The Experts (1989 film)
Encyclopedia
The Experts is a 1989
American
comedy film
starring John Travolta
, Arye Gross
and Kelly Preston
. It was written by Steven Greene, Eric Alter, and Nick Thiel and directed by Dave Thomas
.
, Travis (John Travolta
) and Wendell (Arye Gross
) are drugged and kidnapped while on their way to opening a nightclub in rural Nebraska
. The KGB
spy Cameron Smith (Charles Martin Smith
) takes them to the Soviet Union
, as "experts" on the "American lifestyle" with the intention of teaching KGB agents to be hip like Americans - and under the influence of drugs they think they have arrived in "Nebraska" to open the nightclub. Travis and Wendell are relocated to the phony burg of "Indian Springs", Nebraska which is actually located in the southeastern edge of the USSR near the Sea of Japan
populated by Russians who "speak and act American", and where KGB trainees go to practice, but is mired in the 1950s
. The KGB spy Smith is in charge of the "typical American town" constructed in the middle of the Soviet Union for espionage-training purposes and hopes that his fellow agents will learn real US culture. But things get out of control when Travis and Wendell immediately begin indoctrinating their fellow "American" neighbors in all the guilty pleasures of Yankee hedonism, turn a tiki lounge into a rock club, teach the townsfolk to dance, and introduce current pop culture. Both also flirt with local beauties. Things get dangerous when the townsfolk taste freedom, and the KGB decides to stop the experiment and get rid of the American "guests".
1989 in film
-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
, Arye Gross
Arye Gross
-Biography:Gross was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Sheri and Joseph Gross, who was an aerospace engineer and later worked in business....
and Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
. It was written by Steven Greene, Eric Alter, and Nick Thiel and directed by Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (actor)
David "Dave" Thomas is a Canadian comedian and actor. He was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, but moved to Durham, North Carolina where his father, John E. Thomas, attended Duke University and earned a PhD in Philosophy. Thomas attended George Watts and Moorehead elementary schools...
.
Plot
Two hip nightclub owners from New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Travis (John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
) and Wendell (Arye Gross
Arye Gross
-Biography:Gross was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Sheri and Joseph Gross, who was an aerospace engineer and later worked in business....
) are drugged and kidnapped while on their way to opening a nightclub in rural Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. The KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
spy Cameron Smith (Charles Martin Smith
Charles Martin Smith
Charles Martin Smith is an American film actor, writer, and director.-Early life:Smith was born in Van Nuys, California. His father, Frank Smith, was a film cartoonist and animator, while his uncle Paul J. Smith was an animator as well as a director for the Walter Lantz Studios...
) takes them to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, as "experts" on the "American lifestyle" with the intention of teaching KGB agents to be hip like Americans - and under the influence of drugs they think they have arrived in "Nebraska" to open the nightclub. Travis and Wendell are relocated to the phony burg of "Indian Springs", Nebraska which is actually located in the southeastern edge of the USSR near the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
populated by Russians who "speak and act American", and where KGB trainees go to practice, but is mired in the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
. The KGB spy Smith is in charge of the "typical American town" constructed in the middle of the Soviet Union for espionage-training purposes and hopes that his fellow agents will learn real US culture. But things get out of control when Travis and Wendell immediately begin indoctrinating their fellow "American" neighbors in all the guilty pleasures of Yankee hedonism, turn a tiki lounge into a rock club, teach the townsfolk to dance, and introduce current pop culture. Both also flirt with local beauties. Things get dangerous when the townsfolk taste freedom, and the KGB decides to stop the experiment and get rid of the American "guests".
Cast
- John TravoltaJohn TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
– Travis - Arye GrossArye Gross-Biography:Gross was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Sheri and Joseph Gross, who was an aerospace engineer and later worked in business....
– Wendell - Kelly PrestonKelly PrestonKelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
– Bonnie - Deborah ForemanDeborah ForemanDeborah Lynn Foreman is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her starring role in the 1983 movie Valley Girl, as "Julie Richman" acting opposite Nicolas Cage as "Randy".-Early life:...
– Jill - James KeachJames KeachJames Keach is an American actor, producer, and director. He is the younger brother of actor Stacy Keach, Jr., and son of actor Stacy Keach, Sr.-Background:...
– Yuri - Jan RubesJan RubesJan Ladislav Rubeš CM was a Czech-Canadian bass opera singer and actor.-Life and career:Rubeš was born in Volyně, Czechoslovakia, the son of Ružena and Jan Rubeš. Not too long after World War II, he graduated from the Prague Conservatoire and joined the Prague Opera House as a bass singer...
– Illyich - Brian Doyle-MurrayBrian Doyle-MurrayBrian Doyle-Murray is an American comedian, screenwriter, actor and voice artist. He is the older brother of actor/comedian Bill Murray and has acted together with him in several films, including Caddyshack, Scrooged, Ghostbusters II, The Razor's Edge and Groundhog Day...
– Mr. Jones - Charles Martin SmithCharles Martin SmithCharles Martin Smith is an American film actor, writer, and director.-Early life:Smith was born in Van Nuys, California. His father, Frank Smith, was a film cartoonist and animator, while his uncle Paul J. Smith was an animator as well as a director for the Walter Lantz Studios...
– Mr. Smith - Mimi MaynardMimi MaynardMimi Maynard is a film and television actress who is also a casting director and film producer.-Career:Since 1975, she has appeared in at least ten films and seventeen television productions, including voicing the character "I.Q's Mom" in the animated family-adventure film Fly Me to the Moon .She...
– Betty Smith - Eve Brent – Aunt Thelma
- Rick DucommunRick DucommunRichard "Rick" Ducommun is a Canadian actor and comedian, often seen in supporting roles on both television and the silver screen.Ducommun was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan...
– Sparks - Steve LevittSteve LevittSteve Levitt may refer to:* Steve Levitt * Steven Levitt, economist...
– Gil - Tony EdwardsTony EdwardsTony Edwards is an Australian comic book artist and illustrator, best known for his creation, Captain Goodvibes.-Biography:Tony Edwards was born in Strathfield in 1944 and originally trained as an architect....
– Nathan - Jack Ammon – Doc Benson
- Marc Reid – Billy Smith
- Robyn Simons – Kathy Smith
- Joseph Golland – Old Timer #1
- Imbert Orchard – Old Timer #2
- John BoylanJohn Boylan (actor)John J. Boylan was an American film, television, and theatrical actor. One of three children born in Canton, Ohio to an Irish-American immigrant family, he began acting in 1932 when he helped found the Players' Guild for a local community theater...
– Old Timer #3 - Nigel Harvey – Floyd
- Ron Chabidon – Lawyer
- Roman Podhora – Lover #1
- Caroline Healy – Lover #2
- Adrien Dorval – Elmo
- Alex Bruhanski – Taxi Driver
- Sandy Tucker – Operator
- Ella Levykh – Russian Newsperson #1
- Michael Levykh – Russian Newsperson #2
- Marek Czuma – Guard #1
- Andrei Grigoryev – Guard #2
- Frank C. Turner – Sheriff
- Dan Zale – Huge Guy
- Robert Sidley – Soda Jerk
- Narda Singh – Stewardess
- Sergey Filonov – Prison Guard
- Gary Snider – Butcher
- Michael C. Bogle – DC-4 Pilot
- John WatsonJohn WatsonJohn Watson may refer to:In politics:* John Christian Watson , known as Chris Watson, Australia's third Prime Minister* John Bertrand Watson , British Member of Parliament for Stockton-on-Tees, 1917–1923* John S...
– DC-4 Co-Pilot - Kalen Keach – Small Town Boy (uncredited)
- David Mcalpine-(uncredited)
- Mark Canniff-(uncredited)