Zuma Beach (film)

Zuma Beach
Genre	Comedy; Drama
Written by	John Carpenter; William A. Schwartz
Directed by	Lee H. Katzin
Starring	Suzanne Somers; Steven Keats; Mark Wheeler; Kimberly Beck
Music by	Dick Halligan
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Daniel H. Blatt; Edgar J. Scherick
Producers	Bruce Cohn Curtis; Brian Grazer
Cinematography	Héctor R. Figueroa
Editors	Bobbie Shapiro; Robert L. Swanson
Running time	98 minutes
Production companies	Bruce Cohn Curtis Films Ltd.; Edgar J. Scherick Associates; Warner Bros. Television
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 27, 1978;

Zuma Beach is a 1978 TV movie written and directed by Lee H. Katzin and starring Suzanne Somers.[1][2]

Plot

A fading rock singer goes to the beach to get away from it all and winds up getting involved in the lives of the teenage beachgoers.

Cast

Suzanne Somers as Bonnie Katt
Steven Keats as Jerry McCabe
Mark Wheeler as David Hunter
Kimberly Beck as Cathy
Perry Lang as Billy
Michael Biehn as J.D.
Biff Warren as Norman
Les Lannom as Stan
Rosanna Arquette as Beverly
Gary Imhoff as Frank
Leonard Stone as Johnson
Steve Franken as Rick
Richard Molinare as Frank
Tanya Roberts as Denise
P.J. Soles as Nancy
Timothy Hutton as Art
Janus Blythe as Jennifer

History

Suzanne Somers' fame was rising due to the success of the sitcom Three's Company, and she wanted to star in movies. Although a lightweight TV movie, Zuma Beach provided Somers with her first starring movie role.[3][4]

John Carpenter wrote the script for a producer "who just said he wanted a beach movie." He sold it to Warner Bros., and it became a TV movie to star Suzanne Somers. Carpenter said he "was going to direct it, for about 10 seconds, but one of my mentors, Richard Kobritz...helped me see I didn’t want to do it. It was vastly rewritten, so I really shouldn’t have taken credit for it, but I was a little asshole in those days."[5]

Tim Hutton had one of his first roles in the film.[6]

Reception

The Los Angeles Times praised the naturalness of Somers' performance.[7]

References

Leonard Maltin. Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide. Plume, 1994.
F. Maurice Speed. Film Review 1988-9. Columbus Books, 1989.
Bernstein, Jay. Starmaker: Life as a Hollywood Publicist with Farrah, The Rat Pack and 600 More Stars Who Fired Me, pp. 184-185 (2011)
Farley, Ellen and William K. Knoedelseder, Jr. (19 February 1978). Rub-a-Dub-Dub, Three Networks in a Tub, Washington Post (brief mention of upcoming film in February 1978 with Somers to star)
"Interview with John Carpenter". Justin Beahm.
NOTHING 'ORDINARY' ABOUT TIM HUTTON, Champlin, Charles. Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan 1981: h1.
TV MOVIE REVIEW: Somers in Swim of Role That Suits, Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep 1978: f18.

External links

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[1] Leonard Maltin. Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide. Plume, 1994.

[2] F. Maurice Speed. Film Review 1988-9. Columbus Books, 1989.

[zumazima1-3] Bernstein, Jay. Starmaker: Life as a Hollywood Publicist with Farrah, The Rat Pack and 600 More Stars Who Fired Me, pp. 184-185 (2011)

[post1-4] Farley, Ellen and William K. Knoedelseder, Jr. (19 February 1978). Rub-a-Dub-Dub, Three Networks in a Tub, Washington Post (brief mention of upcoming film in February 1978 with Somers to star)

[5] "Interview with John Carpenter". Justin Beahm.

[6] NOTHING 'ORDINARY' ABOUT TIM HUTTON, Champlin, Charles. Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan 1981: h1.

[7] TV MOVIE REVIEW: Somers in Swim of Role That Suits, Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep 1978: f18.