By Erin Free
In big screen terms, sadly departed producer, writer, and director, Garry Marshall – who passed away earlier this week – will now probably forever be known as “the director of Pretty Woman”, but prior to that, this comedy veteran made a few films that were just as good, if not quite as iconic…not to mention the host of TV series (Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and so on) that he brought to the small screen. Though he constantly played down his importance as a creator (“In the education of the American people, I am Recess,” he once quipped), Marshall can boast more than a few fine films (Overboard, The Princess Diaries) on his resume.
One of the director’s lesser known gems is undoubtedly his 1984 sophomore effort, The Flamingo Kid (which followed 1982’s modestly amusing Young Doctors In Love), a warm coming of age comedy set in the sweeter, more innocent days of the sixties. Brimming over with charm, Matt Dillon stars as Jeffrey Willis, a young man desperate to make it big and move away from his neighbourhood. He sees a job as a cabana boy at The Flamingo Club – a fancy beach club – as his first step to a ticket out, much to the chagrin of his hard working father, memorably played by Marshall regular, Hector Elizondo. With his head spinning in the exciting world of The Flamingo Club, Jeffrey falls under the thrall of Phil Brody (the late, great Richard Crenna at his best), a successful car dealer who talks a blue streak and regales the impressionable Jeffrey with ideas about how to make his fortune. Romance, meanwhile, comes in the form of the headstrong Carla Samson (Janet Jones), who initially appears to be out of Jeffrey’s league.
Funny, smart and moving in equal measure, The Flamingo Kid is a real gem, and boasts a brilliant comic turn from Matt Dillon. “I’ve always really liked doing comedy, ever since The Flamingo Kid,” the actor told Total Film. “I’m not a comic actor per se, so I don’t feel the same pressure as the guys who are – they have to be funny all the time. But I enjoy it.” The film’s themes were also easy for Dillon to relate to. “I’ve never felt that comfortable around certain people – country club people,” he said. “I started acting when I was 14. When I went back to school, I was three months behind, so I ended up hanging out with the misfits.”
Richard Crenna was brilliant in this.