The Gong Show Movie (1980)

User Rating:

3.8/10   

Director:

Chuck Barris

Writers:

Chuck Barris (writer) &
Robert Downey Sr. (writer)

Release Date:

23 May 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

(All the stuff Chuck Barris had to keep under his hat until now!)

Plot:

A week in the life of "The Gong Show" host and creator Chuck Barris who lives through a series of outrageous competitors...

Plot Keywords:

Performance | Man With No Name | Hollywood | Black Comedy | Behind The Scenes

Cast

Robin Altman	...	Red
Chuck Barris	...	Himself
Brian O'Mullin	...	Bum
Jack Bernardi	...	Violin Player (Elderly Man)
Satisfaction	...	Singing Group
William Tregoe	...	Winking Man
Harvey Alpert	...	Trumpet Man
Mabel King	...	Mabel
Lillie Shelton	...	Mabel's Mama
James B. Douglas	...	Buddy Didlo
Harvey Lembeck	...	Man in Steam Room
Ed Marinaro	...	Man in Locker Room
Murray Langston	...	The Unknown Comic
Melvin Presar	...	'In the Mood' Chicken Dancer
Steve Garvey	...	Himself

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R (certificate no. 25975) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Chuck Barris Productions

Trivia:

The gag where Barris tries to help a woman being abused by her husband, only to be assaulted by the woman and the husband, was originally done by Buster Keaton in Our Hospitality (1923).

Movie Connections:

References Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

The Chuck Barris vanity project.

I always wanted to see The Gong Show Movie. As a kid, I was a big fan of Mr. Barris. I wanted to grow up to be just like him. He represented the ultimate in manhood.

Made near the end of the Gong Show's run in 1980, Chuck Barris made a critically lambasted vanity project about how much "fun" it was being the host of the program. Unlike Mariah Carey's "Glitter", Chuck Barris wasn't trying to make a masterpiece. He pretty much portrays a week in the life of himself. You get to see the "talented" contestants attempts to impress him to get a chance to appear on T.V. (some of whom were deemed too racy for the 1970's so this R-rated movie showcases performances that never aired). Wherever he goes, he runs into people who were smart enough to know that having zero talent was good enough to appear on The Gong Show; everyone is trying to audition for him on the spot with some zany numbers. Cameos by just about all his favorite judges appear (I liked Rip Taylor's hilarious role as a waiter) and there are some amusing numbers; especially the showstopper "Don't Get Up For Me". Although it's not a very good film, it's great to finally be able to see a time capsule of one of the most off-beat programs ever aired on the boob tube. My next wish: I want too see the "Best Of The Gong Show" on DVD. Now!

BTW, it was great to see "The Unknown Comic" again. The idea of putting a paper bag on your head while cracking horrid jokes was pure genius. I think he even had his own movie made in the mid-80's, too.