Themes: Mischievous Children, Ladder to the Top, Fighting the System
Main Cast: Scott Schwartz, Cinnamon Idles, Tristine Skyler, Elizabeth Gorcey
Release Year: 1983
Country: US
Run Time: 104 minutes
Plot
Prominently displaying red-white-and-blue title colors, this subtly patriotic fact-based movie about kids who succeed is dated by the fact that all these daring youngsters are white, without any discernible ethnicity. Dickie (Scott Schwartz) is an enterprising kid on a ranch in southern California who puts his business tendencies to practical use in several successful ventures, aided and abetted by his siblings and other friends. When Dickie & Co. become too successful, they are taken to court by their adult business rivals, but they refuse a lawyer and defend themselves. The kids win their case against their adult competitors and their lawyers, leaving the courtroom to cheers and upraised fists from a sea of youngsters outside. Three years of law school at exorbitant costs, plus a two-year internship and years of moving up a densely-runged ladder -- just to lose to an 11-year old, amazing. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Cast
Scott Schwartz - Dickie Cessna
Cinnamon Idles - Nene Cessna
Tristine Skyler - Bette Cessna
Elizabeth Gorcey - June Cessna
Ben Baker - Judge Willoughby; Margaret Blye - Joan Cessna; Bob Elliott - Policeman #2; J. Don Ferguson - TV Show Announcer; Charles Hallahan - Richard Cessna; Basil Hoffman - Sid Fein; Clifton James - Orville Peterjohn; Leo Lewis - TV Show Producer; Tom Mackie - Neil Brody; Ken Magee - Charles Grundy; Ron Rifkin - George Tuskle; Phil Rubenstein - Mel Sloman; Tiny Wells - Farmer; Allan Rich - Jim Clark; Vincent Schiavelli - Phil Porzinski; John Boylan - Clerk; Steve Archer - Bank Manager; Sidney Dawson - Bailiff; Marian Gibson - Florence
Credit
William Theiss - Costume Designer, Ronald F. Maxwell - Director, David McKenna - Editor, Michael Small - Composer (Music Score), Fred R. Price - Production Designer, Paul Lohmann - Cinematographer, Martin F. Katz - Production Manager, David Niven, Jr. - Producer, Frank Yablans - Producer
A pair of children who live on a farm decide to make some extra money by selling composted horse manure as fertilizer. As their sales increase, they draw increased scrutiny from the IRS and state tax board, as well as the large scale competitor who seeks to put them out of business at any cost. The children eventually win a court case brought against them by the IRS. 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.
