The Golden Child (1986)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1986
Running Times: 94 mins
Format: Metrocolor 35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Dolby

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Paramount Pictures Presents a Feldman/Meeker production in association with Eddie Murphy Productions, Inc
Executive Producers: Richard Tienken, Charles R. Meeker
Produced by: Edward S. Feldman, Robert D. Wachs
Co-Produced by: Dennis Feldman
Associate Producer: Gordon A. Webb
Unit Production Manager: Gordon A. Webb
Production Manager (Nepal): Shama Habibullah
Coordinating Executive (Nepal): Amar Simha
Production Coordinator (Nepal): Dena Vincent

SCRIPT
Written by: Dennis Feldman

DIRECTION
Directed By: Michael Ritchie
2nd Unit Director (LA / Nepal): Peter Norman
Assistant Directors: Tom Mack, Emmitt-León O'Neill, W. Alexander Ellis
Assistant Directors (LA): Hans Beimler, Jeff Rafner
Assistant Directors (Nepal): Ajit Kumar, Arish Fyzee

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Donald E. Thorin
2nd Unit Director of Photography (LA): Robert Thomas
Camera Operator: Michael Gershman, Rob Hahn
Camera Operator (LA): Robert Marta
1st Assistant Camera (LA): Mike Weldon
2nd Assistant Camera (LA): Greg Luntzel
Assistant Camera (Nepal): Rajeesh Joshi, Rohinton Behramshan
Chief Lighting Technician (LA): Thomas Hayes
Assistant Chief Lighting Technician (LA): Ralph Johnson
1st Company Grip (LA): Charles Saldana
2nd Company Grip (LA): Carlos Gallardo
Dolly Grip (Nepal): Chausuddin
Lenses and Panaflex Camera: Panavision
Laboratory: Metrocolor

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Edited by: Richard A. Harris

MUSIC
Music by: Michel Colombier
Orchestrations; Michel Colombier, Robbie Buchanan, Al Woodbury
Music Recordists: Dan Wallin, Wolf
Supervising Music Editor: Jeff Carson
Music Editors: Segue Music

SONGS AND ADDITIONAL MUSIC
"The Best Man in the World"
Music by John Barry
Lyrics by Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson & Sue Ennis
Performed by Ann Wilson
Ann Wilson courtesy of Capitol Records, Inc

"Body Talk"
By Stephen Percy, Warren DeMartini & Juan Croucier
Performed by Ratt
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corporation

"Wisdom of the Ages"
Composed and Conducted by John Barry

"The Chosen One"
By Michel Colombier
Performed by Robbie Buchanan

"Puttin' on the Ritz"
By Irving Berlin

"Another Day's Life"
By David Wheatley

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Jim Alexander
Re-Recordists: Robert J. Litt, Gregg Landaker, Elliot Tyson
Supervising Sound Editor: Ronald A. Jacobs, Cecilia Hall
Sound Editor: Marshall Winn, Kimberly Harris, Julia Evershade, Mike Dobie
Supervising ADR Editor: Juno J. Ellis
ADR Editor: Jay Kamen
Special Sound Effects Creator: John Paul Fasal
Supervising Foley Editor: Pamela Bentkowski
Foley Editor: Gary Wright

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up Designer / Creator: Ken Chase
Key Make Up: Steve La Porte
Make Up (LA): John Rizzo
Make Up (Nepal): Mushtaque Shaikh
Hair: Susan V. Kalinowski
Hair (LA): Alan Payne
Hair (Nepal): Mushtaque Shaikh
Costume Designer: Wayne Finkelman
Costume Supervisor: Eddie Marks
Key Women's Costumer: Shari Feldman
Key Men's Costumer: Jim Lapidus
Costumers: Chuck Velasco, Antonio Martinez
Costumer (LA): Patricia Trbovich
Wardrobe (Nepal): Namita Chukherburti

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Cliff Wenger
Special Effects: Danny Gill, Mark Noel, Eric Roberts, Gintar Repecka
Pyrotechnicians: Peter Stolz, Bob Finley Jr, Bill Pelkey
Demon Designer / Sculptor: Randy Dutra
Demon Supervisor: Phil Tippett
Demon Fabrication: Tamia Marg, Sheila Duignan
Demon Armatures: Blair Clark, Conrad Bonderson
Supervising Model Makers: Steve Gawley
Model Makers: William Beck, Michael Fulmer, Ira Keeler, Victoria Lewis, Claudia Mullaly, Wesley Seeds, Chuck Wiley

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Supervisor: Ken Ralston
Visual Effects Coordinators: Pamela Easley, Laurie Vermont
Industrial Light and Magic General Manager: Warren Franklin
Effects Photography: Scott Farrar, Stewart Barbee
Chief Visual Effects Editor: Bill Kimberlin
Opticals Supervisor: Ed Jones
Optical Photography: James Lom, Jim Hagedorn, John Alexander
Line Up Supervisor: Tom Rosseter, Brad Kuehn
Go-Motion Animation Supervisor: Harry Walton
Go-Motion Animation: Tom St Armand
Go-Motion Photography: Kim Marks, Terry Chostner
Animation Supervisor: Ellen Lichtwardt
Animation: John Armstrong, Gordon Baker, Nick Stern, Sean Turner
Additional Animation: Available Light
Animation Photography: Rob Burton, John Knoll
Rotoscope ArtistsJack Mongovan, Barbara Brennan, Joanne Hafner
Matte Department Supervisor: Chris Evans
Matte Photography: Wade Childress
Matte Artists: Michael Pangrazio, Sean Joyce, Caroleen Green
Titles and Opticals: Boss Film Corporation

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: J. Michael Riva
Art Director: Lynda Paradise
Set Designers: Randolph, Judy Cammer
Set Decorator: Marvin March
Prop Master (LA): David Moll
Prop Master (Nepal): Robin Chukherburti
Production Illustrators: John Johnson, Tom Southwell
Storyboard Artist: Chris Hammond
Art Department Liason (Nepal): Kalyan Singh

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor (LA): Jason Upson-Webb
Cashier (Nepal): G.S. Murthy
Production Office Coordinator: Barbara Spitz
Production Assistants: George McDowell, Leslie Warren, Kenneth Frith Jr, Fetteroff F. Colen, Frank Davis, Joseph Brown, Cynthia Woodbyrne
Craft Services (LA): Vartan Chakirian
Technical Advisor: Tim Boxell
Weapons Consultant: Dan Curry
Monastery Technical Advisor: Ken McLeod
Dancing Can Movement Advisor: Michael Smuin
Animal Trainers: Paul Calabria, Karin Dew, Roland Raffler, Sled Reynolds

LOCATIONS
Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA; Nepal
Location Manager: Ira Rosenstein
Location Manager (Nepal): Yeti Jindal

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks To: The California Film Office; Tibet West, New York; Lama Excursions, Nepal

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinators: Chuck Waters, Mickey Gilbert
Stunts: Elizabeth Barrington, Ray Bickel, Simone Boisseree, Jeff Cadiente, Karen Chase, Phil Chong, Lane Cooper, Bob K. Cummings, Vince Deadrick Sr, Larry Duran, Emil Farkas, Joe Finnegan, George Fisher, Donna Garrett, Troy Gilbert, Len Glascow, Orwin Harvey, Larry Holt, Jeff Imada, Gene LaBell, Dave LaBell, Al Leong, Matt Malcolm Pat McGroarty, Bill McIntosh, Eric M. Miller, Gary Morgan, John L. Meier, Dawn Nallick, Alan Oliney, E. Noon Orsatti, Chris Oswald, Lonnie Parkinson, Bernie Pock, Karen Elayna Price, Spiro Razatos, Vernon Paul Rietz, Walt Robles, Tanya Russell, Bill M. Ryusaki, Kimberly L. Ryusaki, Bill Saito, John Sherrod, Felix Silla, Chris Thomas-Palamino, Jim Wilkey

CASTING
Casting: Patricia Mock
Casting Consultant (UK): Mary Selway
Casting Consultant (USA): Melissa Skoff

CAST
Eddie Murphy (Chandler Jarrell)
Charles Dance (Sardo Numspa)
Charlotte Lewis (Kee Nang)
Victor Wong (the old man)
Randall "Tex" Cobb (Til)
James Hong (Doctor Hong)
Shakti (Kala)
Tau Logo (Yu)
Tiger Chung Lee (Khan)
Pons Maar (Fu)
Peter Kwong (Tommy Tong)
Wally Taylor (Detective Boggs)
Eric Douglas (Yellow Dragon)
Charles Levin (TV host)
Kenneth 'Fruitty' Frith Jr (friend at Pink's)
Bennett Ohta (herb shop clerk)
Kinko Tsubouchi (old Chinese woman)
Govind Chipalu (jabbering old man)
Chantara Nop (security man 1)
Phok Ok (security man 2)
Bob Tzudiker (businessman customer)
Cliffy Magee (Russell)
Jeff Soo Hoo (waiter)
Bindra Joshi (chicken lady on plane)
Judy Hudson (tortoise lady)
Ron Packham (buttonman)
Marilyn Schreffler (voice of Kala)
Frank Welker (voice of The Thing)
Aron Kincaid (informer (uncredited))

Chandler Jarrell is a private investigator who specialises in tracking down missing children. A mysterious Tibetan woman tells Jarrell that he is "The Chosen One" and that he must seek out the Golden Child, a Buddhist mystic who has been kidnapped by the sorcerer Sardo Numspa before he can complete a ritual that will kill the child and allow evil to reign.

A terrible, muddled and often incomprehensible fantasy romp that's little more than an excuse for ILM to show off their tricks and for Murphy to again give his, by now, slightly tired looking routines another airing. Murphy, who was on a career high following the excellent Trading Places (1983) and Beverly Hills Cop (1984), seemed almost as bored by it all as the audience and barely seems to be trying. Slow, over-long and plain unfunny, The Golden Child is hardly the starring vehicle that Murphy deserved after Beverly Hills Cop.

Germany
Laserdisc Distributor: Philips (62097)
DVD Distributor: Paramount

UK
Theatrical Distributor: UIP

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Paramount
Video Distributor: Paramount Home Video
Laserdisc Distributor: Paramount (LV 1930)
DVD Distributor: Paramount (019307)

Finland
Rating: K-14

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: PG-13

West Germany
Rating: 12

1988
Young Artist Awards, USA
Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture: Drama (J.L. Reate) - nominated

1986
December
12: USA - theatrical release

1987
February
20: Sweden - theatrical release
27: Finland - theatrical release

April
9: West Germany - theatrical release

1991
August
28: UK - television broadcast (on ITV (Thames Television))

1998
May
25: UK - television broadcast (on BBC1)

1999
March
9: USA - DVD release (Paramount (019307))

2001
January
26: UK - television broadcast (on BBC1)

June
Germany: DVD release (Paramount)

Eddie Murphy Is The Chosen One

Auf der Suche nach dem Goldenen Kind - German title
El chico de oro - Spanish title
Kultainen lapsi - Finnish title
L'enfant sacré du Tibet - French Canadian title
Az Aranyifiú - Hungarian title
Il bambino d'oro - Italian title
O Menino de Ouro - Portugese title

SEE ALSO
Siu lam juk kau (2001)

MAGAZINES

Cinefex no.30 (May 1987) pp.46-68 (USA)
illustrated article

Cinema 26 March 1987 (Germany)
review

City Limits no.277 (22 January 1987) p.26 (UK)
review

Films and Filming no.389 (February 1987) pp.36-37 (UK)
credits, review

Melody Maker 31 January 1987 p.34
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.54 no.637 (February 1987) pp.46-47 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Première April 1987 p.14 (France)
review (by Antoinette Boulat)

Screen International no.584 (24 January 1987) p.19 (UK)
review

Time Out no.857 (21 January 1987) p.24 (UK)
review

birds, buddhism, children, chinatown, crossbows, daggers, demons, dragons, dreams, hell, martial arts, messiahs, mysticism, private investigators, tibet, the supernatural, telekinesis

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008