The King of Comedy (1983 film)
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| The King of Comedy | |
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| Directed by | Martin Scorsese |
| Produced by | Arnon Milchan Joseph P. Grace |
| Written by | Paul D. Zimmerman |
| Starring | Robert De Niro Jerry Lewis Sandra Bernhard Diahnne Abbott |
| Cinematography | Fred Schuler |
| Editing by | Thelma Schoonmaker |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) |  December 19, 1982 February 18, 1983 |
| Running time | 109 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20,000,000 |
| IMDb profile | |
The King of Comedy is a feature film made in 1981 starring Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis. It was released in Iceland on December 19, 1982 and subsequently, on February 18, 1983 in the United States by 20th Century Fox.
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[edit] Synopsis
Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro), a stage-door autograph hound, is an aspiring stand-up comic with obsessive ambition far in excess of any actual talent. A chance meeting with Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis), a famous comedian and talk show host, leads Rupert to believe that his "big break" has finally come. His attempts to get a place on the show are continually rebuffed by Langford's staff and, finally, by Langford himself. Along the way, Rupert indulges in elaborate and obsessive fantasies where he and Langford are colleagues and friends.
When the straight approach does not work, Rupert hatches a kidnapping plot with the help of Masha (Sandra Bernhard), a stalker familiar with Langford's movements. As ransom, Rupert demands that the kidnapping be kept secret, that he be given the opening spot on that evening's Jerry Langford Show (guest hosted by Tony Randall), and that the show be broadcast in normal fashion. The network brass, lawyers, and the FBI agree, with the understanding that Langford will be released once the show airs nationally. Between the taping of the show and the national broadcast, Masha has her "dream date" with Langford, who is duct-taped to a chair in her parents' Manhattan townhouse.
Rupert's stand-up routine is mediocre, but not terrible. He closes by confessing to the audience that he kidnapped Jerry Langford in order to break into show business. The studio audience laughs, thinking that it's a part of his act. Rupert responds by saying, "Tomorrow you'll know I wasn't kidding and you'll all think I'm crazy. But I figure it this way: better to be king for a night, than schmuck for a lifetime."
The movie closes with a news report of Rupert's release from prison, set to a montage of storefronts stocking his "long awaited" autobiography, King For A Night. The report informs that Rupert still considers Jerry Langford his mentor and friend, and that he and his agent are currently weighing several "attractive offers."
[edit] Debate about ending
Film scholar David Bordwell, writing in Film Viewer's Guide, has mentioned the (un)reality of the ending as a topic for debate. At least one other scene in the film -- Rupert and Jerry in the restaurant -- exists solely in Rupert's deluded imagination, and Bordwell suggests that viewers may want to contemplate if the end sequence is just another fantasy.
In his commentary on the Criterion DVD of Black Narcissus, Scorsese stated that Michael Powell's films influenced The King of Comedy in its conception of fantasy. Scorsese said that Powell always treated the fantasy as no different than reality, made the fantasy as realistic as possible. Scorsese sought to achieve the same with this film to the point that in his words, the "fantasy is more real than reality".
Similar debate exists over the ending of another Scorsese and Deniro movie "Taxi Driver". There is more direct evidence (reality versus imagination is often contrasted) for ambiguity throughout the King of Comedy than Taxi Driver. In either case, the debate exists, and some consider that the point[citation needed].
[edit] Cameos
- Director Martin Scorsese has a cameo as "Man in Van." He later appears as the Jerry Langford show director, assuring Tony Randall that his cue cards are funny.
- Scorsese's mother plays Pupkin's (unseen) mother.[1]
- Real life film and television producers Edgar Scherick and Frederick de Cordova have cameo roles as a network president and producer of the Langford show, respectively.
- A gang of punks is seen on a street corner in the film. Billed in the credits as "Street Scum", they are played by Mick Jones, Joe Strummer, and Paul Simonon of The Clash, actor-singer Ellen Foley ("Paradise by the Dashboard Light", Night Court), Don Letts, Kosmo Vinyl, and Pearl Harbour. At the time, Foley was Mick Jones' girlfriend - she even sang "Hitsville UK" on the Clash album Sandinista!. Letts and Mick Jones were original members of the rock group Big Audio Dynamite. New wave singer Pearl Harbour was married to Simonon at the time. Her group, The Explosions, were a popular local San Francisco band in the early 1980s.
- Tony Randall as emergency guest host of the Jerry Langford Show
- Victor Borge and Dr. Joyce Brothers as guests on the Jerry Langford Show
- Lou Brown and Ed Herlihy as band leader and announcer, respectively, of the Jerry Langford Show
- Liza Minnelli as a cardboard cutout of herself in Rupert's fantasy guest appearance on the Jerry Langford Show
[edit] Production
Scorsese's first choice as the talk show host was Johnny Carson. He also considered Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin before selecting Lewis.[2]
In the biography/overview of his work, Scorsese on Scorsese, Scorsese had high praise for Jerry Lewis, stating that during their first conversation before shooting, Lewis was extremely professional and had assured him prior to shooting that there would be no ego clashes or difficulties on Lewis' end. Scorsese also stated that he felt Lewis' performance in the film was vastly underrated and deserved more acclaim.
According to an interview with Lewis in the February 7, 1983 edition of People Magazine, he claimed that Scorsese and DeNiro employed method acting tricks, including making a slew of anti-Semitic epithets against Lewis, during the filming in order to "pump up Lewis' anger"[3]
However in an interview with Peter Bogdanovich (available in Who The Hell's In It), Lewis described making the film as a pleasurable experience and noted that he got along well with both Scorsese and DeNiro. Lewis said that before the making of the film he was invited to collaborate on certain aspects of the script dealing with celebrity life. His suggested ending of Rupert Pupkin killing Jerry, however, was turned down by them. As a result, Lewis felt that the film, while good, did not have a "finish".
[edit] Theatrical Release
The first release of the film was in Iceland, to celebrate a new cinema there being the best in the Nordic countries.[4] It was released in the United States two months later.
[edit] Reviews
[edit] Critic's Lists
- Halliwells Top 1000 #180
- 1001 Movies You Must See Before you Die
- Jonathan Rosenbaum : 1000 Essential Films
- The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made link
[edit] Cultural References
In the 2007 film I Think I Love My Wife, the firm that Chris Rock's character works at is called Pupkin & Langford after Lewis and DeNiro's characters. In addition, an episode of Family Guy has a reference to the scene with Jerry tied up, and Sandra Bernhard, removes her clothes and says that they will be having good old fashioned all American fun.
[edit] DVD release
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[edit] References
- ^ Noted by Scorsese in The King of Comedy DVD "making of" feature
- ^ Schoell, William. Martini Man: The Life of Dean Martin. Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing 1999. ISBN 0-87833-231-6
- ^ People Magazine, February 7, 1983, page 44
- ^ Morgunblaðið
[edit] External links
