Opening Night (1977)

Director:

John Cassavetes

Writer:

John Cassavetes (writer)

Release Date:

17 April 1978 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An actress suffers an emotional uproar in her personal life after a fan dies trying to see her.

Plot Keywords:

Actress | Theater | Drunkenness | Hit By Car | New York City

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Gena Rowlands	...	Myrtle Gordon
John Cassavetes	...	Maurice Aarons
Ben Gazzara	...	Manny Victor
Joan Blondell	...	Sarah Goode
Paul Stewart	...	David Samuels
Zohra Lampert	...	Dorothy Victor
Laura Johnson	...	Nancy Stein
John Tuell	...	Gus Simmons
Ray Powers	...	Jimmy
John Finnegan	...	Prop man
Louise Lewis	...	Kelly (as Louise Finch)
Fred Draper	...	Leo
Katherine Cassavetes	...	Vivian
Lady Rowlands	...	Melva Drake
Carol Warren	...	Carla
Briana Carver	...	Iena
Angelo Grisanti	...	Charlie Spikes
Meade Roberts	...	Eddie Stein
Eleanor Zee	...	Sylvia Stein
David Rowlands	...	Doorman
Sharon Van Ivan	...	Shirley
Jimmy Christie	...	Newsstand operator
James Karen	...	Bellboy
Jimmy Joyce	...	Bartender
Sherry Bain	...	Barmaid
Sylvia Davis Shaw	...	Hotel Maid
Peter Lampert	...	Maitre d'
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barbara Perry
Josh Becker	...	Himself (Extra) (uncredited)
Peter Bogdanovich	...	Cameo appearance (uncredited)
Seymour Cassel	...	Cameo appearance (uncredited)
Peter Falk	...	Cameo appearance (uncredited)
Rabbi William Kramer	...	Rabbi (uncredited)
Robert Leader	...	Larry Stein (uncredited)
Robert von Dassanowsky	...	Audience member (uncredited)

Directed by
John Cassavetes

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Cassavetes		writer

Produced by
Michael Lally	....	associate producer (as Michael Lally)
Al Ruban	....	producer
Sam Shaw	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Bo Harwood

Cinematography by
Al Ruban

Film Editing by
Tom Cornwell

Casting by
Prometheus Patient

Production Design by
Bryan Ryman

Art Direction by
Brian Ryman

Costume Design by
Alexandra Corwin-Hankin

Production Management
Edward Ledding	....	production manager (as Ted Lenning)
Foster H. Phinney	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lisa Hallas	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Verna Bagby	....	chief set construction
Richard Uper	....	graphic artist
Robert Vehon	....	property master
Abraham Zwick	....	set construction assistant

Sound Department
Crew Chamberlain	....	boom operator
Bo Harwood	....	sound
Joanne T. Harwood	....	sound assistant
Bill Varney	....	sound mixer
Joe Woo Jr.	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Jaime Fernandez	....	rainmaker (uncredited)
Conrad Rothmann	....	special effects crew (uncredited)

Stunts
Donna Garrett	....	stunts
Victor Paul	....	stunt driver
Charlie Picerni	....	stunt driver (as Charles Picerni)

Camera and Electrical Department
Pat Don Aroma	....	best boy
Larry Baughman	....	best boy
Catherine E. Coulson	....	assistant camera
Donne Daniels	....	gaffer
Larry Dean	....	best boy
Frederick Elmes	....	camera operator
Michael Ferris	....	camera operator
Emmett O'Connell	....	best boy
Joseph L. Rezwin	....	gaffer
Son Robinson	....	gaffer
Richard Ross	....	gaffer
Jed Skillman	....	assistant camera
Richard Uper	....	still photographer
Dave Walker	....	best boy
R. Michael Stringer	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Akins	....	wardrober
Miles Ciletti	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
Kathleen Barker	....	post-production
Kent Beyda	....	assistant editor
Hal Bowers	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Lee Houskeeper	....	musical consultant
Booker T. Jones	....	conductor
Booker T. Jones	....	music arranger
Booker T. Jones	....	musical director

Other crew
Robert Bogdanoff	....	production assistant
Esme Chandlee	....	publicist
Tom Cornwell	....	script supervisor
Arlene Harris	....	production secretary
Michelle Hart	....	production secretary
Susan Howell	....	production accountant
Jack Krupnick	....	location manager
Adria Later	....	teacher/welfare worker
Eve Siegel	....	publicist
Teresa Stokovic	....	production coordinator
Sharon Van Ivan	....	assistant to producer
Raymond Vellucci	....	production assistant
Rick Schmidlin	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Rick Schmidlin	....	production runner (uncredited)

Thanks
Harland Sanders	....	thanks (as Colonel Sanders)

Production Companies

• Faces Distribution

Distributors

• Faces Distribution (1977) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1978) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Special Effects Unlimited

Other Companies

• Cinemobile System  location services
• Gagi of Rome  men's wardrobe
• Samuel Goldwyn Studios  sound re-recording

Runtime:

144 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Company:

Faces Distribution

Quotes:

Nancy Stein: I never bothered you. You want to kill me. I devoted my life to you. To movies. To music. To theater. I'm 17 years old. I like sex. I like to turn people on. And that's what the theater is: sex. It's like getting laid.
Myrtle Gordon: Um, what did you do to her?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Todo sobre mi madre (1999)

Great Great Great - Opening Night is a movie for people who love movies!

Opening Night is *such* a fun movie to watch. John Cassavetes was smack dab in the middle of his stride as a director, having completed A Woman Under The Influence (his watershed picture, a hugely intense, absolutely fantastic movie that manages to zone almost completely on nothing but individual human emotions - fear, love, self-doubt) and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (an awesome awesome awesome movie with Ben Gazzara where he's working for and running from the mafia around Los Angeles, incredible, resonant, mostly handheld cinematography that places emphasis on human faces and a script that is full of realistic dialogue - probably because the film is heavily improvised) just before this. What it's all about is a middle-aged actress whose overriding insecurities as a human being are drawn to the surface by a single incident: the accidental death of an adoring, enigmatic fan. As she muddles her way through previews of her upcoming Broadway play 'Second Woman' (of which she is the star), her health -- mental and otherwise -- begins to deteriorate. She just can't get it together, and an unsympathetic (and when they feign sympathy and support, they're unbelievable) cast of supporters doesn't help matters. She drinks and drinks and drinks and falls down some and messes up a lot. Will she get it together in time for Opening Night?

Underneath this, John Cassavetes stages and films various scenes of the fictitious play in front of an actual audience, aware of the film cameras filming a movie or not. In that sense, these bits of the film are incredibly interesting. John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands share unmatched chemistry on stage, being that they were one of the most in-love couples in the annals of film history, and it shows. Cassavetes reminds me you of his dynamite ability as a nuanced, fun-to-watch character actor, and Gena Rowlands reminds you of why she's believable as an adored, successful stage actress. These are somewhat arcane stage performances, but are delightful.

What is wrong with Opening Night? It's a movie for people who love movies, with long takes, memorable camera moves, first rate acting, high-concept ideas, a solid beginning middle and end, a great score, and a central theme that is very compelling. Some of Cassavetes' best work, a real brawny film, tall and beautiful, heavily recommended to people who are sick of cotton candy movies, sick of feature-length trailers, sick of all the crap. If you want a thick, expansive thing, Opening Night sits on the shelf, waiting.