The Principal
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Short description
Rick Latimer is a teacher whose life is falling apart: his marriage has ended and his drinking has gotten him into trouble, including a violent run-in that costs him his position. As a result, he is transferred to Brandel High, a school in a troubled neighborhood where drugs, gangs and violence have driven most of the staff to give up. Rick is given the job of principal, and he refuses to accept the way things are run, even as the students make clear they have no intention of following his lead.
Frank Deese wrote the screenplay, Thomas H. Brodek produced, and Christopher Cain directed. The film was the first of the six features Cain directed in the chronological order recorded here, arriving before Young Guns, Pure Country, The Next Karate Kid, Gone Fishin' and Lakota Moon. Jim Belushi plays Rick, with Louis Gossett Jr. as the school's security chief Jake Phillips and Rae Dawn Chong as the teacher Hilary Orozco; Michael Wright appears as Victor Duncan. The credited cast runs to 27 names.
Released in September 1987, the film cost about 11 million dollars and took roughly 20 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.3 from around 13,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.5 from a few hundred. A critics' score of 4.8 from nine reviews places it below the audience averages on both sites.
What's left behind the scenes
- In the film, Rick Latimer rides a 1985 Honda Shadow motorcycle.
- At the end of the film, Victor Duncan gets out of the car and heads towards the school to kill Latimer. He is wearing a black leather jacket and black leather pants. In the remaining shots of the same scene, he is wearing blue jeans.
- For two weeks, the film crew shot in various locations in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California, notably at a school in Walnut Creek. 250 students from the school were used as extras.
- By the end of filming, the number of actors and extras involved in the project reached 700 – this refers to the scene where a student riot begins. Safety measures on set were strict, especially for the student extras. Around 20 stunt performers were among the young people to maintain order. According to stunt coordinator Everett Krich, the main goal was not to start a riot, but to end it.
- Christopher Kane wanted the film, which was shot in color, to be perceived as black and white. This effect was achieved through the appearance of the sets and lighting, as well as the costumes of the characters. There were no bright colors – except for scenes shot outside the school. Even the heroes’ costumes were appropriately “aged”.
- The director's office and several classrooms were built and renovated in the old building on the "Merritt College" campus in Oakland. In addition, two restrooms, a teacher's lounge, a locker room, an auditorium, and several hallways were constructed. It took eight weeks of work, sixteen hours a day, to complete everything. According to producer Thomas H. Brodeck, when the filmmakers arrived, there was no electricity or heating, and it was the middle of winter. The roof of the building had holes, and puddles of water stood inside.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
