Take This Job and Shove It (1981) AVCO Embassy/Comedy RT: 100 minutes Rated PG (language, some sexual content) Director: Gus Trikonis Screenplay: Barry Schneider Music: Billy Sherrill Cinematography: James Devis Release date: April 24, 1981 (US)/September 1981 (Philadelphia, PA) Cast: Robert Hays, Barbara Hershey, David Keith, Tim Thomerson, Eddie Albert, Penelope Milford, Charlie Rich, Art Carney, Martin Mull, Royal Dano, Fran Ryan, Joan Prather, James Karen, Virgil Frye, David Allan Coe, Lacy J. Dalton, Suzanne Kent, Johnny Paycheck. Box Office: $17.5M (US)
Rating: ***
The comedy Take This Job and Shove It is named for the popular 1977 country song by Johnny Paycheck (who cameos in the movie as “Man with Hamburgers”). There are a lot of young people out there who wouldn’t know that. Then again, they’ve probably never heard of the song or this movie either.
For whatever reason, Take This Job and Shove It didn’t make into area theaters here in Philadelphia until September of ‘81, none of which were near me. Isn’t it a form of false advertising when the announcer on the TV ads says “starting Friday at a theater near you” and it doesn’t? I finally saw it on cable in April ’83. It left no impression whatsoever. I never watched it again until last week when I acquired a copy. I enjoyed it a lot more this time because I turned it on with zero expectations. It’s actually pretty funny. It’s a redneck comedy which means it has trucks, bars, country music, good old boys, at least one bar fight and a lot of beer which is fitting because the story centers on a brewery.
A corporate conglomerate acquires four financially struggling breweries including the Star Brewery in Dubuque, Iowa. The big boss (Albert, Green Acres) sends Frank Macklin (Hays, Airplane) to oversee operations at the brewery. It’s no coincidence he’s originally from there. Initially, his old friends and neighbors don’t think he can revitalize the failing brewery. They’re all scared of losing their jobs. The transition doesn’t go smoothly. His reorganization results in machines taking over certain duties which means workers are reassigned to different jobs. Production does increase however, so much that the brewery is sold to a Texas oil millionaire (country singer Rich) who doesn’t know the first thing about running a brewery.
Upon arriving, Frank reunites with old girlfriend J.M. (Hershey, The Entity) who handles loans at the local bank. Many townspeople are in debt and the prospect of the brewery closing causes great concern. In the midst of it all, Frank finds time to hang out with old friends Harry (Keith, An Officer and a Gentleman) and Ray (Thomerson, The Wrong Guys). At one point, they take part in a pick-up truck rally in a Bigfoot. Maybe it’s because I’m a guy, but I think that’s cool.
Take This Job and Shove It has a winning cast that includes Art Carney (The Honeymooners) as the brewery head, Martin Mull (Serial) as Hays’ supervisor back at corporate headquarters and Fran Ryan (Quiet Cool) as a local hotel proprietor. Directed by Gus Trikonis (Nashville Girl, Touched by Love), it has more than its fair share of laughs. It’s kind of a goofball take on Norma Rae. Hays is a likable leading man. The music is quite good. It’s predictable, but not in a bad way. You know that the brewery employees will all come together at the end to take on the corporate bigwigs looking to put them out of work.
I never hear anybody mention Take This Job and Shove It when discussing 80s comedies. Maybe it’s time to change that. It’s a fun little movie that deserves more attention than it gets.
