On this day March 4 1988 the romantic comedy Switching Channels premiered in theaters. Directed by Ted Kotcheff the film starred Kathleen Turner Burt Reynolds Christopher Reeve Ned Beatty and Henry Gibson.
The movie was a modern adaptation of the classic play The Front Page but with a television news setting. Kathleen Turner played a tough and ambitious news reporter looking to leave her fast paced career behind for a more relaxed life with her fiancé played by Christopher Reeve. However her ex husband and boss played by Burt Reynolds schemes to keep her in the newsroom and rekindle their relationship leading to a battle of wits and romance.
Despite a strong cast and witty dialogue Switching Channels struggled at the box office earning only nine point one million against its nineteen million dollar budget. While it was not a major hit it remains a fun and fast paced newsroom comedy that captures the energy of classic screwball films.
Fun fact: Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner reportedly had poor on set chemistry which led to behind the scenes tension affecting the film’s production.
Trivia question: Switching Channels was based on The Front Page which has been adapted several times. Can you name the famous 1940 film version starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell?
The movie was a modern adaptation of the classic play The Front Page but with a television news setting. Kathleen Turner played a tough and ambitious news reporter looking to leave her fast paced career behind for a more relaxed life with her fiancé played by Christopher Reeve. However her ex husband and boss played by Burt Reynolds schemes to keep her in the newsroom and rekindle their relationship leading to a battle of wits and romance.
Despite a strong cast and witty dialogue Switching Channels struggled at the box office earning only nine point one million against its nineteen million dollar budget. While it was not a major hit it remains a fun and fast paced newsroom comedy that captures the energy of classic screwball films.
Fun fact: Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner reportedly had poor on set chemistry which led to behind the scenes tension affecting the film’s production.
Trivia question: Switching Channels was based on The Front Page which has been adapted several times. Can you name the famous 1940 film version starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell?
