Boxoffice-May.21.1979

From Football to Film Isnt Easy,
But Joe Kapps Done It
Joe Kapp
By STU GOLDSTEIN
Associate Editor
KANSAS CITY—Joe Kapp has made ihe
transition from football hero to movie actor
;o associate producer
.1 smooth one. He's
made it a successful
one, too. going from
All-Pro quarterback
to a succession of acting
roles including
parts in "The Longest
Yard" and "Semi-
Tough," both with
Burt Reynolds. Now
Kapp has turned his
attention to the production
side of film. Thanks to a little prodding
from producer George Litto, Kapp is
associate producer of Orion's "Over the
Edge," being leleased through Warner Bros.
The husky athlete-turned-actor execulive
is eager to get his message out about "Over
the Edge." The message is that the picture
is
for everybody. "Adults and young people
will each get their own message from this
film," Kapp believes. For young people
(undoubtedly "Edge's" primary audience)
there is the "message" of seeing kids like
themselves on the screen, dealing with the
contemporary peer pressures that Kapp calls
"typical" for today's youth. For the adults,
especially the parents. Kapp believes "Edge"
is a "must-see" film that will allow them lo
understand what today's kids are experiencing.
A Typical Mixture
Not all the kids in the picture are bad
kids. The characters offer a rather typical
potpourri of average middle-class American
young people, Kapp believes. This "typical
mixture" includes both good and bad kid.s
youths that have already gone "over the
edge" and one who is still "on the edge."
"In fact, our working title was 'On Ihc
Edge.' " explained Kapp. A central plot line
in the film is the dilemma one character
must face in trying to decide between peer
pressure and parental guidance. He is, quite
literally, "on the edge."
There is a good deal of violence and drug
usage depicted, subjects that Kapp believes
arc rea.sons for parents to see the movie,
too. "Drug use is everywhere," insists Kapp.
"It's important for parents to realize this is
going on." The film doesn't condone drug
u.se, but in an attempt to relate to young
audiences, some ambiguous "inside" humor
has been included. "The humor in the picture
may pass by the adults," Kapp admiiud.
One such humorous incident concerns
a 14-year old drug dealer who tells
his customers (other teenagers) his prices
must go up "due to inflation." The dealer
in this case comes from a moderately affluent
family, has extra money and his
With 'Edge
mother is seemingly unaware of what hei
son's involved with.
"These are the kids today." says Kapp.
"They have money and this is what some
of them do with it. These incidents are based
on true occurrences." "Drug use is like
white collar crime." he went on to explain.
"It's there, but no one wants to talk about
it." Kapp believes the situations that are
depicted in the affluent suburban neighborhoods
of "Over the Edge" are totally realistic.
"Believe me, the picture is very much in
tune with what's going on."
No Violence Expected
The violent aspect of "Over the Edge" is
a big part of the film. Kapp, however, does
not expect any violent outbreaks like those
that occurred with "The Warriors" and
other gang pictures. "No one in this picture
is out to hurt another human being." Kapp
related. "The only violence is that against
property."
The young actors recruited for the picture,
are, for the most part, amateurs. One
young actor, Matt Dillon, who Kapp says
didn't change his name, reminds Kapp of
a young Marlon Brando with his tough-guy
mannerisms. Kapp credits director Jonathan
Kaplan with bringing out the "realistic"
acting styles as evidenced by Dillon and the
other stars including Pamela Ludwig, Tom
Fergus. Jeff Fleury and Vincent Spano, one
of the few "professional" actors in the
group.
One of the main "messages" in the film,
accoiding to Kapp, is the need for communication
within the family. The main
character in the movie, the one who's "on
the edge," finally gets through to his parents
when he gets into trouble. Then his
father, who up to then had only been interested
in furthering his career, finally
begins to understand some of the problems
his son has been facing.
Problems Are Real
"Many parents have related stories to me
about how their own kids are 'on the edge.'
Hopefully, this picture will scare them into
seeing how real these problems are." Kapp
also sa'd that
working with the young actors
has helped him to understand these problems
himself, especially the kinds of pressures
that could confront his own son, who
is 15. "Hopefully, everyone will see a little
bit of themselves in the picture."
The film was produced on a $.1 million
budget and was completed after 40 days
of principal photography. All lensing was
on location in Colorado, photographed by
Andy Davis. Major ad campaigns for the
picture includ; TV buys on youth-oriented
programs. "Over the Edge" opened May 18
in eight markets, with a soundtrack album
scheduled for June. When asked about future
projects, Kapp said there are other
projects in the works with George Litto, the
names of which will be announced in the
future.
Technicolor Reports
Record Third Quarter
LOS ANGELES — Technicolor Inc.
reported
net income for the quarter ended
March 31, 1979, of $2,133,000 or $.73 per
share, calculated on 2,932,877 average
shares outstanding. For the third consecutive
quarter, the company achieved its
highest quarterly earnings and- earnings per
share from operations. In the comparable
period of the prior year, the company reported
a net loss of $445,000 or $1.5 per
share on 2,926,459 overage shares. Sales
and other income were $40,737,000 as
compared to $34,387,000 in the prior year.
The net income increase was mainly due
to a non-recurring charge to earnings made
in the prior year of $1,786,000 or $.61
per share, improved operating results at the
company's professional film processing facility
in Rome, the acquisition of all of the
outstanding minority shares of The Vidtronics
Company Inc. and increased sales
activity at the company's North Hollywood
professional film processing facility.
Loews Reports 79 Percent
Income Rise for Quarter
NEW YORK—The Loews Corp. has
reported
its most profitable first quarter ever
with net income rising 79 percent to $51.8
million. Last yeai's report indicated $28.9
million. Revenues rose 12.5 percent to $916
million, up from $814 million during Ihe
same period in 1978.
These 1979 figures include investmeni
gains of $12.3 million, or $1.07 per share,
up from $3.1 million, or 26 cents per share.
a year earlier.
SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM
BOXOFHCE:
825 Van Brunt Blvd.
Kansas City, Mo. 64 124
Please enter my subscription to BOX-
OFFICE.
n 1 YEAR $15.00
n 2 YEARS $28.00
D Remittance Enclosed
n Sond Invoice
Outside U.S., Canada and Pan American
Union, $25.00 Per Year.
THEATRE
STREET
TOWN
NAME
ZIP CODE
POSITION
STATE
May 21, 1979