Poster

Throw Momma from the Train ()

Reference View | Change View
A bitter ex-husband wants his former spouse dead. A put-upon momma's boy wants his mother dead. Who will pull it off?
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.
  • See more »
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

98 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

Edit
...
Owen Lift
...
Larry Donner
...
Beth Ryan
...
Momma Lift
...
Margaret Donner
...
Lester
...
Joel
...
Detective DeBenedetto
Joey DePinto ...
Sergeant
...
Mrs. Hazeltine
...
Pinsky
...
Oprah Winfrey
...
Ms. Gladstone
...
Mr. Perlman
Stu Silver ...
Ramon
J. Alan Thomas ...
Millington
...
Bucky
...
Rosey (as Andre 'Rosey' Brown)
...
Mr. Lopez
William Ray Watson ...
Steward
...
Announcer
...
Old Man
...
Reporter
Karen J. Westerfield ...
Laughing Woman
Stanley L. Gonsales ...
Cab Driver
Fred Gephart ...
Priest
Don Burns ...
Radio DJ (voice)
Ralph Penland ...
Jazz Band
Tony Dumas ...
Jazz Band
Ne Kaholokula ...
Hawaiian Band of Musicians & Dancers
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
...
Student (uncredited)
Kelly Gallant ...
Literary Student (uncredited)
Paul McMichael ...
Young Teen Outside Laundromat (uncredited)
Anne Randa ...
Student (uncredited)

Directed by

Edit
Danny DeVito

Written by

Edit
Stu Silver ... (written by)

Produced by

Edit
Larry Brezner ... producer (produced by)
Kristine Johnson ... co-producer
J. Marina Muhlfriedel ... associate producer
Arne Schmidt ... executive producer (as Arne L. Schmidt)

Music by

Edit
David Newman

Cinematography by

Edit
Barry Sonnenfeld ... director of photography

Editing by

Edit
Michael Jablow

Editorial Department

Edit
Donah Bassett ... negative cutter
Duwayne Dunham ... additional editor
Carrie Ellison ... second assistant editor
Giovanna Giumarra ... post-production assistant
Jay Ignaszewski ... assistant editor
Kelly Mahan-Jaramillo ... second assistant editor (as Kelly Mahan)
Lynne Southerland ... assistant editor

Production Design by

Edit
Ida Random

Art Direction by

Edit
William A. Elliott ... (as William Elliott)

Set Decoration by

Edit
Anne D. McCulley

Costume Design by

Edit
Marilyn Vance ... (as Marilyn Vance-Straker)

Makeup Department

Edit
Dorothy Byrne ... hair stylist
Ken Chase ... makeup artist
John Logan ... special effects makeup: The Burman Studio Inc. (uncredited)

Production Management

Edit
Charles Newirth ... production manager (as Charles J. Newirth)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Edit
Michael Amundson ... second second assistant director (as Michael A. Amundson)
Joe Napolitano ... first assistant director
Michele Panelli-Venetis ... second assistant director (as Michele A. Panelli)

Art Department

Edit
Carol Banever ... graphic designer
David B. Brenner ... propmaker
Frank L. Brown ... assistant property master
R. Gilbert Clayton ... set designer
Henry Darnell ... sculptor
Jerry Gadette ... stand-by painter
David Harris ... greens foreman
Rodney Liber ... construction auditor
C.J. Maguire ... property master
Joseph G. Pacelli Jr. ... set designer
Stephanie Rogers ... art department assistant
George Stokes ... construction coordinator
Kenneth L. Westcott ... lead man
Gary J. Coelho ... laborer gang boss (uncredited)
Steven Curtis Husch ... set dresser (uncredited)
Luigi Mugavero ... set dresser (uncredited)
Frank White ... labor foreman (uncredited)
José Ignacio Álvarez ... carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department

Edit
Gina Bergstrom ... assistant sound editor
Stu Bernstein ... foley artist
David B. Cohn ... supervising adr editor
Don Coufal ... production sound
Carlos Delarios ... re-recording mixer
Gary A. Hecker ... foley walker (as Gary Hecker)
Scott Hecker ... sound editor (as Scott A. Hecker)
Michael J. Kohut ... re-recording mixer
Robert Martel ... assistant sound editor
Bob Newlan ... sound editor
Aaron Rochin ... re-recording mixer
Robert R. Rutledge ... supervising sound editor
Jerry Stanford ... sound editor
Alicia Stevenson ... foley walker
Jim Stuebe ... production sound
Robert Waxman ... sound editor
Jeff Wexler ... production sound
Marty Church ... adr mixer (uncredited)
Robin Haskins ... re-recordist (uncredited)
Brian L. McCarty ... boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by

Edit
Thomas R. Burman ... special effects makeup: The Burman Studio Inc. (as Tom Burman)
Bari Dreiband-Burman ... special effects makeup: The Burman Studio Inc.
John Frazier ... special effects coordinator
Rocky Gehr ... special effects (as Rocky A. Gehr)
Richard L. Hill ... special effects crew (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

Edit
Robert D. Bailey ... special photographic effects
Rocco Gioffre ... matte artist
Mark Sullivan ... matte artist

Stunts

Edit
Vince Deadrick Jr. ... stunts
Vince Deadrick Sr. ... stunt coordinator
Richard Drown ... stunts
Dana Dru Evenson ... stunts
Donna Garrett ... stunts
Marguerite Happy ... stunts
Orwin C. Harvey ... stunts
Larry Holt ... stunts
Peter Horak ... stunts
Wally Rose ... stunts
Rick Sawaya ... stunts
Jerry Summers ... stunts
Mike Tillman ... stunts
Jim Wilkey ... stunts
Harry Wowchuk ... stunts
Joe Fury ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

Edit
Jay Davis ... rigging key grip
Robert Duggan ... dolly grip (as Robert W. Duggan)
M. Todd Henry ... camera operator
Kevin Kelley ... gaffer
Mark La Bonge ... second assistant camera
Robert LaBonge ... first assistant camera (as Robert La bonge)
Laurel Moore ... still photographer
Walter Nicols ... rigging gaffer
Chris O'Neil ... best boy
Jonathan O'Neil ... lamp operator
Tom Prophet Jr. ... key grip
Scott J. Prophet ... best boy grip (as Scott Prophet)
Reid Reilich ... video playback operator
Fred Scialla ... still photographer
Wayne Baker ... underwater camera assistant: 2nd unit (uncredited)
David Canestro ... grip (uncredited)
Paul Jacobsen ... electrician (uncredited) / rigger (uncredited)

Casting Department

Edit
Bess Gilbert ... extras casting: Cenex Inc.
Patrick Rush ... casting assistant
Todd Thaler ... additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department

Edit
Elinor Bardach ... costumer (as Elinor C. Bardach)
Michele Neely ... costume supervisor
Pasquale Siciliano ... tailor

Location Management

Edit
Craig Pointes ... location manager
Arthur J. Miller Jr. ... location scout (uncredited)
Stephanie Spangler ... location manager: Kauai (uncredited)

Music Department

Edit
Tim Boyle ... score mixer
David Klingenberger ... music researcher
Tom Villano ... music editor: Segue Music
Israel Baker ... musician: violin, viola (uncredited)
Tom Boyd ... musician: oboe and English horn (uncredited)
Alan Kaplan ... musician: trombone (uncredited)
Gayle Levant ... musician: harp (uncredited)
David Marquette ... score recordist (uncredited)
Krystyna Newman ... assistant to conductor (uncredited)
Cassandra Richburg ... musician: viola (uncredited)
Chris Silagyi ... music consultant (uncredited)
James Thatcher ... musician: French horn (uncredited)
Sebastian Toettcher ... musician: cello (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

Edit
Harold Michelson ... continuity consultant
Esther Vivante ... script supervisor

Transportation Department

Edit
Tom Briggs ... transportation captain
Chester Haffey ... transportation
Tom F. Thomas ... transportation coordinator (as Tom Thomas)

Additional Crew

Edit
Alicia Anthony ... post-production auditor
Tony Ciccone ... set assistant (as Tony 'Mopar' Ciccone)
James Clark ... train consultant
Allegra Clegg ... production coordinator
Ron Eisenman ... first aid
Tony Kerum ... catering: Tony's Food Service
Linda Kwasha ... production associate
Arnold Lipsman ... publicity: PMK Public Relations
Thomas Miligan ... csa trainee (as Thomas E. Miligan)
Stan Rosenfield ... publicity: PMK Public Relations
Steve Serber ... assistant accountant
Cheryl A. Stone ... production accountant (as Cheryl Stone)
Julie Strassman-Cohn ... assistant: Mr. Silver (as Julie Strassman)
Judy Thomason ... assistant coordinator
Arthur Tostado ... laboratory contact: Consolidated Film Industries (as Art Tostado)
Todd Trotter ... production assistant
Jim Turner ... financial representative
Karen Westerfield ... craft service (as Karen J. Westerfield)
Nancy Willen ... unit publicist
Matthew T. Adams ... body double (uncredited)
Elizabeth Burr ... loop group: all ancillary voices (uncredited)
Robert Loeser ... production assistant (uncredited)
Paul Rahmes ... personal assistant to director (uncredited)
Jonathan Sheinberg ... Head of Production Orion Pictures (uncredited)
Melissa Smith ... director of operations (uncredited) / post facilities manager (uncredited)
Ladd Vance ... production assistant (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

Edit

Distributors

Edit

Special Effects

Edit

Other Companies

Edit

Storyline

Edit
Plot Summary

Larry Donner is an author and writing professor who tutors people that want to write books. Larry's life has become a misery when his ex-wife Margaret has published a book he wrote under her name and has gotten rich over it. Owen Lift, one of Larry's students, offers Larry to kill Margaret, and in return Owen, wants Larry to kill his horrible mother. Larry thinks it's a joke, until he learns Owen killed his ex-wife. And Larry has now become the prime suspect. Written by Daniel Williamson

Plot Keywords
Taglines Owen asked his friend, Larry, for a small favor... See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

Edit
Also Known As
  • Throw Mama from the Train (World-wide, English title)
  • Throw Mamma from the Train (World-wide, English title)
  • Mamma Train Falls (India, English title)
  • Balance maman hors du train (France)
  • Schmeiß' die Mama aus dem Zug (Germany)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 88 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $14,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend United States $7,318,878, 13 Dec 1987

Did You Know?

Edit
Trivia Anne Ramsey's speech impediment was caused by operations she underwent in order to treat throat cancer. During filming she was undergoing additional oral surgery and endured intense pain. However, according to director Danny DeVito, she never requested to be excused from work. "Momma" went on to become Ramsey's most critically-lauded performance, culminating with Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1988. Sadly, she died only six months after the ceremony because of that very same throat cancer. See more »
Goofs When Larry reads out the title of a student's "coffee table book" he says "One Hundred Girls I'd Like To Pork" but his lips are clearly mouthing the final word as "Fuck." This line was presumably overdubbed to avoid an R rating. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into Throw Momma from the Train: Deleted Scenes (2001). See more »
Soundtracks LARRY'S SONG See more »
Crazy Credits The credit for Assistant Sound Editor Robert Martel has a gap in the vertical stroke of the L. See more »
Quotes [Momma sees Larry for the first time]
Momma: Who's this?
Owen: This is Cousin Paddy. He's coming to stay with us a while. Isn't that nice?
Momma: [suspiciously] You don't *have* a "Cousin Paddy".
Owen: [to Larry] You lied to me!
[Owen knocks Larry out with a frying pan to the head]
See more »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page


Clear your history

Recently Viewed