Going Overboard

Going Overboard is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Valerie Breiman, and stars Adam Sandler in his film debut, Burt Young, Allen Covert, Billy Zane, Terry Moore, Milton Berle, and Billy Bob Thornton in a small role. The film was originally released in 1989, but once Sandler became successful after appearing on Saturday Night Live and starring in the film Billy Madison, it was given a wider release by Vidmark Entertainment in 1995. Plot Shecky Moskowitz (Adam Sandler) is a struggling comedian working on a cruise ship. Shecky gets his chance to be the ship's comedian when it is thought that the regular comedian, Dickie Diamond (Scott LaRose), had fallen overboard and drowned. (Dickie actually locked himself in the men's room.) Shecky is nervous about performing, but King Neptune (Billy Zane) convinces him to go for the opportunity by telling Shecky about the power of laughter. Shecky's first performance is very unsuccessful as he is booed off the stage, he is especially heckled by the construction worker Dave (Billy Bob Thornton). However, after a lecture by Milton Berle, Shecky succeeds in making the audience laugh. At that point, the terrorists come on board and want to kill Miss Australia. Shecky, remembering the advice about the power of laughter, saves her by promising to put the assassins in a film. Cast Adam Sandler as Shecky Moskowitz Burt Young as General Noriega Tom Hodges as Bob Scott LaRose as Dickie Diamond Allen Covert as The Bartender Billy Zane as King Neptune Terry Moore as Mistress Milton Berle (credited) as himself Billy Bob Thornton as Dave Dan Povenmire as Yellow Teeth guitarist Steven Brill as Priest Peter Berg as Mort Ginsberg Adam Rifkin as Croaker / Miss Spain Gabe Sachs as Funeral Moaner Ricky Paull Goldin as Terrorist Without Shirt Warren Selko as Terrorist With Mustache Production Producer Randolf Turrow came up with the idea after he was asked to judge a beauty pageant in Palm Springs, Florida, and learned that the pageant promoters rented a cruise ship filled with beauty contest winners as a publicity stunt. Turrow decided that this gave him a good opportunity to make a film, so he contacted a friend in Texas, Mark Schultz, to finance the film. Turrow contacted Valerie Breiman a week before filming began to write the script. The project went from concept to completion in three months.