''Bachelor Party'' is a 1984 American sex comedy film directed by

Neal Israel Neal Israel (born July 27, 1945) is an American actor, screenwriter, film and television producer, and director best known for his comedic work in the 1980s for films such as '' Police Academy'', ''Real Genius'', and '' Bachelor Party''. Biogr ...

, written by Israel and Pat Proft, and starring

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

Adrian Zmed Adrian George Zmed (born March 14, 1954) is an American actor, singer and television personality, noted for the roles of Johnny Nogerelli in ''Grease 2'' and Officer Vince Romano in the '' T.J. Hooker'' television series. Early life Zmed was bo ...

William Tepper William Tepper (June 27, 1948 – October 4, 2017) was an American actor and screenwriter, best known for his lead role in Jack Nicholson's directorial debut, ''Drive, He Said'' (1971). Biography Tepper was born on June 27, 1948 in The Bronx ...

, and

Tawny Kitaen Julie Ellen "Tawny" Kitaen (August 5, 1961 – May 7, 2021) was an American actress, model, and media personality. She began her career as a television actress, appearing in the television films '' Malibu'' (1983) and ''California Girls'' (1985) ...

. The film revolves around a

bachelor party A bachelor party (in the United States and sometimes in Canada), also known as a stag weekend, stag do or stag party (in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries, and Ireland), or a buck's night (in Australia), is a party held/arranged by th ...

that a group of men throw for their friend Rick Gassko (Hanks) on the eve of his wedding and whether he can remain faithful to his fiancée Debbie (Kitaen).

Plot

Party animal Rick Gassko (

), who makes his living as a Catholic-school bus driver, decides to settle down and marry his girlfriend Debbie Thompson (

). After learning the news of the engagement, Rick's shocked friends, led by Jay (

), decide to throw him an epic bachelor party. The bride's wealthy, conservative parents are unhappy with her decision, and her father enlists the help of Debbie's ex-boyfriend Cole Whittier ( Robert Prescott) to sabotage her relationship with Rick and win her back. While Debbie worries and goes off to a bridal shower thrown by her friends, Rick heads to the bachelor party, which takes place in a lavish, spacious hotel suite, and promises to remain faithful. Both parties start off on the wrong foot because of Cole's meddling. As the bachelor party starts to heat up, Debbie and the girls decide to get even with Rick and his friends by having a party of their own. Both parties eventually collide, leading to Debbie accusing Rick of infidelity. The bachelor party becomes a wild, drunken

orgy In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party consisting of at least five members where guests freely engage in open and unrestrained sexual activity or group sex. Swingers' parties do not always conform to this designation, because at many swin ...

and the hotel room is trashed, which infuriates the hotel's frustrated manager (Kenneth Kimmins). Adding to the confusion is Rick's friend Brad, who has become despondent over the breakup of his marriage and botches several

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

attempts. When Brad tries to slit his wrists with an electric razor, Rick says, "Well.....at least your wrists will be smooth and kissable." Rick convinces Debbie of his love and faithfulness just as the party is raided by the police. In the ensuing melee, Rick and Debbie become separated and Cole kidnaps Debbie, so Rick and his friends chase after them. The chase culminates in a showdown between Rick and Cole in a 36-screen movie theater, with a fist fight taking place in synchronization with a similar fight being shown in a

3D film 3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of special glasses worn by viewers. They have existed in some form since 1915, but had been largely relegated to a niche in the motion pic ...

projected behind them; the audience believes that the real fight is an extraordinary 3D effect. Rick wins the fight and is reunited with Debbie. After the wedding, Rick and Debbie are driven to the airport for their honeymoon in Rick's school bus, which is driven by a laughing Brad.

Cast

as Richard Ernesto "Rick" Gassko *

as Deborah Julie "Debbie" Thompson *

as Jay O'Neill *

George Grizzard George Cooper Grizzard Jr. (April 1, 1928 – October 2, 2007) was an American stage, television, and film actor. He was the recipient of a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Tony Award, among other accolades. Life and career Grizzard ...

as Ed Thompson *

Barbara Stuart Barbara Stuart (born Barbara Ann McNeese; January 3, 1930 – May 15, 2011) was an American actress. Barbara Stuart starred as Violet Ryder in the Perry Mason episode “The Guilty Clients” in 1961. Early years Born in Paris, Illinois, S ...

as Mrs. Thompson * Robert Prescott as Cole Whittier *

as Dr. Stanley "Stan" Gassko * Wendie Jo Sperber as Dr. Tina Gassko * Barry Diamond as Rudy * Tracy Smith as Bobbi * Gary Grossman as Gary * Michael Dudikoff as Ryko * Gerard Prendergast as Mike *

Deborah Harmon Deborah Harmon (born May 8, 1951) is an American film and television actress. Harmon was born in Chicago, Illinois. She attended The Second City troupe in Chicago until moving to Los Angeles to pursue an active acting career. She is probably b ...

as Ilene * Kenneth Kimmins as Parkview Hotel Manager * Rosanne Katon as Bridal Shower Hooker * Christopher Morley as She-Tim (cross-dresser) * Brett Baxter Clark as Nick (credited as Brett Clark) *

Monique Gabrielle Katherine Gonzalez (born July 30, 1962), also known as Monique Gabrielle, is an American model and actress. Gabrielle was selected as the '' Penthouse'' Pet of the Month for December 1982, and has appeared in a variety of mainstream and adult fi ...

as Tracey *

Angela Aames Angela Aames (born Lois Marie Tlustos; February 27, 1956 – November 27, 1988) was an American actress known for her buxom blonde bombshell image. Career Angela Aames's first film role was as Little Bo Peep in the adult film ''Fairy Tales'' ...

as Mrs. Klupner *

Hugh McPhillips Hugh McPhillips (March 31, 1920 – October 31, 1990) was an American actor and director. Early life McPhillips was born in Suffern, New York to an Irish American Catholic family of three children. Acting career McPhillips was perhaps best kn ...

as Father O'Donnell *

Billy Beck Billy Beck (born Frank Billerbeck; May 26, 1920 – June 29, 2011) was an American clown and character actor. Career Beck began his career as a clown at the legendary Cirque Medrano in Paris, France, in the late 1950s, and appeared in sm ...

as Patient *

Milt Kogan Milt Kogan (born April 10, 1936) is an American actor. He made well over 100 guest appearances on American network television shows. He is perhaps best known for playing Desk Sergeant Kogan on six episodes of the sitcom television series ''Barne ...

as Restaurant Customer * Pat Proft as Screaming Man (Newlywed) *

Tad Horino Tadashi Horino (August 14, 1921 — October 3, 2002) was an American film and television actor. Career Selected filmography Tadashi Horino had an impressive career in film and television. He appeared in such films as ''The Kentucky Fried Mov ...

as Japanese Businessman * Toni Alessandrini as Miss Desiree, exotic dancer with Max the Magical Sexual Mule * Bradford Bancroft as Brad * Jessica Meier and Michelle Meier as Timmy Klupner

Casting

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy te ...

Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film ''The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...

, and

Howie Mandel Howard Michael Mandel (born November 29, 1955) is a Canadian-American comedian, television personality, actor, and producer. Mandel voiced the character Gizmo in the 1984 film ''Gremlins'' and the 1990 sequel '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch''. I ...

were considered for the role of Rick Gassko.

Production

The idea for the film came from an actual bachelor party thrown by producer Ron Moler and a group of friends for fellow producer Bob Israel. Several members of the film's cast and crew were at that party when the idea began to take shape. The film was made in the wake of the success of ''

Police Academy A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or othe ...

''.

Music

The soundtrack album from ''Bachelor Party'' was released in 1984. ;Side one: # "American Beat '84 (Theme for a Bachelor Party)" –

The Fleshtones The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York, United States, formed in 1976. History 1976–1979 The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in Whitestone, New York, by Keith Streng (born September 18, 1955, New York City) an ...

(3:28) # "Something Isn't Right" –

Oingo Boingo Oingo Boingo () was an American new wave band formed by songwriter Danny Elfman in 1979. The band emerged from a surrealist musical theatre troupe, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, that Elfman had led and written material for in the ye ...

(3:42) # "Crazy Over You" –

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric C ...

(2:59) # "Little Demon" –

(3:21) # "Windout" –

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...

(1:58) ;Side two: # "Bachelor Party" –

(3:49) # "What Kind of Hell" –

The Alarm The Alarm are a Welsh rock band that formed in Rhyl, Wales, in 1981. Initially formed as a punk band, the Toilets, in 1977, under lead vocalist Mike Peters, the band soon embraced arena rock and included marked influences from Welsh language ...

(2:43) # "Alley Oop" –

Darlene Love Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), known professionally as Darlene Love, is an American singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist. She began singing as a child with her ...

(3:57) # "Why Do Good Girls Like Bad Boys?" – Angel and the Reruns (2:10) # "Dream of the West" –

Yip Yip Coyote Yip Yip Coyote was a UK indie rock band that was part of the 1980s cowpunk subgenre. The band's debut LP '' Fifi'' (1985) and singles in the UK ("Pioneer Girl" and "Dream of the West", both available as a 7" and a 12" EP) were released by Illegal ...

(3:07) The film also features these songs: * "

Dance Hall Days "Dance Hall Days" is a song by English new wave band Wang Chung. It was originally released as a single in 1982 when the band was called Huang Chung, then it was re-recorded and re-released a year later in 1983 for the studio album ''Points on ...

" – Wang Chung * "Rehumanize Yourself" –

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police ...

* "Nature Took Over" – Angel and the Reruns * "Gotta Give a Little Love" –

Timmy Thomas Timothy Earle Thomas (November 13, 1944 – March 11, 2022) was an American R&B singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer, best known for the hit song, "Why Can't We Live Together". Life and career Thomas was born in Evansville, In ...

* "Prepare to Energize" –

Torch Song A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affecte ...

* "Who Do You Want to Be" –

* "Hall of Fame" –

Reception

Reviews for ''Bachelor Party'' were mixed, holding a rating of 54% on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

based on 28 reviews. While some critics appreciated the humor, others found it to be vulgar and gratuitous. Film critics

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

and

Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...

both recommended the film, but had reservations about certain aspects, calling it "sophomoric" and "not a great film." In a ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' review, writer Kevin Thomas praised Hanks as "likable, spontaneous zany" but felt that the film was 15 minutes too long: "That extra 15 minutes allows for just enough repetition (and just enough lingering over as much outrageous sexual connotation that an R rating permits) to let heavy-handed tastelessness creep in and dampen the fun."

Sequel

Twenty-four years after ''Bachelor Party'' was released,

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of Wa ...

produced a

straight-to-DVD Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...

sequel (in name only) called '' Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation''.

TV show

On October 21, 2014, it was reported that

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

would develop a TV show inspired by the film.

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bachelor Party 1984 films 1980s sex comedy films 20th Century Fox films American sex comedy films American slapstick comedy films 1980s English-language films Films about parties Films directed by Neal Israel Films scored by Robert Folk Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles Films with screenplays by Neal Israel Films with screenplays by Pat Proft 1984 comedy films Films set in a movie theatre 1980s American films