Honky Tonk Freeway is a UK comedy film directed by John Schlesinger. It was released in August 1981 by Universal Studios. The film, conceived and co-produced by Don Boyd, was one of the most expensive box office flops in history, losing its British backers Thorn-EMI an estimated $11,000,000 and profoundly impacting its fortunes and aspirations. The film was financed in part by Roy Tucker's tax avoidance schemes funded by the Rossminster banking group. Just before the film was released, EMI sold the ancillary rights under this scheme to German investors in need of a tax loss, in an effort to... try to recoup their $11,000,000 loss. When the movie's distributors learned this fact, they were no longer financially motivated to distribute the movie widely and consequently released the film for only one week. The film involves a small Florida tourist town named Ticlaw and the people who live there, led by William Devane playing the part of the Mayor/Preacher Kirby T. Calo who also operates a hotel and tiny wildlife safari park. The town's major draw is a water-skiing elephant named Bubbles.
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| Release date: | August 21, 1981 |
| Directed by: | John Schlesinger |
| Rated: |  |
| Runtime: | 108 Minutes |
| Music by: | George Martin, Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography: | John Bailey |
| Estimated budget: | $24,000,000 |
| Genre: | Comedy |