date
  • February 2, 1990 (1990-02-02)(United States)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$92,706 (domestic)

A Man Called Sarge is a 1990 American parody film, written and directed by Stuart Gillard, starring Gary Kroeger, Marc Singer, Gretchen German and introducing a young Natasha Lyonne.

Contents

The humour is built on slapstick and verbal puns, in the fashion of comedy filmmaking trio Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, spoofing a variety of classic war films – notably Casablanca [1] – and the stereotypes of the genre. Sarge (Gary Kroeger), the anti-hero protagonist, is a patriot with an over-the-top John Wayne persona. The antagonist, General Von Kraut (Marc Singer), is a derogatory portrayal of a German commander – extremely evil, perverted and a poor decision maker – emphasized by his name, as kraut is often used as a pejorative term for German soldiers. Furthermore, Sarge's group of misfit soldiers include a Native American, a New York Jew, a hillbilly and a French officer in the style of Maurice Chevalier. [2]

A memorable moment in the film is when Miss Sadie (Gretchen German), a naïve mission school teacher, sings a song called "Jesus Was a Black Dude", with a full gospel choir, to the Arab children in her class.

The film was shot on location in Israel, even though it was set in North Africa.

Plot

Set during the World War II North African Western Desert Campaign, the story follows a misadventurous squad of French Foreign Legion deserters, led by their charismatic Sarge. They set out across the Sahara desert to strike a blow on the German-occupied city of Tobruk.

Cast

At the time of production, Gary Kroeger was mostly known for his work on the late-night comedy and variety TV show Saturday Night Live , where he was a regular from 1982 to 1985. [4] Although Kroeger had starred in a few films prior to and after A Man Called Sarge, this is the only time he played the title role in a feature film. [5] He had previously worked with director Stuart Gillard as the main character in Disney's 1987 television movie The Return of the Shaggy Dog .

Marc Singer was a well established TV actor when he enrolled as General Von Kraut, with a career spanning almost 20 years, including the lead role in the series V . [6] As a feature actor, he was best known for the 1982 film The Beastmaster . A Man Called Sarge marked a return to the big screen and the start of a prolific film career during the 1990s. This was Singer's second collaboration with producer Gene Corman, the first being If You Could See What I Hear , released in 1982. They worked together again on Watchers II , released in the summer of 1990.

Gretchen German had an active television career since the mid-'80s, but A Man Called Sarge was her first feature film. [7] [8]

Natasha Lyonne, who was living in Israel at the time, [9] achieved her first credited feature film role as a young Arab girl who gets punched in the face by General Von Kraut, while trying to defend Miss Sadie, her teacher. She is credited as Natasha Leon. [10]

Production notes

The Khan al-Umdan, in Acre, was used for a showdown scene between Allied and Axis forces Akko BW 13.JPG
The Khan al-Umdan, in Acre, was used for a showdown scene between Allied and Axis forces

A Man Called Sarge was produced by Gene Corman, brother and production partner of Roger Corman, [11] from a 1988 script by director Stuart Gillard. [12] Serving as executive producers were Yoram Globus and Christopher Pearce, heads of Cannon Pictures at the time. This film is part of the early 1990s attempt by Globus, an Israeli veteran producer, to save and rebuild Cannon under new administration, after the departure of his cousin and longtime business partner Menahem Golan and the financial distress in the late 1980s. [13] Eventually, The Cannon Group filed bankruptcy a few years later.

Gene Corman had previously produced Tobruk , a 1967 war action film, set during the failed British attempt to capture Tobruk, in September 1942.

Although the city of Tobruk is located in Libya, filming was done in Israel. One of the final scenes, the showdown between Sarge and Von Kraut, was shot in the Khan al-Umdan caravanserai, in the historical centre of Acre.

Release

A Man Called Sarge had a short-running theatrical release on February 2, 1990, earning $92,706 at the domestic box office. [14] It was released on VHS later the same year. The film was re-released in 2001 as an Amazon.com exclusive. [15] The film received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA, ab 16 from FSK [16] and 15 from the BBFC.

On some promotional material, the taglines used were:

Like many other low-budget films, A Man Called Sarge has a complex history of copyright ownership and distribution rights. Cannon Releasing, part of The Cannon Group, handled the theatrical distribution rights. Worldwide video distribution was in charge of Cannon Video, in association with several partners, including MGM/UA Home Video and Warner Home Video. Currently, the film's rights are owned by MGM, after the acquisition of The Cannon Group catalogue, almost in its entirety, following bankruptcy in 1993.

Although British actor Andy Greenhalgh, who played the role of Major Browning, estimates this to be "a long-forgotten American feature film", [17] it occasionally airs on TV channels around the world, mainly through the MGM Channel and its affiliates. [18] [19]

A home video edition was officially released on DVD in November 2011, as part of the Limited Edition Collection - MGM's On-Demand DVD-R line. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Corman</span> American film director, producer, and actor (1926–2024)

Roger William Corman was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he was known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film.

American International Pictures LLC is an American film production company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing films from 1955 until 1980, a year after its acquisition by Filmways in 1979.

<i>The Little Shop of Horrors</i> 1960 American comedy horror film directed by Roger Corman

The Little Shop of Horrors is a 1960 American horror comedy film directed by Roger Corman. Written by Charles B. Griffith, the film is a farce about a florist's assistant who cultivates a plant that feeds on human blood. The film stars Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles, and Dick Miller, who had all worked for Corman on previous films. Produced under the title The Passionate People Eater, the film employs an original style of humor, combining dark comedy with farce and incorporating Jewish humor and elements of spoof. The Little Shop of Horrors was shot on a budget of $28,000. Interiors were shot in two days, by utilizing sets that had been left standing from A Bucket of Blood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya Rudolph</span> American actress and comedian (born 1972)

Maya Rudolph is an American actress and comedian. From 2000 to 2007, she was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL). During her tenure on the show, she appeared in supporting roles in the films 50 First Dates (2004), A Prairie Home Companion (2006), and Idiocracy (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natasha Lyonne</span> American actress, writer and director (born 1979)

Natasha Bianca Lyonne Braunstein is an American actress, writer, director, and producer. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and tough persona, and the accolades she has received include nominations for five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cannon Group, Inc.</span> Film studio

The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that invested heavily in the video market, buying the international video rights to several classic film libraries. Some of their best known films include Joe (1970), Runaway Train (1985) and Street Smart (1987), all of which were Oscar-nominated.

<i>Tobruk</i> (1967 film) 1967 American war film directed by Arthur Hiller

Tobruk is a 1967 American drama war film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Rock Hudson and George Peppard. The film was written by Leo Gordon and released through Universal Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menahem Golan</span> Israeli film director and producer

Menahem Golan was an Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He co-owned The Cannon Group with his cousin Yoram Globus. Cannon specialized in producing low-to-mid-budget American films, primarily genre films, during the 1980s after Golan and Globus had achieved significant filmmaking success in their native Israel during the 1970s.

<i>The Last American Virgin</i> 1982 US sex comedy film by Boaz Davidson

The Last American Virgin is a 1982 American coming-of-age sex comedy film written and directed by Boaz Davidson, and starring Lawrence Monoson, Diane Franklin, Steve Antin, Joe Rubbo, and Louisa Moritz. A remake of Davidson's 1978 Israeli film Lemon Popsicle, it follows a Los Angeles high school student who, while attempting to lose his virginity, falls in love with one of his female classmates as she begins dating his rebellious best friend.

Gary Kroeger is an American businessman, politician, writer, comedian and actor best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1982 to 1985, and his work on various game shows. He ran in the Democratic Congressional primary in 2016 and then for an Iowa state house seat in the 2016 election. Kroeger lost to incumbent Republican Walt Rogers by a 10,072 to 7,200 margin, 58% to 42%. Kroeger now stars in a podcast called The Gary and Kenny Show co-starring his best friend Ken Ceizler. Adam "Fletch" Kidd produces and edits the show.

<i>A Bucket of Blood</i> 1959 film

A Bucket of Blood is a 1959 American comedy horror film directed by Roger Corman. It starred Dick Miller and was set in the West Coast beatnik culture of the late 1950s. The film, produced on a $50,000 budget, was shot in five days and shares many of the low-budget filmmaking aesthetics commonly associated with Corman's work. Written by Charles B. Griffith, the film is a dark comic satire about a dimwitted, impressionable young busboy at a Bohemian café who is acclaimed as a brilliant sculptor when he accidentally kills his landlady's cat and covers its body in clay to hide the evidence. When he is pressured to create similar work, he becomes a serial murderer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoram Globus</span> Israeli-American film producer

Yoram Globus is an Israeli–American film producer, cinema owner, and distributor. He has been involved in over 300 full-length motion pictures and he is most known for his association with The Cannon Group, Inc., an American film production company, which he co-owned with his cousin Menahem Golan.

<i>The Wasp Woman</i> 1959 film by Roger Corman, Jack Hill

The Wasp Woman is a 1959 American independent science-fiction horror film produced and directed by Roger Corman. Filmed in black-and-white, it stars Susan Cabot, Anthony Eisley, Michael Mark, and Barboura Morris. The film was originally released by Filmgroup as a double feature with Beast from Haunted Cave. To pad out the film's running time when it was released to television two years later, a new prologue was added by director Jack Hill.

James Vincent Russo is an American film and television actor. He has appeared in over 150 films in three decades.

<i>The Secret Invasion</i> 1964 action war film by Roger Corman

The Secret Invasion is a 1964 American action war film directed by Roger Corman. It stars Stewart Granger, Raf Vallone, Mickey Rooney, Edd Byrnes, Henry Silva, Mia Massini, and William Campbell. Appearing three years before The Dirty Dozen (1967), the film features a similar World War II mission where convicts are recruited by the Allies for an extremely hazardous operation behind enemy lines, with any convicts surviving the mission receiving a pardon.

<i>Rasputin and the Empress</i> 1932 film

Rasputin and the Empress is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Richard Boleslawski and written by Charles MacArthur. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), the film is set in Imperial Russia and stars the Barrymore siblings. It is the only film in which all three siblings appear together.

Carnival Rock is a 1957 film directed by Roger Corman with musical performances by The Platters, David Houston, Bob Luman and His Shadows, and the Blockbusters.

<i>Ski Troop Attack</i> 1960 American film

Ski Troop Attack is a 1960 American war film directed by Roger Corman and starring Michael Forest, Frank Wolff, Richard Sinatra and Wally Campo. Filmgroup released the film as a double feature with Battle of Blood Island (1960).

Eugene Harold "Gene" Corman was an American film producer and agent. He was the younger brother of Roger Corman with whom he collaborated on several occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslye Headland</span> American writer and director (born 1980)

Leslye Headland is an American film and television director, screenwriter, and playwright. She wrote the play Bachelorette and wrote and directed its 2012 film adaptation and the 2015 film Sleeping with Other People. She co-created the Netflix series Russian Doll, along with Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler. She also created the Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte.

References

  1. ↑ "A Man Called Sarge". Movie connections. Internet Movie Database . Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  2. ↑ "A Man Called Sarge". Movieguide . Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  3. ↑ Dennis, Peter. "Peter Dennis, Actor, Performer". Pooh Corner. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
  4. ↑ "SNL cast profile: Gary Kroeger". The SNL Archives. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Gary Kroeger". Profile and filmography. Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Marc Singer: Biography". Heroes for Hire. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Gretchen German". Profile and filmography. Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on April 5, 2010. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Gretchen German". Filmography. All Movie Guide . Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Natasha Lyonne". Biography. Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
  10. ↑ "A Man Called Sarge". Full cast and crew. Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Gene Corman". Biography. Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
  12. ↑ "A Man Called Sarge". Register of Copyrights. Internet FAQ Archives. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus". Film Reference. Archived from the original on October 31, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
  14. ↑ "A Man Called Sarge (1990)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on April 6, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  15. ↑ exclusive Amazon.com VHS edition of A Man Called Sarge
  16. 1 2 "A Man Called Sarge - Wo wir sind, ist die Front!". Amazon.de . Retrieved May 14, 2010.(German) — english translation by Google Translate
  17. ↑ Andy Greenhalgh's website Archived December 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ "MGM United Kingdom". MGM Channel. www.mgmchannel.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  19. ↑ "ThisTV profile and schedule page for A Man Called Sarge". ThisTV. Archived from the original on April 6, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
  20. ↑ "A Man Called Sarge". Oldies.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
Database
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.