LAST POLKA, THE (TV)
Summary
This mockumentary presents a career retrospective of fictional polka musicians the Shmenge Brothers, tracing their checkered career from their humble beginnings on the Balkan vaudeville circuit to their emotional final concert. Recreating these roles from their Second City Television program are John Candy as portly clarinet player Josh Shmenge and Eugene Levy as obtuse accordionist Stan Shmenge, the musical duo who refuse to divulge the reason for their sudden retirement after copious record albums and television shows. The mock documentary includes interviews with the Shmenge Brothers' friends and associates (including a bewigged Rick Moranis as the inexplicable crooner Linsk Minyk) who remember the polka duo with mixed feelings; footage from their 1952 bowling and polka show, "Strikes, Spares and Shmenges"; footage of Shmenges in concert performing their standard "Who Stole the Cabbage Roll?"; recollections of their work with the singing triplets "The Lemon Twins"; their notoriously unattended polka-flavored stadium rock concert in Plattsburg in 1984; and the Shmenges' final concert.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: March 14, 1985 Thursday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:53:42
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T87:0053
- GENRE: Comedy; Music; Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Parody; Polkas (Band)
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 1985
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- John Candy … Executive Producer, Writer
- Eugene Levy … Executive Producer, Writer
- Jamie Paul Rock … Producer
- John Blanchard … Director
- Russ Little … Music (Misc. Credits), Music Director
- Dave Thomas … Narrator
- John Candy … Cast, Josh Shmenge
- Eugene Levy … Cast, Stan Shmenge
- Rick Moranis … Cast, Linsk Minyk
- Catherine O'Hara … Cast
- Robin Duke … Cast
- Mary Margaret O'Hara … Cast
- John McAndrew … Cast
- Patricia Hamilton … Cast
- Marvin Goldhar … Cast
- Nick Nichols … Cast
- Don Dickinson … Cast
- Len Doncheff … Cast
- Ted Woloshyn … Cast
- Gord Martineau … Cast
- Michael Budman … Cast