 The initial budget was supposed to be $3.3 million but then United  Artists executive David Field found out that U.A. would only make  the movie if the filmmakers were able to reduce the price tag to  under three million dollars. Passer and company played along. Then,  United Artists said that the film needed a big name star for it to  succeed at the box office. The studio liked Jeff Bridges work in  the dailies for Michael Ciminos opus Heavens Gate and said that  they would only further support the film if the filmmakers got the  actor to be in their movie.