Kidco

Last updated
Kidco
Kidco poster.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Ronald F. Maxwell
Written byBennett Tramer
Produced by Frank Yablans
David Niven, Jr.
Starring
Cinematography Paul Lohmann
Edited byDavid E. McKenna
Music by Michael Small
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • April 13, 1984 (1984-04-13)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Kidco is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Ronald F. Maxwell and starring Scott Schwartz, Clifton James, Charles Hallahan, Maggie Blye, and Vincent Schiavelli.

Contents

Although the premise sounds far-fetched, the film was based on the 1979 purchase of the public land in Gorda, California by Kidco Limited Ventures, a corporation owned by four children, all minors from Ramona, California, who were heirs of the family that owned the Cessna Aircraft company. [1] After funding the company, $500,000 was invested as a tax shelter to purchase the town's land. At the time, Dickie Cessna was 14 years old and the other three siblings were June (16), Bette (13) and Nene (11). [2] [3] After the Cessna children were paid for the filming rights, a dramatized version of the events was made and distributed by 20th Century.

Plot

An enterprising middle school boy named Dickie Cessna (Scott Schwartz), who lives at a country club where his father works decides to make some extra money by selling composted horse manure as fertilizer, and has his three sisters, Nene, June and Bette (two of whom are older) join him in the enterprise. As their sales increase, they draw increased scrutiny from the state tax board, as well as the large scale competitor who seeks to put them out of business at any cost.

The children eventually fight a court case brought against them by tax collectors from the State of California. They are able to prove that the fertilizer is not taxable as tax had already been paid on the horse feed before the horses processed it into manure, removing one of the counts brought upon them. They eventually pleaded guilty to the others, which allows them to stay in business, to the consternation of the adult competitor.

Cast

Production

The film was shot on location in Tucson, Arizona. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bette Davis</span> American actress (1908–1989)

Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical films, suspense horror, and occasional comedies, although her greater successes were in romantic dramas. A recipient of two Academy Awards, she was the first thespian to accrue ten nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Smith</span> English actress (born 1934)

Dame Margaret Natalie Smith is an English actress. Known for her wit in comedic roles, she has had an extensive career on stage and screen over seven decades and is one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actresses. She has received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.

<i>Man on the Moon</i> (film) 1999 film by Miloš Forman

Man on the Moon is a 1999 biographical comedy-drama film about the late American entertainer Andy Kaufman, starring Jim Carrey as Kaufman. The film was directed by Miloš Forman and also features Danny DeVito, Courtney Love, and Paul Giamatti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clifton Webb</span> American actor, singer, dancer (1889–1966)

Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck, known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, including Blithe Spirit, as well as appearances on Broadway in a number of successful musical revues. As a film actor, he was nominated for three Academy Awards - Best Supporting Actor for Laura (1944) and The Razor's Edge (1946), and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Sitting Pretty (1948).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Joaquin Valley</span> Area of the Central Valley in California

The San Joaquin Valley is the southern half of California's Central Valley, an area drained by the San Joaquin River. Praised as a breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley is a major source of food, producing a significant part of California's agricultural output.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clint Ritchie</span> American actor

Clinton Charles Augustus Ritchie was an American actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Horton Slaughter</span> American soldier, lawman, cowboy, rancher, and gambler (1841–1922)

John Horton Slaughter, also known as Texas John Slaughter, was an American lawman, cowboy, poker player and rancher in the Southwestern United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After serving in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, Slaughter earned a reputation fighting hostile Indians and Mexican and American outlaws in the Arizona and New Mexico territories. In the latter half of his life, he lived at the San Bernardino Ranch, which is today a well-preserved National Historic Landmark in Cochise County in far southeastern Arizona. In 1964, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Doran</span> American actress (1911–2000)

Ann Lee Doran was an American character actress, possibly best known as the mother of Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause (1955). She was an early member of the Screen Actors Guild and served on the board of the Motion Picture & Television Fund for 30 years.

<i>The Great Lie</i> 1941 film by Edmund Goulding

The Great Lie is a 1941 American drama film directed by Edmund Goulding, and starring Bette Davis, George Brent and Mary Astor. The screenplay by Lenore J. Coffee is based on the novel January Heights by Polan Banks.

<i>Herbie: Fully Loaded</i> 2005 film by Angela Robinson

Herbie: Fully Loaded is a 2005 American sports comedy film directed by Angela Robinson from a screenplay by Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar. The film is the sixth and final installment in the Herbie film series, following the television film The Love Bug (1997), and the first theatrical film since Herbie Goes Bananas (1980). It serves as a direct sequel to the previous films. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Justin Long, Breckin Meyer, Matt Dillon, and Michael Keaton. It features cameos by many NASCAR drivers, including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Dale Jarrett.

<i>The Man Who Came to Dinner</i> Comedy in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart

The Man Who Came to Dinner is a comedy play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939, at the Music Box Theatre in New York City, where it ran until 1941, closing after 739 performances. It then enjoyed a number of New York and London revivals. The first London production was staged at The Savoy Theatre starring Robert Morley and Coral Browne. In 1990, Browne stated in a televised biographical interview, broadcast on UK Channel 4, that she bought the rights to the play, borrowing money from her dentist to do so. When she died, her will revealed that she had received royalties for all later productions and adaptations of the play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Hall</span> American west pioneer

Maggie Hall was a prostitute and brothel madam in the early history of Murray, Idaho, originally from Dublin, Ireland. In local lore she is known as a "Prostitute with a heart of gold" and the "Patron Saint of Murray".

<i>The Concorde... Airport 79</i> 1979 American disaster film directed by David Lowell Rich

The Concorde... Airport '79 is a 1979 American air disaster film and the fourth and final installment of the Airport franchise. Although poorly reviewed by critics and earning poorly in North America, the film was a huge hit internationally, for a total gross of $65 million on a $14 million budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorda, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Gorda is a hamlet in Monterey County, California. It is located 3 mi (4.8 km) south of Cape San Martin, at an elevation of 148 ft (45 m). It is one of the three small settlements of filling stations, restaurants, and motels located along State Route 1 on the Big Sur coast. The ZIP Code is 93920, but mail must be addressed to Big Sur, and the community is inside area code 805.

<i>The Bride Came C.O.D.</i> 1941 film by William Keighley

The Bride Came C.O.D. is a 1941 American screwball romantic comedy starring James Cagney as an airplane pilot and Bette Davis as a runaway heiress, and directed by William Keighley. Although the film was publicized as the first screen pairing of Warner Bros.' two biggest stars, they had actually made Jimmy the Gent together in 1934, and had wanted to find another opportunity to work together.

<i>Seed</i> (1931 film) 1931 film

Seed is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by John M. Stahl. The screenplay by Gladys Lehman is based on a novel by Charles G. Norris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Spahn</span> American rancher (1889–1974)

George Christian Spahn was an American rancher who once owned the Spahn Ranch near Chatsworth, Los Angeles. Spahn rented the ranch to the movie industry to film Westerns, and later allowed Charles Manson and his "Family" of followers to live at the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feces</span> Solid or semisolid remains of undigested food

Feces are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relatively small amount of metabolic waste products such as bacterially altered bilirubin, and dead epithelial cells from the lining of the gut.

Martin "Marty" Baum was an American talent agent known for his work at the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), including the first head of the agency's motion picture department. During his career, which spanned from the 1940s until 2010, his client list at CAA and other agencies included Bette Davis, Jack Lemmon, Bobby Darin, Bo Derek, Richard Attenborough, Red Buttons, Maggie Smith and Rock Hudson. Baum was also the President of ABC Pictures, the film division of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), from 1968 until 1971.

The film industry in Louisiana has grown dramatically in recent years largely due to the state's 2002 tax incentives aimed at attracting film and television companies. The success of Louisiana's film industry caused the state to be nicknamed "Hollywood South" or "Hollywood on the Bayou".

References

  1. "Life Is Mellow in a Town Owned by Four Youths; Came Here to Be Left Alone Town Bought as Tax Shelter", The New York Times, November 6, 1980, pA16
  2. "A Place of Their Own", photo in Pittsburgh Press, June 6, 1979, pA-6
  3. Kidco Isn't Kid Stuff— Children's Company Is Big Business Now", by Cilla Brown, Los Angeles Times, April 22, 1979, pI-12
  4. Millar, Jeff (February 24, 1985). "'House of God' extends hospital comedy". Arizona Daily Star . p. 40 via Newspapers.com.