''Kidco'' is a 1984 American
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
directed by
Ronald F. Maxwell
Ronald "Ron" F. Maxwell (born January 5, 1949) is an American film director and screenwriter from Clifton, New Jersey. He is most famous for writing and directing the American Civil War historical fiction films '' Gettysburg'' (1993), '' Gods and ...
and starring
Scott Schwartz
Scott Schwartz (born May 12, 1968) is an American actor best known for his roles as a child actor in '' The Toy'', ''A Christmas Story'' and ''Kidco''.
Life and career
Schwartz co-starred opposite Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in 1982's ' ...
,
Clifton James
George Clifton James (May 29, 1920 – April 15, 2017) was an American actor known for roles as a prison floorwalker in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), Sheriff J.W. Pepper alongside Roger Moore in the James Bond films '' Live and Let Die'' (197 ...
,
Charles Hallahan
Charles John Hallahan (July 29, 1943 – November 25, 1997) was an American film, television, and stage actor known for his performances in ''Going in Style'', '' The Thing'', '' Cast a Deadly Spell'', and ''Dante's Peak''. He was also best know ...
,
Maggie Blye
Margaret Jane Blye (October 24, 1942 – March 24, 2016) was an American actress, also sometimes billed as Margaret Bly. She was best known for playing Michael Caine's girlfriend in ''The Italian Job'' (1969).
Early years
Her sister was casti ...
, and
Vincent Schiavelli
Vincent Andrew Schiavelli (; November 11, 1948 – December 26, 2005) was an American character actor noted for his work on stage, screen, and television. Described as an "instantly recognizable sad-faced actor", he was diagnosed with Marfan s ...
.
Although the premise sounds far-fetched, the film was based on the 1979 purchase of the public land in
Gorda, California
Gorda (Spanish for "Fat") is a hamlet in Monterey County, California. It is located south of Cape San Martin, at an elevation of . It is one of the three small settlements of filling stations, restaurants, and motels located along State Route 1 ...
by Kidco Limited Ventures, a corporation owned by four children, all minors from
Ramona, California
Ramona is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California. The population was 20,292 at the 2010 census.
The name ''Ramona'' also refers to an unincorporated community (with some plans to incorporate) that includes both the ...
, who were heirs of the family that owned the
Cessna Aircraft
Cessna () is an American brand of general aviation aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of the Cessna Aircraft Company, an American general aviation aircraft manufacturing c ...
company. After funding the company, $500,000 was invested as a
tax shelter
Tax shelters are any method of reducing taxable income resulting in a reduction of the payments to tax collecting entities, including state and federal governments. The methodology can vary depending on local and international tax laws.
Types of ...
to purchase the town's land. At the time, Dickie Cessna was 14 years old and the other three siblings were June (16), Bette (13) and Nene (11). After the Cessna children were paid for the filming rights, a dramatized version of the events was made and distributed by 20th Century.
Plot
A enterprising middle school boy named Dickie Cessna (
Scott Schwartz
Scott Schwartz (born May 12, 1968) is an American actor best known for his roles as a child actor in '' The Toy'', ''A Christmas Story'' and ''Kidco''.
Life and career
Schwartz co-starred opposite Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in 1982's ' ...
), who lives at a country club where his father works decides to make some extra money by selling composted horse
manure
Manure is organic matter that is used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Most manure consists of animal feces; other sources include compost and green manure. Manures contribute to the fertility of soil by adding organic matter and nutri ...
as fertilizer, and has his three sisters, Nene, June and Bette (two of whom are older) join him in the enterprise. As their sales increase, they draw increased scrutiny from the state tax board, as well as the large scale competitor who seeks to put them out of business at any cost.
The children eventually fight a court case brought against them by tax collectors from the State of California. 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, removing one of the counts brought upon them. They eventually pleaded guilty to the others, which allows them to stay in business, to the consternation of the adult competitor.
Cast
Production
The film was shot on location in
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
.
References
External links
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{{Ronald F. Maxwell
Films directed by Ronald F. Maxwell
1984 comedy films
1984 films
20th Century Fox films
Films scored by Michael Small
Films shot in Tucson, Arizona
1980s English-language films