FORGOTTEN FILM: DEAD SOLID PERFECT (1988)

DEAD SOLID PERFECT is based on the novel by Dan Jenkins, best known for SEMI TOUGH. It is considered by many to be the funniest book about golf.

In 1988, a film was made of that book. It was adapted by Jenkins, along with the film’s director Bobby Roth (who has continued in TV films and episodic TV). Some also call this film the best golf movie ever made.

Made for HBO, the film stars Randy Quaid as Kenny Lee, a struggling golfer. When he isn’t being eliminated from tournaments, he is on the golf course, hustling golfers. There, he meets “Bad Hair”, played by Jack Warden. Warden agrees to sponsor him on the tour.

Like most sports movies, this follows his rise and fall and rise. Kathryn Harrold is his estranged wife. Larry Riley is very good as his caddy, Spec (sadly, he passed away in 1992). There is a memorable score by Tangerine Dream and a Billy Vera theme song that, 20 years later without having seen it since, I occasionally find myself singing.

I don’t know if I would go so far as call this the best golf movie ever made. While good, and Quaid is a very convincing golfer, I think I would have to stick with CADDYSHACK, or even TIN CUP. The ending is quite predictable.

There is one very memorable scene in the film, that is pretty much all that is talked about when discussing the movie (most internet reviews mention it).

Quaid begins dating a waitress, played by the beautiful and very funny Corinne Bohrer. He brings her along the tour with him. At one point, in the hotel room, they realize they are out of ice. Bohrer gets out of bed, completely naked, and nonchalantly walks down the hall to get more ice. As she walks back to the room, she balances the ice bucket on her head.

Bohrer is now a very familiar presence as the mom in TV commercials. She has been in recent ads for McDonalds, and is currently in a paper towel commercial.



When the film first aired on HBO, Jenkins wrote an excellent piece about the making of the film in Golf Digest that was even more entertaining than the film. I’ve long since lost the issue, but he wrote about his cameo (during Bohrer's hallway walk), how no one from the tour would cameo in the film because of the language (Peter Jacobsen is the only golfer who appears). None of the TV networks would appear either. They had to use HBO Sports for the big final match.

The use of HBO Sports could be one of the big selling points of the film today as one of the commentators is none other than current MSNBC hero Keith Olbermann!!

Used VHS copies of the film are still available. It was released on Warner Home Video in 1993. While many HBO films have seen a DVD release, I’m surprised this one hasn’t.

It is worth being released. It is one of Quaid’s better roles. More serious than his “Cousin Eddie” persona. And, like I said, he is a very good golfer.