Going in Style (1979)

Director:

Martin Brest

Writers:

Edward Cannon (story)
Martin Brest (writer)

Release Date:

December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Meet three guys with an outrageous plan to beat the system ...

Plot:

Three friends who are living on the dole decide to organize a bank robbery.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Robbery | Bank Robbery | Unlikely Criminal | Caper

Awards:

1 win

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

George Burns	...	Joe
Art Carney	...	Al
Lee Strasberg	...	Willie
Charles Hallahan	...	Pete
Pamela Payton-Wright	...	Kathy
Siobhan Keegan	...	Colleen
Brian Neville	...	Kevin
Constantine Hartofolis	...	Boy in Park
Mary Testa	...	Teller
Jean Shevlin	...	Mrs. Fein
James Manis	...	Hot Dog Vendor
Tito Goya	...	Gypsy Cab Driver
William Pabst	...	Bank Guard
Christopher Wynkoop	...	Bank Manager
John McComb	...	Businessman in Bank

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

In the scene where Joe (George Burns) is looking through his old photos and other memorabilia, he looks at a photo of a young couple - presumably Joe and his wife - and it makes him start to cry. The photo is actually a picture of George Burns and his real (late) wife Gracie Allen. They were a famous show business team from vaudeville through early television. She died in 1964.

Goofs:

Factual errors: After Joe and Al win over $60,000 at the craps table, the cashier cashes chips in for cash. In reality, a win of that magnitude would require that a more high-ranking casino employee step in and have them sign tax forms before payout was made.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Joe: No tinhorn joint like this could ever hold me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Remington Steele: Steele Blue Yonder (#4.15)" (1986)

A great movie with three great entertainers.

"Going In Style" is one of the more entertaining movies I've seen. The characters, Joe, Al and Willie exemplify the elderly male generation of our time. Three men who've partially lost their identities in no longer being able to carry on their vocations. As more and more of us will be moving into the retired or "seniors" group, this movie shows us both the problems of retirement and one very entertaining and interesting solution. All three characters are at an age which is too often ignored in motion pictures. Though basically this movie isn't exactly moral, it's a very good insight into the lives of its characters. Art Carney is an accomplished actor and George Burns was an accomplished entertainer. I'm not sure how many people know that Lee Strasberg was one of, if not the great teacher of dramatic acting during his lifetime. In "Going In Style," Strasberg, as the "not always up to speed" character Willie, is nevertheless often a bit of a surprise. All three men, portraying the various ways we age, give a beautiful performance, each in his own way. As a minor collector, I consider the motion picture the major art form of the past century. That's not to say that all the movies made during the last century are works or art, but quite often many were. It remains to be seen whether that tradition will be carried on into the new century before us. Whatever, I am very grateful for the gift of this movie and highly recommend it.