''Some Kind of Hero'' is a 1982 American

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

starring

Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as on ...

as a returning

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

veteran having trouble adjusting to civilian life. Soon he is involved in an

organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

heist. It co-stars

Margot Kidder Margaret Ruth Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018), known professionally as Margot Kidder, was a Canadian-American actress whose career spanned five decades. Her accolades include three Canadian Screen Awards and one Daytime Emmy Awa ...

and was directed by

Michael Pressman Michael Pressman is an American film and television producer and director. Early life A native of Manhattan, Pressman was born into a theatrical family. His mother, Sasha, a modern dancer, was an original member of Martha Graham's renowned fi ...

. Although James Kirkwood and Robert Boris are jointly credited with the screenplay, the script was in fact Boris' rewrite of Kirkwood’s adaptation of his novel. Originally intended to be a straight drama, the studio insisted that Pryor perform comedic scenes as well. However, Pryor agreed with the importance of the screenplay's serious tone and maintained a dramatic performance when filming.

Plot

Eddie Keller is one of the last POWs to be brought home from Vietnam, after several years of torture and deprivation at the hands of the Vietcong. During his captivity, he resists signing a "confession" admitting to war crimes repeatedly, but finally consents to save the life of another prisoner. Having returned home, Eddie finds the world has moved on without him. His wife has fallen in love with someone new, and had a daughter, just after he became a POW. His mother has suffered a stroke, and requires constant (and expensive) medical attention. Eddie is initially called a hero when he is finally released, but when his signed confession is discovered his veteran's benefits are suspended by the

Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers and ...

pending further investigation. Eddie tries to reintegrate into society, but finds himself stopped at every turn. The Army refuses to help, he cannot find a job, and he is running out of options. The only bright spot in his life is Toni, a high-priced

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

who picks Eddie up at a bar. Despite Toni's profession, the two begin a romance. While trying to secure a loan, Eddie is witness to a bank robbery. He begins to plot a way to gain the funds he needs to provide for his mother, and also to avenge himself on a system that abandoned him in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, then turned him into a traitor. Eddie plans to hold up a bank, but fails repeatedly in his efforts to embark on a life of crime. Eventually, he succeeds in stealing a briefcase full of bonds, which he arranges to sell to a mobster for $100,000. The mobsters plan to kill Eddie and take the bonds. Eddie turns the tables on the mobsters, leading to their arrest at his hotel. Trapped, Eddie calls Toni, confessing to his crimes and tells her he'll turn himself in. She pleads with him to escape with her, and they confess their feelings for each other. As the police evacuate the building, Eddie decides to confront them in his Army uniform. Much to his surprise, the officers are very patriotic, and assume him to not be their suspect. He is then rushed away from the scene, where Toni arrives and picks him up with both the $100,000 and the bonds. In one of the closing scenes, a bank employee is seen delivering a large envelope to a man in an office. The envelope has the bank's address and is marked as being for the attention of the bank's president. The man opens the package and finds the bonds that had been stolen from them, and a note from Pryor's character saying "Thanks for the loan".

Cast

as Eddie Keller *

as Toni Donovan *

Ray Sharkey Raymond Sharkey Jr. (November 14, 1952 – June 11, 1993) was an American stage, film and television actor. His most notable film role was Vincent Vacarri in the 1980 film ''The Idolmaker'', for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Ac ...

as Vinnie *

Ronny Cox Daniel Ronald Cox (born July 23, 1938) is an American actor, singer and songwriter. His best-known roles include Drew Ballinger in ''Deliverance'' (1972), George Apple in ''Apple's Way'' (1974–75), Ozark Bule in '' Bound for Glory'' (1976), Co ...

as Col. Powers *

Sandy Ward Sandy Brown (July 12, 1926 – March 6, 2005) was an American film and television actor. He was perhaps best known for playing the recurring role of "Logger Pete" on 11 episodes of the American sitcom television series ''Malcolm in the Middle''. ...

as Col. Maxwell *

Lynne Moody Emmalyn Paulette Moody (born February 17, 1950), known professionally as Lynne Moody, is an American film and television actress. Beginning her career in the early 1970s, Moody is best known her roles as Tracy Curtis–Taylor in the ABC televisi ...

as Lisa *

Paul Benjamin Paul Benjamin (February 4, 1938 – June 28, 2019) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades. Benjamin appeared in dozens of films and television shows beginning in the late 1960s. Biography Born to Fair, a Baptist preacher (1890– ...

as Leon *

Olivia Cole Olivia Carlena Cole (November 26, 1942 – January 19, 2018) was an American actress, best known for her Emmy Award-winning role in the 1977 miniseries ''Roots''. Early life and education Cole was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the daughter of Ar ...

as Jesse * Martin Azarow as Tank *Shelly Batt as Olivia *Susan Berlin as Jeanette * Matt Clark as Mickey *

John Fujioka John Mamoru Fujioka (June 29, 1925 – December 13, 2018) was an American actor of Japanese descent. He was particularly known for performing the role of a Japanese holdout soldier in ''The Last Flight of Noah's Ark'', ''Who Finds a Friend Fin ...

as Captain Tan Tai *

Peter Jason Peter Edward Ostling (born July 22, 1944), also known as Peter Jason, is an American character actor. He has appeared in over eighty films and a hundred television series. He played Con Stapleton in the series '' Deadwood''. He was a frequent col ...

as Honcho #1 *Herbie Braha as Honcho #2 *

Raymond Guth Raymond John Guth (May 29, 1924 – December 17, 2021) was an American film, stage and television actor. Early years Guth was born on May 29, 1924, in Oil City, Pennsylvania. He studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse while supporting himsel ...

as Motel Clerk *

Anne Haney Anne Ryan Haney ( Thomas; March 4, 1934 – May 26, 2001) was an American stage and screen actress. She was best known for her roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' and ''Liar Liar'', as well as Alberta Meechum on the sitcom ''Mama's Family''. Early yea ...

as Monica Lewis * Mary Jackson as Frances *

Caren Kaye Caren Kaye is a retired American television and film actress who has appeared in dozens of films and guest-starred in many TV series. She attended Carnegie Mellon University and holds a Ph.D. in psychology. She is best known for her roles in t ...

as Sheila Daniels *

Nan Martin Nan Martin (July 15, 1927 – March 4, 2010) was an American actress who starred in movies and on television. Life and career Early life Born in Decatur, Illinois, and raised in Santa Monica, California, she attended Santa Monica High School. ...

as Hilda *

Bill Morey Bill Morey (December 19, 1919 – December 10, 2003) was an American character actor.Harris M. Lentz III''Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2003: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture'' McFarland, 2004 page 27 ...

as Major Ryan *

Antony Ponzini Antony Ponzini (June 1, 1933 – December 30, 2002) was an American actor. Some of Ponzini's credits include roles on soap operas ''The Edge of Night'', '' Another World'', and being a member of the original cast of ''One Life to Live'' as Vince ...

as Sal *Jude Farese as Bandit *

Warren Munson Warren Munson (born November 30, 1933) is an American film and television actor. Career Munson's likeness and voice were used to portray Admiral Owen Paris in two early episodes of '' Star Trek: Voyager''. He also played the role of Vice Ad ...

as Bank President *

Kario Salem Kario Salem (born May 23, 1955) is an American television, film, stage actor and screenwriter. Early life Salem, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, is a 1973 graduate of Agoura High School in Agoura, California. Career In 1997, Salem ea ...

as Young Soldier *Jon Van Ness as Powers' Aide *Pearl Shear as Customer *David Byrd as Doorman * David Banks as Disc Jockey *

Nicholas Mele Nicholas Mele is an American actor who has starred in many movies and on television. His first movie role was in the 1976 movie '' The Ritz''. Other movie roles include ''Some Kind of Hero'' (1982) and ''Young Doctors in Love'' (1982). His most we ...

as Officer *

Harvey Parry Harvey Parry (April 23, 1900 - September 18, 1985) was an American stuntman and actor whose career spanned the silent era and the disaster movie genre of the 1970s. Born on April 23, 1900 in San Francisco, California, Parry had been an Associatio ...

as Old Drunk * Richard McKenzie as Psychiatrist *Danny Wong as Tough Guard

Production

The film had been in development for a number of years. Eventually Richard Pryor agreed to do it.

Reception

The film gained mixed reviews, feeling the comedy was subpar but praised the social commentary of Vietnam veterans feeling abandoned by society, and was a minor success at the box office.

References

External links