‘Howard the Duck’: 8 Things You May Not Know

howard the duck feature
Universal Pictures

On August 1, 1986, the feature film adaptation of Howard the Duck made its zany debut. To celebrate the 35th anniversary, let’s dive into some trivia! Here are 8 things you may not know.

1Robin Williams Quits

Before Chip Zien was cast as the voice of Howard the Duck, the feathered alien was originally to be voiced by Robin Williams. That arrangement didn’t last long, however, as he quit the first week. Per Zien, Williams stated on day 3 of the project, “I can’t do this. It is insane. I can’t get the rhythm of this. I am being confined. I am being handcuffed in order to match the flapping duck’s bill.”

Zien went on to say that he got the official call from his agent saying, “Robin Williams just quit and you’re now Howard the Duck.” And history was made. One has to wonder what the late actor/comedian would have brought to the role.

2Lea Thompson Rocks Out

Melting hearts for decades to come, Lea Thompson starred as ’80s punk rock goddess Beverly Switzler, lead singer of the fictional band Cherry Bomb. Along with her on-screen bandmates, Thompson provided her own musical talents. However, the actress wasn’t sure if she would end up on the final soundtrack. She said, “There was always the thing hanging over my head that they might dub me. They weren’t really sure about my voice, so I worked really hard on that. I didn’t have any vocal training, and the worst thing is that I didn’t stand up for myself. I should have done a couple things in different keys.”

3And the “Winner” Is…

In 1987, Howard the Duck made a huge splash during awards season…the 7th Golden Raspberry Awards, that is. The film got a whopping seven nominations, including Tim Robbins for Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Picture. Howard ‘won’ a total of four Razzies: Worst Screenplay, Worst New Star, Worst Visual Effects, and Worst Picture (tied with Prince’s Under the Cherry Moon).

4“A Duck Brought Price Down”

Following the film’s huge box office disappointment, the president of Universal Pictures, Frank Price, resigned. Los Angeles Times reported in September 1986, “Produced by George Lucas, Howard reportedly cost the studio more than $45 million (including prints and advertising). It performed so poorly at the box office that the studio is no longer even tracking the box-office numbers, an insider reported. ‘A duck brought Price down,’ said one producer who insisted on anonymity. ‘An innocent, lovable duck.'” The film brought in just under $38 million in the box office.

5CouldaShoulda?…Been Animated

There’s no doubt the shenanigans of Howard & co. were a tough sell on-screen, taking camp to a whole new level. Perhaps that’s why writer/director Willard Huyck and co-writer Gloria Katz (who were also married) envisioned the film as an animated project. The live-action film as it stands is like watching a wacky cartoon, so it’s easy to imagine. However, after Universal Studios made the huge mistake of passing up Star Wars and Indiana Jones, they were probably drooling over the thought of a summer blockbuster executive produced by George Lucas. An animated feature wasn’t going to cut it, though. The studio wanted live-action, so that’s what they got.

The late Gloria Katz also commented on animated vs. live-action, saying, “We had been talking to George about this for about ten years, and anticipated animating it, but it would have taken too much time and too much money.” For these reasons, and perhaps more, live-action it is.

6Howard Gets Uninvited

Although Howard was brought to life using a variety of techniques, there were two actors who took turns inside the suit- Ed Gale and Jordan Prentice. Since Prentice was only 13 at the time of film’s release, child labor laws ensured that it was Gale (who later played Chucky in Child’s Play) who worked the incredibly long hours in an insufferable suit. Despite that hard work, the actor was not invited to the premiere.

He says about the experience, “I was cordially uninvited to the premiere and asked to not attend. They figured, if there’s a little person there, he must be Howard the Duck. They wanted to hide the fact that Howard was a little person. I felt it was another way of discrediting me, and, because of the credits, everyone thinks eight little people played Howard. That’s not to say that the puppeteers weren’t a part of Howard too, but I was inside the suit.”

He went on to say, “That was the only little piece that hurt, but then I realized what Gloria and Willard were aiming for. They wanted audiences to see Howard the Duck the character, not Howard the Duck the little person.” Still…not cool.

7About That Scene…

For those of us who saw Howard the Duck at an impressionable age, one of the most memorable scenes involves Howard and Beverly in bed. The two start flirting and get a bit handsy before getting interrupted. As one can imagine, not everyone was a fan of the scene (or movie in general, but I digress…). Over the years, Willard Huyck and Ed Gale have both made comments about people being offended.

Huyck said, “Obviously we thought that scene was funny, the idea that she might actually go to bed with a duck. I’m always surprised how people who become offended by things that are pretty silly.” While Gale had a stronger reaction, “I cannot believe how many idiots watched the movie with both eyes opened and complained. They did not have sex.” He went on to say, “Thirty years later, I ask everybody who mentions, ‘When did they say sex? Why do you have to make this stuff up in your own heads?'” The scene was edited for its release in England.

8Howard Vs. The Volcano

Activision

A video game tie-in was released in 1986 via Activision, which has Howard in a much different location than Cleveland, Ohio. Players take on the role of the titular character, who ventures through Volcano Island to save his friends. The “tropical paradise” is most likely inspired by the original film idea for the Duck to be working as a private eye while living in Hawaii. The film studio ultimately shot down this idea, but it seems Activision embraced it a bit more. Unfortunately, a fun, new location wasn’t enough to make players and critics happy.


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