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Trenchcoat (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Trenchcoat' is a 1983 American action comedy film directed by Michael Tuchner and starring Margot Kidder and Robert Hays. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions during an era that focused on releasing strongly adult-oriented films, including 'The Black Hole', 'Condorman', 'The Devil and Max Devlin', 'Escape to Witch Mountain' and its 1978 sequel, 'Never Cry Wolf', 'Night Crossing', 'Return to Oz', 'Something Wicked This Way Comes', 'Tex', 'Tron', 'The Watcher in the Woods', and the international distribution of 'Dragonslayer'.
Because of the film's limited promotion and mostly negative reviews, 'Trenchcoat' is among the most forgotten Disney films and is one of the most difficult to find.
Synopsis
When aspiring mystery writer Mickey Raymond (Margot Kidder) travels to Malta to research her first novel, she finds herself falling in love with Terry (Robert Hays), a handsome, mysterious American. She also finds herself falling into a conspiracy of events, apparently fuelled as much by her vivid author's imagination as real-life events. David Suchet plays a local police official who seemingly is one step behind these events. Raymond sees it as her odd luck when she becomes embroiled in an international plutonium smuggling ring, and comic chaos ensues. Weary of playing victim, she turns detective to investigate not only the source of her bad luck, but also to find out who the real culprits are. At the end, Terry and Mickey stay together, sealing their relationship with a kiss in the dark.
Cast
* Margot Kidder as Mickey Raymond, the writer
* Robert Hays as Terry Leonard, the spy
* Gila von Weitershausen as Eva Werner
* Daniel Faraldo as Nino Tenucci, Mickey's taxi driver
* Ronald Lacey as Princess Aida
* John Justin as Marquis De Pena
* Leopoldo Trieste as Esteban Ortega
* Jennifer Darling as Laurie
* Kevork Malikyan as the Arab who kidnaps Mickey
* Vic Tablian as Achmed
Production
In February 1981, it was reported that producer Jerry Leider planned a $10-million comedy-thriller, using the working title, 'Malta Wants Me Dead', to be released by EMI.
After Leider's association with EMI ended, he brought the project to Disney, encouraged by the companys recent interest in working with independent producers. He gave a copy of the screenplay to Disney production chief Tom Wilhite on the Friday before a holiday weekend, and an agreement was reached the following Tuesday. The $8-million production boasted an international cast and crew representing such countries as the U.S., Canada, England, Italy, Germany, France, and Malta. Trenchcoat marked Leiders first release through Disney, whose distributor, Buena Vista Distribution Company, planned a release for early 1983. Filming locations included the cities of Valletta, Mdina, and Rabat, and several landmarks, including the Hagar Qim Temples, Verdala Castle, the Grand Master Palace Armoury, St. Pauls Catacombs, the Floriana market, the Gozo ferry, and the Grand Harbour. Eight weeks of photography in Malta would be followed by another week in San Francisco, CA. With Ronald Lacey as Princess Aida, a 1982 article in Varety noted Trenchcoat may have been the first Disney release to feature an openly homosexual character.
Release
The film was produced by Walt Disney Productions but was uncredited, due to its adult themes. 'Trenchcoat', 'Never Cry Wolf', and the international distribution of 'Dragonslayer' are widely regarded as the films that led to the launch of Touchstone Pictures on February 15, 1984.
The film was released on March 11, 1983 at movie theatres. It was released by Walt Disney Home Video on VHS and Betamax in 1983 and was released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment on DVD on January 31, 2012.
Unlike some other 1980s films such as 'The Journey of Natty Gann', 'Condorman', and 'Something Wicked This Way Comes', 'Trenchcoat' doesn't have a soundtrack that has been released yet by Intrada Records.
Reception
The film was a box office failure, earning only a total of $4,304,286 domestically.
The film has been received negatively. Siskel and Ebert named it one of the "Stinkers of 1983".
References
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