Take This Job and Shove It (film)
Encyclopedia
Take This Job and Shove It is a 1981 film
starring Robert Hays
, Barbara Hershey
, Art Carney
, and David Keith
, and directed by Gus Trikonis.
The film was named after a popular Country Western
song, Take This Job and Shove It
, which was written by David Allan Coe
and sung by Johnny Paycheck
, both men had minor roles in the film.
and the Dubuque Star Brewery
.
This movie marks the first film to feature monster trucks. Bob Chandler's Bigfoot #1
is seen throughout the movie as Ray's pick-up truck. Everett Jasmer's USA-1, credited as Thunderin' Lightning, is the blue truck at the starting line that, in the script, broke down when the race started. Jasmer's daily delivery truck was used as the rival truck to Bigfoot, known as Silver Bullet. Both USA-1 and Bigfoot do not look like monster trucks commonly do today, as the 48 inch tires then were the standard "Monster" tire. Bob Chandler is actually seen as the flagman at the beginning of the race, and his family can be seen throughout the picnic sequances.
The Dubuque Star Brewery
still stands today in the same location. It has been renovated and is now a private bar & grill.
1981 in film
-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
starring Robert Hays
Robert Hays
Robert Hays is an American actor and is arguably most well known for his role in the movie Airplane!-Life and career:...
, Barbara Hershey
Barbara Hershey
Barbara Hershey , also known as Barbara Seagull, is an American actress. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema, in several genres including westerns and comedies...
, Art Carney
Art Carney
Arthur William Matthew “Art” Carney was an American actor in film, stage, television and radio. He is best known for playing Ed Norton, opposite Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden in the situation comedy The Honeymooners....
, and David Keith
David Keith
David Lemuel Keith is an American actor and director. He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and New Star of the Year – Actor for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman.-Career:...
, and directed by Gus Trikonis.
The film was named after a popular Country Western
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
song, Take This Job and Shove It
Take This Job and Shove It
"Take This Job and Shove It" is a song by David Allan Coe from his 1978 album, Family Album about the bitterness of a man who worked long and hard with no apparent reward. The song was famously covered by Johnny Paycheck...
, which was written by David Allan Coe
David Allan Coe
David Allan Coe is an American outlaw country music singer who achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. He has written and performed over 280 original songs throughout his career...
and sung by Johnny Paycheck
Johnny Paycheck
Johnny Paycheck was the legal name of Donald Eugene Lytle , a country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member most famous for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It"...
, both men had minor roles in the film.
Plot
A corporate conglomerate called "The Ellison Group" acquired four breweries, all of them experiencing financial trouble. Enter Frank Macklin (Robert Hays), a young manager hired by Ellison to help reorganize one of the ailing breweries. The only thing, though, was that brewery was a major employer in his home town. Originally, his old friends, who were working at the brewery, gave him a cold welcome, as they thought he would be unable to revitalize the brewery. But when Frank informed them that the brewery was drowning in red ink, and that they may be losing their jobs soon, they welcomed him with open arms, and ramped up the brewery's sales and production. The brewery has improved so much, that The Ellison Group decided to sell it to a Texas oil millionaire, who doesn't know the first thing about running a brewery—or apparently—running a business. Most of the movie was shot in Dubuque, IowaDubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
and the Dubuque Star Brewery
Dubuque Star Brewery
The Dubuque Star Brewery, located in Dubuque, Iowa, is a building that for many years made Dubuque Star beers. The brewery is located just north of the Ice Harbor in Dubuque.-History:...
.
This movie marks the first film to feature monster trucks. Bob Chandler's Bigfoot #1
Bigfoot (truck)
Bigfoot, introduced in 1979, is regarded as the original monster truck. Other trucks with the name "Bigfoot" have been introduced in the years since, and it remains the most well-known monster truck moniker in the United States. Bigfoot 4x4, Inc. is owned and operated by its creator, Bob Chandler.-...
is seen throughout the movie as Ray's pick-up truck. Everett Jasmer's USA-1, credited as Thunderin' Lightning, is the blue truck at the starting line that, in the script, broke down when the race started. Jasmer's daily delivery truck was used as the rival truck to Bigfoot, known as Silver Bullet. Both USA-1 and Bigfoot do not look like monster trucks commonly do today, as the 48 inch tires then were the standard "Monster" tire. Bob Chandler is actually seen as the flagman at the beginning of the race, and his family can be seen throughout the picnic sequances.
The Dubuque Star Brewery
Dubuque Star Brewery
The Dubuque Star Brewery, located in Dubuque, Iowa, is a building that for many years made Dubuque Star beers. The brewery is located just north of the Ice Harbor in Dubuque.-History:...
still stands today in the same location. It has been renovated and is now a private bar & grill.
Cast
- Robert HaysRobert HaysRobert Hays is an American actor and is arguably most well known for his role in the movie Airplane!-Life and career:...
as Frank Macklin - Art CarneyArt CarneyArthur William Matthew “Art” Carney was an American actor in film, stage, television and radio. He is best known for playing Ed Norton, opposite Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden in the situation comedy The Honeymooners....
as Charlie Pickett - Barbara HersheyBarbara HersheyBarbara Hershey , also known as Barbara Seagull, is an American actress. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema, in several genres including westerns and comedies...
as J.M. Halsted - David KeithDavid KeithDavid Lemuel Keith is an American actor and director. He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and New Star of the Year – Actor for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman.-Career:...
as Harry Meade - Tim ThomersonTim ThomersonJoseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
as Ray Binkowski - Martin MullMartin MullMartin Mull is an American actor who has starred in his own television sitcom and acted in prominent films. He is also a comedian, painter, and recording artist...
as Dick Ebersol - Eddie AlbertEddie AlbertEdward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing...
as Samuel Ellison - Penelope MilfordPenelope MilfordPenelope Milford is an American film, stage, and television actress.An alumnus of the Chicago/New York theatrical scene , American actress Penelope Milford struck paydirt with her first film Coming Home...
as Lenore Meade - David Allan CoeDavid Allan CoeDavid Allan Coe is an American outlaw country music singer who achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. He has written and performed over 280 original songs throughout his career...
as Mooney - Lacy J. DaltonLacy J. DaltonLacy J. Dalton , is an American country and western singer and songwriter, known for her gritty, powerful vocals, which a number of critics likened to a country equivalent to Bonnie Raitt . She had a number of hits in the 1980s, including "Takin' It Easy," "Crazy Blue Eyes" and "16th Avenue." ...
as Mrs. Mooney - Royal DanoRoyal DanoRoyal Edward Dano was an American film and television character actor.-Early life:Dano was born in New York City to Mary Josephine , an Irish immigrant, and Caleb Edward Dano, a printer for newspapers. He reportedly left home at the age of twelve and at various intervals, lived in Florida, Texas...
as Beeber - James KarenJames KarenJames Karen is an American character actor of Broadway, film and television.-Life and career:Karen was born Jacob Karnofsky in Wilkes-Barre, in northeastern Pennsylvania, the son of Russian-born Jewish immigrants Mae and Joseph H. Karnofsky, a produce dealer. As a young man, Karen was encouraged...
as Loomis - Suzanne Kent as Charmaine
- George LindseyGeorge LindseyGeorge Lindsey is an American character actor, best known for his role as "Goober Pyle" on The Andy Griffith Show, as well as for his tenure on Hee-Haw.-Early life and career :...
as semitruck driver - Johnny PaycheckJohnny PaycheckJohnny Paycheck was the legal name of Donald Eugene Lytle , a country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member most famous for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It"...
as Man with hamburger - Charlie RichCharlie RichCharles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...
as Hooker - Fran RyanFran RyanFran Ryan was an American character actress featured in television and films. She was born in Los Angeles, California....
as Mrs. Hinkle - Stephan Meyers as Harry Meade, Jr.