Fraternity Row (film)
| Fraternity Row | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Thomas J. Tobin |
| Written by | Charles Gary Allison |
| Produced by | Charles Gary Allison Thomas Joachim Thomas Pope |
| Starring | Peter Fox Gregory Harrison Scott Newman Nancy Morgan Wendy Phillips |
| Narrated by | Cliff Robertson |
| Cinematography | Peter Gibbons |
| Edited by | Eugene Fournier |
| Music by | Michael Corner Theme song by Don McLean |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Fraternity Row is a 1977 American drama film portraying life in a 1950s fraternity at a fictional college.
Plot[]
This movie tells the story of one college student and his trials and tribulations as he pledges the Gamma Nu Pi Fraternity at a fictional Eastern school.[1] The film depicts common hazing practices during the era including humiliation, onion eating and severe paddling.
Cast[]
- Peter Fox as Rodger Carter
- Gregory Harrison as Zac Sterling
- Scott Newman as Chunk Cherry
- Nancy Morgan as Jennifer Harris
- Wendy Phillips as Betty Ann Martin
- Robert Emhardt as Brother Bob Abernathy
- Cliff Robertson as The Narrator
- Dean Smith as Andy Nelson
Background[]
Originally this film was Charles Gary Allison's thesis while he was a film student at USC.[2] It was then picked up and distributed by Paramount. It is said to have been inspired by the 1959 hazing death of Kappa Sigma pledge Richard Swanson, who died after attempting to swallow a quarter pound piece of raw liver without chewing.[3][4]
Critical reception[]
Fraternity Row met with generally positive reviews. However, the movie failed to catch on and did only a very light business at the box office. It has not been released to DVD. NOTE that 'FOTOMAT Drive-Thru Movies' did make "Fraternity Row" available on VHS for a time -- and possibly on the Beta format as well -- in the early 1980s. FRATERNITY ROW was listed on Fotomat's 'Rental' advertisement which offered the consumer a chance to 'Pick a Flick' for only $6.95. The offer ended January 31, 1980! At the time, FOTOMAT had 132 titles available for the consumer to rent.
See also[]
- List of hazing deaths in the United States
- Hazing
- History of North American college fraternities and sororities
- Matt's Law
- The Gordie Foundation
References[]
- ^ Canry, Vincent (June 4, 1977). "'Fraternity Row,' a 50's Film, Plays Neighborhoods". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "Fraternity Row". Variety. December 31, 1976. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "Hazing death investigation is demanded". Spokane Daily Chronicle. September 18, 1959.
- ^ Nuwker, Hank (January 29, 2004). The Hazing Reader. Indiana University Press. p. XXVI. ISBN 0253343704.
External links[]
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- 1977 films
- English-language films
- 1970s coming-of-age drama films
- American films
- American coming-of-age drama films
- Films about fraternities and sororities
- Films about hazing
- Films set in 1954
- Paramount Pictures films
- 1977 directorial debut films
- 1977 drama films
- 1970s drama film stubs