It took nearly two years after its completion for Big Trouble to reach the big screen. Peter Falk and Alan Arkin are respectively cast as a shady wheeler-dealer and an uptight family man. Strapped for the cash necessary to send his son to Yale, Arkin reluctantly enters into a murder scheme with Beverly D'Angelo. She is married to Falk, who, though he hasn't got long to live due to a heart ailment, may very well spend every penny D'Angelo has before he expires. Arkin is persuaded to kill Falk before this happens, then split the money with D'Angelo. To Arkin's amazement he finds himself the victim of a carefully prepared confidence scam engineered by Falk and D'Angelo. Now that he has a hold over Arkin, Falk gets the poor fellow mixed up in yet another "perfect crime". (Synopsis courtesy of AllMovie.com)
Cast Peter Falk ... Steve Rickey
Alan Arkin ... Leonard Hoffman
Beverly D'Angelo ... Blanche Rickey
Charles Durning ... O'Mara
Robert Stack ... Winslow
Paul Dooley ... Noozel
Valerie Curtin ... Arlene Hoffman
Richard Libertini ... Dr. Lopez
Steve Alterman ... Peter Hoffman
Jerry Pavlon ... Michael Hoffman
Paul La Greca ... Joshua Hoffman
John Finnegan ... Det. Murphy
Karl Lukas ... Police captain
Maryedith Burrell ... Gail
Edith Fields ... Doris
Warren Munson ... Jack
Rosemarie Stack ... Mrs. Winslow
Barbara Tarbuck ... Helen
Al White ... Mr. Williams
Teddy Wilson ... Porter
Gloria Gifford ... Wanda
Herb Armstrong ... Night security guard
Jaime Sánchez ... Chief terrorist
Gaetano Lisi ... Gaetano Lopez
Chester Grimes ... Flavio Lopez
Irene Olga López ... Lopez' receptionist
Daphne Eckler ... Receptionist
Carol Reinhard ... Winslow's secretary
Conroy Gedeon ... Reporter
Leonard P. Geer ... Whitlow Kepler (as Lenny Geer)
Melvin Jones ... Terrorist #1
Luis Contreras ... Terrorist #2
John M. Kochian Jr. ... Terrorist #3
Domingo Ambriz ... Terrorist #4
John Bianchini ... Terrorist #5
Nafa Rasho ... Terrorist #6
Roger Ito ... Terrorist #7
Perry Fluker ... Terrorist #8
Lynn Ready ... Terrorist #9
Steven Lambert ... Terrorist #10
Yukio G. Collins ... Terrorist #11
Howard Clapp ... Executive #1
Jeff Howard ... Executive #2
Leland Sun ... Chinese laborer #1
Al Leong ... Chinese laborer #2 (as Albert Leong)
Danny Lew ... Chinese laborer #3
Michaelani ... Chinese laborer #4
Dennis Phun ... Chinese laborer #5
Walter Soo Hoo ... Chinese laborer #6
Richard Walter ... Hot dog eater
Joseph G. Medalis ... Salesman
Michael Santiago ... Cop (uncredited)
Release Dates USA 30 May 1986
West Germany 4 June 1987
Finland 1988
Directed by
John Cassavetes
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Andrew Bergman (as Warren Bogle)
Original Music by
Bill Conti
Cinematography by
Bill Butler
Film Editing by
Donn Cambern
Ralph E. Winters
Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton
Judy Taylor
Production Design by
Gene Callahan
Peter Landsdown Smith
Art Direction by
Peter Landsdown Smith
Set Decoration by
Lee Poll
Costume Design by
Joe I. Tompkins
Makeup Department
Cheri Ruff .... hair stylist
Monty Westmore .... makeup artist
Production Management
Howard Pine .... production manager
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Duncan Henderson .... first assistant director
Christopher Ryan .... second assistant director
Art Department
Sam Gordon .... property master (as Sammy Gordon)
Joseph E. Hubbard .... set designer (as Joseph Hubbard)
Michael Muscarella .... construction coordinator (as Mike Muscarella)
Sound Department
Wayne Artman .... sound re-recording mixer
Tom Beckert .... sound re-recording mixer
Martin Raymond Bolger .... production sound mixer
Tom E. Dahl .... sound re-recording mixer
Gordon Davidson .... sound editor
Jay Engel .... adr editor
Dennis Jones .... boom operator
Tom McCarthy Jr. .... supervising sound editor
Jerry Rosenthal .... sound editor
David Spence .... sound editor
Maria Stinnett-Busby .... assistant adr editor
Stunts
Gray Johnson .... stunt coordinator
Camera and Electrical Department
John W. Brumshagen .... gaffer (as John Brumshagen)
James R. Connell .... camera operator
Walt Fraser .... second assistant camera
George Hill .... key grip
Elliott Marks .... still photographer
John Walker .... first assistant camera
Michael J. Schwartz .... electrician (uncredited)
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bruce Ericksen .... costumer: men
Pamela Wise .... costumer: women
Editorial Department
Robert Hyams .... apprentice film editor
William J. Meshover .... assistant film editor
Kevin Stitt .... assistant film editor
Music Department
Stephen A. Hope .... music editor
Dan Wallin .... score mixer
Transportation Department
Alan Falco .... transportation coordinator
Other crew
Diane Bandolas .... location auditor
Helen Caldwell .... assistant: Mr. Cassavetes
Jeff Freedman .... unit publicist
Jeannie Jeha .... production coordinator
Greg Long .... production assistant
Elyse A. Mayberry .... assistant to producer
Michael Myers .... production assistant
Julie Pitkanen .... script supervisor
Sam Shaw .... title designer
John Warren .... location manager
