Main Cast: Julie Hagerty, Randy Quaid, Madonna, Jennifer Grey, Esai Morales, Rutger Hauer, Ethan Phillips, Matt Dillon, Anita Morris
Release Year: 1989
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Produced for theatrical released by PBS' American Playhouse, Bloodhounds of Broadway is not exactly a remake of the 1952 film of the same name, though both pictures use the same Damon Runyon stories as inspiration. The scene is Broadway: the time is New Year's Eve, 1928. Madonna plays small town girl-turned-hoofer Hortense Hathaway, who loves gambler Feet Samuels (Randy Quaid) more than somewhat. Since it is known far and wide that Feet has not a penny to his name, he must find some way to pay off his debts in a hurry. So he offers to sell his huge feet to a demented-an operation which will, alas, cost Feet the use of his life. Upon waking up to the fact that Hortense loves him, Feet decides that he prefers breathing to pushing up daisies. Meanwhile, a society doll named Harriet MacKyle (Julie Hagerty) turns on the spigots when her pet parrot is laid low by a clumsy gunman. And while all this is transpiring, high-roller Regret (Matt Dillon) has to beat a murder rap. Even while Regret is sweating it out, "The Brain" (Rutger Hauer), who is bleeding profusely after confronting the business end of a shiv, searches high and low for someone willing to donate blood to save his life. If you can, keep an eye out for author William Burroughs as a butler. Bloodhounds of Broadway was the first non-documentary effort of filmmaker Howard Brookner-and the last, since he died before the film was released. To gloss over the film's plot holes, the distributors added a Winchell-like narrator to the proceedings, courtesy of actor Joseph Sommer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Josef Sommer - Waldo Winchester; Tony Azito - Waiter; Gerry Bamman - Inspector McNamara; Graham Brown - Doc Frischer; Jane Brucker - Charlott; Nicole Burdette - Woman on Corner; William S. Burroughs - Butler; Steve Buscemi - Whining Willie; Cathryn de Prume - Showgirl; Robert Donley - Doc Bodeeker; George Ede - Judge Witherspoon; Richard Edson - Johnny Crackow; Googy Gress - McGinty; Tony Longo - Crunch Sweeney; Dinah Manoff - Maud Milligan; Stephen McHattie - Red Henry; Mark Nelson - Sam the Skate; Madeleine Potter - Widow Mary; John Rothman - Marvin Clay; Alan Ruck - John Wangle; Fisher Stevens - Hotfoot Harry; Leonard Termo - Goodtime Nate Fishkin; Tamara Tunie - Cynthia Harris; Michael Wincott - Soupy Mike; Ed Zang - Hymie Weisberger; Louis Zorich - Mindy; Howard Brookner - Daffy Jack; Colman de Kay - Nosmo; Sara Driver - Yvette; Shelly Abend - Long George; Linda Beausoleil - Showgirl; Stellar Bennett - Thelma; Black-Eyed Susan - Minnie the Shrimp; Jean Brookner - Woman; Helmar Augustus Cooper - Brother Divine; Grant Forsberg - Cab Driver; Cynthia Friberg - Showgirl; Patrick Garner - Rodent Ralph; Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks - "300 Club" Musician; Lorien House - Showgirl; Katherine Monick - Bobby Baker; Dana Pinchera - Showgirl; Veryle Rupp - Whitey; Herschel Sparber - Big Shelley; Lynette Tompkins - Showgirl; William Murray Weiss - Joey the Toothpick; Tobin Wheeler - Fleming Meeks; David Youse - Busboy
Credit
Jefferson Sage - Art Director, Diane Martel - Choreography, Abigail Murray - Costume Designer, Beatrix Aruna Pasztor - Costume Designer, Howard Brookner - Director, Camilla Toniolo - Editor, Jonathan Sheffer - Composer (Music Score), Jonathan Sheffer - Musical Direction/Supervision, Nina Port - Makeup, Linda Conaway-Parsloe - Production Designer, Elliot Davis - Cinematographer, Howard Brookner - Producer, Lidsay Law - Producer, Ruth Ammon - Set Designer, David Scott Gagnon - Special Effects, Arthur Lorenz - Special Effects, Jery Hewitt - Stunts, Howard Brookner - Screenwriter, Colman de Kay - Screenwriter, Damon Runyon - Short Story Author
