YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE CRAZY TO LIVE HERE… BUT IT HELPS.
Down-on-her-luck Suzy DeSoto (Debrah Winger) takes a job as a floozy in Cannery Row, a depressed part of Monterey; reluctantly, she gets acquainted with a marine biologist (Nick Nolte). Writer David S. Ward’s directing debut is an ambitious project where every drunk, whore and misfit look like they’re having a grand old time, but he’s unable to get the movie really going. The production values are high (designer Richard MacDonald’s work is very advanced; he used two soundstages for the set) and the stars are fun as the sullen lovers.
1982-U.S. 120 min. Color. Written and directed by David S. Ward. Novels: John Steinbeck (“Cannery Row”, “Sweet Thursday”). Cinematography: Sven Nykvist. Production Design: Richard MacDonald. Cast: Nick Nolte (Ed “Doc” Daniels), Debra Winger (Suzy DeSoto), Audra Lindley (Fauna), Frank McRae, M. Emmet Walsh, Sunshine Parker. Narrated by John Huston.
Trivia: Raquel Welch was hired as Suzy, but subsequently fired.
