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

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
Melvin Jurdem	...	Businessman in Bank
Joseph Sullivan	...	Moon
Bob Maroff	...	Cab Driver
Vivian Edwards	...	Bellhop
Jim Tipton	...	Crap Dealer
Ron Gagliano	...	Crap Dealer
Victor Masi	...	Crap Dealer
Raymond Kernodle	...	Crap Dealer
Richard Teng	...	Crap Dealer
Patrick Donoho	...	Crap Dealer
Barbara Ann Miller	...	Waitress
Betty Bunch	...	Restaurant Cashier
Karen Montgomery	...	Hooker
Catherine L. Billich	...	Casino Cashier
Robert J. Zay	...	Salesman
Anthony D. Call	...	FBI Agent in Charge
William Larson	...	FBI Agent
Reathel Bean	...	FBI Agent
Alan Brooks	...	FBI Agent
Mark Margolis	...	Prison Guard
Pedro E. Ocampo Sr.	...	Prison Guard
Tony DiBenedetto	...	Prison Guard
Paul L. Smith	...	Radio Announcer
Bruce Charles	...	Radio Announcer
Margot Stevenson	...	Store Cashier
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Matteo Cafiso	...	Boy in Park (uncredited)
Angelique Pettyjohn	...	Woman at crap table (uncredited)
Ilana Rapp	...	Park Player (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Brest

Writing credits
Edward Cannon		(story)
Martin Brest		(writer)

Produced by
Tony Bill	....	producer
Leonard Gaines	....	executive producer
Fred T. Gallo	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Small

Cinematography by
Billy Williams

Film Editing by
Carroll Timothy O'Meara		(as C. Timothy O'Meara)
Robert Swink

Casting by
Dianne Crittenden
Karen Rea

Production Design by
Stephen Hendrickson

Art Direction by
Fred Price
Gary Weist

Set Decoration by
Herbert F. Mulligan		(as Herb Mulligan)

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
John Alese	....	makeup artist
Don Marando	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Joan Bradshaw	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Martin Berman	....	assistant director
Ed Dessisso	....	assistant director
William Eustace	....	second assistant director (as Bill Eustace)
Michael Rauch	....	assistant director

Art Department
Linda Conaway-Parsloe	....	assistant art director
Ernest W. Southern	....	scenic artist (as Ernie Southern)
Edward Swanson	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Milton C. Burrow	....	supervising sound editor
Robert Fernandez	....	sound re-recording mixer
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Sabat	....	production sound mixer

Stunts
Raf Baldwin	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Holly Bower	....	still photographer
James 'Packy' Dolan	....	gaffer (as Jim 'Packy' Dolan)
Robert D. McBride	....	camera operator
Roger Shearman	....	camera operator
Robert Shepherd	....	electrician
Dave Friedman	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Howard Feuer	....	casting: New York

Music Department
Donald Harris	....	music editor

Other crew
Kay Chapin	....	script supervisor
Stephen A. Glanzrock	....	production assistant
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Jeffrey Silver	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Bros. Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting

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:

Revealing mistakes: The license plate on the hearse is the same as the license plate on the car in which Art Carney's niece and nephew picks Art Carney up in after they hear the unfortunate news.

Quotes:

Willie: What if we get shot?
[silence]
Joe: What's the difference?

Movie Connections:

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

George Burns gives a great performance!!!!

George Burns was truly one of the most amazing entertainers of all time. For almost forty years, he was part of the comedy team of Burns and Allen and then after Gracie passed away, he was forgotten for many years, however, he made one of the most amazing comebacks in Hollywood history when he played Al Lewis in The Sunshine Boys. Can you imagine this amazing achievement? George was 79 years old when this film was made and had never really "acted" in the traditional sense of playing an imaginary role, and yet he won an Academy Award for best supporting actor!!!The Book Of Lists mentioned this as one of the most amazing accomplishments ever at an advanced age!!Then George played another great role in the "Oh God" series. This man defied belief! Going In Style was in a sense his first "dramatic" role and he pulled it off with equal brilliance! Yes this was not a happy film to watch. In fact, I was 11 when my dad took me to see it and he commented that it was basically a very depressing story about three old men waiting to die. George has two fine co-stars in Art Carney and Lee Strasburg (who was one of the most legendary acting coaches of all time). Strasburg's role is small and he dies early on and leaves the show to Art and George. They pull it off wonderfully! It is a joy watching these two old pros at work. I wrote to Art Carney several years ago and asked him what it was like working with George Burns and he told me that George was a joy to work with and a real pro and one of the nicest people he ever worked with! They must have had a ball doing this film and it certainly shows! Even though George masterminded a bank robbery and it showed him holding a gun,it all seemed so innocent and nice. Martin Brest directed this film, he has had a wildly uneven career, but this was one of his outstanding early efforts, he later went on to direct the blockbuster Beverly Hills Cop and also directed the recent bomb of all time Gigli. However, Going In Style is a fine film ,even though its not a happy viewing experience. I think that the saddest scene in the film is where George is looking thru some old photos of himself as a young man and breaks down crying and wets himself. It is a very hard scene to watch indeed.