Gung Ho

This article was written by James Wudarczyk. (Posted January 27, 2007.)

Shortly after the release of “Silent Witness,” portions of Ron Howard’s “Gung Ho” were also filmed in Lawrenceville. Released in March 1986, “Gung Ho” portrayed the struggling community of the fictional town of Hadleyville. Suffering from the economic disaster of the closing of the local automobile plant, star Michael Keaton was dispatched to Japan to encourage the Japanese to invest in America and save the town. The humor of the film rested in the cultural difference between American workers and their Japanese counterpart. Rated P-G 13 because of crude language, the film did not fare as well as the producers had hoped. However, the movie spawned a short-lived television series by the same title in 1987.

Ron Howard, who directed the film, started as an actor. Howard appeared in “The Music Man,” “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Happy Days,” and “The Shootist.” His role as a director produced several hit movies prior to “Gung Ho.” These included “Grand Theft Auto” (1979), “Night Shift” (1981), “Splash” (1984), and Cocoon” (1985).

Although Western Pennsylvania figured prominently in the movie, other scenes were filmed in Japan and at the huge Sevel Auto Factory in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Local sites shown in the film included Polish Hill Memorial Field in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, a Victorian home in Highland Park, Gibsonia’s North Lanes Bowling Center, Fort McIntosh Park in Beaver, and Lawrenceville’s 37th and Sardis Way, where Keaton’s character Hunt Stevenson lived. One of the most humorous scenes in the film took place on 37th Street, as Hunt Stevenson tried to flee his home with a fish bowl in his hand, as an angry mob made its way up the street.

The role of Hunt Stevenson was ideal for Michael Keaton, a native of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. Although trained as a serious actor at Kent State University, Keaton contended he preferred comic roles. According to Marylynn Uricchio, Keaton was a former member of the Pittsburgh Poor Players, and wrote comedy material, which he performed as a stand-up comic at the old Loaves and Fishes Club in Shadyside before moving to Los Angeles. In Keaton’s interview with Uricchio, he noted, “I never really pursued acting or was all that interested until I was maybe 20. At that point it was like a kid dreaming to be a baseball player. The more I liked it, the more I wanted to make a living at it. I always figured I would become successful at it. It never seemed out of the realm of possibility. I also thought I had talent. I knew how hard it was but I was also very interested in writing, so I always thought I could write too.”

Prior to starring in “Gung Ho,” Keaton propelled to stardom in the hit films “Night Shift” and “Mr. Mom.” Keaton’s character, Hunt Stevenson, was a likable, well-meaning individual, who lacked social grace and an understanding of international business practices. Much of the humor of the film stemmed from Stevenson drifting from one faux paus to the next because of his inability to be totally truthful with his co-workers and employer. Keaton, known for his high- strung energy, breathed life into the character of Hunt Stevenson. From the beginning of the film, Stevenson is portrayed as a man who wants to do what is right and save the town by saving the jobs in jeopardy with the closing of the major industry. As Keaton admitted to Marylynn Uriccho, he was drawn to the role because of the attraction of working with Ron Howard a second time and because he found the character of Hunt Stevenson most appealing.

Co-starring in the film was George Wendt, who was best known for his role as Norm on the long-running television comedy “Cheers.” Portraying the role of the principal Japanese foreman Takahara Oishi was Gedde Watanabe of “16 Candles” and “Volunteers.” Michele Johnson also starred in the film.

In some respects, “Gung Ho” was a commentary on the differences between American and Japanese management styles, and a clash between Eastern and Western work ethics. While many contemporary economists of the mid-1980’s were holding up Japan’s incredible economic output and superior productivity, “Gung Ho” highlighted the fact that often it was difficult to duplicate success in one sphere of the world by overlaying it on another culture. The film illustrated that production numbers often do not tell the entire story. While Japanese workers were willing to sacrifice family and leisure by working without compensation, most Americans were not. It also illustrated that Japanese workers were looking westward with an envious eye. So while the film took humorous potshots at the cultural rift, it made Americans realize that the old world order passed away, and Americans had to become more quality conscious. It also portrayed the fact that some Japanese questioned giving themselves totally to the god of work.

Perhaps it was appropriate that “Gung Ho” was filmed in Lawrenceville since the community resembled the fictional town of Hadleyville. Both communities were struggling with economic despair with the closing of major businesses. For Hadleyville, it was the loss of the automobile plant, while Lawrenceville experienced the closing of its steel mills and steel-related businesses during the decade of the 1970’s. Unlike Hadleyville, the mills of Lawrenceville never got their second chance.