1 / 8
ERA
Did you know
42 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Flamingo Kid
"A legend in his own neighborhood."
1984 1h 40m EN
😐
6.0
MID
🍅
86%
FRESH
👌
67
METACRITIC
⭐
6.2
IMDB
★6.0TMDB · 92🍅86%Rotten Tomatoes●67Metacritic★6.2IMDB · 6,322
ComedyDramaRomance
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Brooklyn teenager Jeffrey Willis, thoroughly unhappy with his modest homestead, embraces the other-world aspects of his summer job at the posh Flamingo Club. He spurns his father in favor of the patronage of smooth-talking Phil Brody and is seduced by the ample bikini charms of club member Carla Samson. But thanks to a couple of late-summer hard lessons, the teen eventually realizes that family should always come first.
“A legend in his own neighborhood.”
Cast
Matt Dillon
Jeffrey Willis
Héctor Elizondo
Arthur Willis
Molly McCarthy
Ruth Willis
Martha Gehman
Nikki Willis
Richard Crenna
Phil Brody
Jessica Walter
Phyllis Brody
Carole Davis
Joyce Brody
Janet Jones
Carla Samson
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Garry Marshall
- Writers
- Garry Marshall, Neal Marshall, Neal Marshall
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Garry Marshall, shot by James A. Contner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Curt Sobel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Priscilla Nedd-Friendly shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Matt Dillon and Héctor Elizondo and Molly McCarthy carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "A legend in his own neighborhood.".
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0087265 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD
Did you know
Only 92 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Garry Marshall directs. James A. Contner behind the camera. Curt Sobel scores. Priscilla Nedd-Friendly cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 142 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
- 2Directed by Garry Marshall, shot by James A. Contner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 3Original score by Curt Sobel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 4Editor Priscilla Nedd-Friendly shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 5Matt Dillon and Héctor Elizondo and Molly McCarthy carry the top of the cast.
- 6Marketing tagline: "A legend in his own neighborhood.".
- 7IMDB entry: tt0087265 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 8Only 92 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
- 9Classified under 10 themes, including "mentor", "coming of age", "private club", "brooklyn, new york city".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- James A. Contner
- Original score
- Curt Sobel
- Editing
- Priscilla Nedd-Friendly
- Production design
- Lawrence Miller
- Costume design
- Ellen Mirojnick
- Runtime
- 100 min · 1h 40m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- PG-13
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 86% 🍅 Fresh
- Metacritic
- 67/100
- IMDB rating
- 6.2/10 · 6,322 votes
- MPAA
- PG-13
- US box office
- $23,859,382
Awards
1 nomination total
Also by
Garry Marshall
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- Wuchak★ 8/10
Matt Dillon's summer as a cabana boy at a private beach club on Long Island Released in 1984, "The Flamingo Kid" is a coming-of-age beach flick. What occasionally draws me to these types of films is their youthful energy and fun spirit, as well as the oceanic locations and the women. It brings one back in time to the carefree era of his/her coming-of-age years. Thankfully, "The Flamingo Kid" shoots for something deeper than just a shallow beach flick, which the best ones do, e.g. the original “Gidget” (1959). The story takes place in 1963 where 18-year-old Jeffrey (Matt Dillon), a plumber's son from Brooklyn, gets a summer job at a private beach club on Long Island called the El Flamingo. This was his final summer of carefree fun before going off to college, but his experiences at the club change his plans. He makes loads of money on tips, meets a beautiful blonde and becomes fascinated by a new mentor, a fast-talking businessman and card shark, Phil Brody (Richard Crenna). Brody convinces Jeffrey that there are easier, faster (i.e. dishonest) ways to make loads of money than going off to college for years on end. When Jeffry cancels his college plans and moves out of his house it naturally creates friction with his father (Hector Elizondo). Will he go on to become the next generation's fast-talking businessman/card shark? Almost the entire film was shot on location at a Queens’ beach club with loads of gorgeous females on hand, including Jeffrey's girlfriend in the story, Carla played by Janet Jones, whose body is so well sculptured she could’ve been Wonder Woman (the movie even jokes about this). Carole Davis also shines as Brody’s brunette daughter, Joyce, a low-key part. Cutie Marisa Tomei even has a cameo. The bottom line is that "The Flamingo Kid" offers everything you'd want in such a film and more, including an interesting story where you care about the outcome. And, thankfully, there's NO RAUNCH (well, maybe a flash). In addition, the soundtrack includes numerous early 60's hits like "Runaround Sue," etc. What's not to like? The film runs 1 hour, 40 minutes. GRADE: B+/A-
Production companies
Who made it
- ME
Mercury Productions
US
- ED
Edgewood Productions
20th Century Fox
US
- AB
ABC Motion Pictures
US
Key crew
- CastingMargery Simkin
- Art DirectionDuke Durfee
- ProducerMichael Phillips
- Costume DesignEllen Mirojnick
- Set DecorationFrederic C. Weiler
- Production DesignLawrence Miller
- EditorPriscilla Nedd-Friendly
- Script SupervisorMartha Pinson
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- mentor
- coming of age
- private club
- brooklyn, new york city
- gambler
- summer job
- beach resort
- gin rummy
- 1960s
- playful
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1984-12-21PG-13
Also known as
International titles
- Jogo da VidaBR
- Kluk z El FlamingaCZ
- The Flamingo KidUS
- Mr. Hot ShotUS
- Sweet Ginger BrownUS
- A flamingó fiúHU
