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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1980s
    Movies - 1980s Movies - P 2 Mins Read

    Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

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    Although a spin-off from the children’s TV series, this big-screen adventure is inventive enough to paste together its slim narrative with great charm.

    Pee-Wee Herman, all rubbery limbs, ultra-tight grey suit, red bowtie and made-up face, loses his precious shiny red bicycle – the keenest bike in the world – and chases it all the way to Hollywood.

    The chief suspect is Pee-Wee’s portly and rich neighbour, the equally child-like Francis Buxton (Mark Holton), who has attempted to buy the bicycle many times without success.

    peeweesbigadventure_002

    Pee-Wee consults disreputable psychic Madame Ruby (Erica Yohn) who tells him the bike is being held in the basement at the Alamo.

    He duly sets off on an epic road trip, encountering riotous adventures with bikers, bums, cowboys, cons, phantom trucker Large Marge (Alice Nunn) and a love-starved waitress with wanderlust.

    Warner Brothers eventually buy Pee-Wee’s story and turn it into a film with James Brolin as “PW Herman” and Morgan Fairchild as Dottie. Pee-Wee is dubbed in a cameo as a bellhop.

    Tim Burton’s full-length movie directorial debut did modest business on release but is generally regarded to be a minor cult classic now thanks to the whimsical, almost plotless, strange and sometimes delightful nature of the picture which is awash with inventive ideas and rich designs and capped by a great score by Danny Elfman – who uses circus-themed music to mesh with the colourful visuals and Pee-Wee’s singularly weird and wonderful little universe.

    A familiar route is enlivened by Herman’s engaging innocence and energy, as well as the surreal, brightly-coloured world created around him. The result is surprisingly very funny.

    Pee-Wee Herman
    Paul Reubens
    Dottie
    Elizabeth Daily
    Francis
    Mark Holton
    Simone
    Diane Salinger
    Mickey
    Judd Omen
    Mario
    Monte Landis
    Chip
    Damon Martin
    Chuck
    Daryl Roach
    peeweebigadventure0Sergeant Hunter
    Starletta Dupois
    Mr Buxton
    Ed Herlihy
    Amazing Larry
    Lou Cutell
    Madame Ruby
    Erica Yohn
    Large Marge
    Alice Nunn
    Andy
    Jon Harris
    Hobo Jack
    Carmen Filpi
    Tina
    Jan Hooks
    Kevin Morton
    Jason Hervey
    Mother Superior
    Lynne Stewarti
    Tarzan 
    Richard Brose
    Pierre
    Gilles Savard
    “PW”
    James Brolin
    “Dottie”
    Morgan Fairchild
    Terry Hawthorne
    Tony Bill
    Twisted Sister
    Themselves

    Director
    Tim Burton

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