Atlantic City (1980)

Director:

Louis Malle

Writer:

John Guare (written by)

Release Date:

3 April 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

She made him become what he always wanted to be - a lover, a hero, a rich man...and a killer!

Plot:

Lou is a small time gangster, who thinks he used to be something big. He meets up with a younger girl...

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Cocaine | Drug Dealer | Motel | Atlantic City New Jersey

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 23 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Lou Pascal
Susan Sarandon	...	Sally Matthews
Kate Reid	...	Grace Pinza
Michel Piccoli	...	Joseph
Hollis McLaren	...	Chrissie
Robert Joy	...	Dave Matthews
Al Waxman	...	Alfie
Robert Goulet	...	Singer in hospital
Moses Znaimer	...	Felix
Angus MacInnes	...	Vinnie
Sean Sullivan	...	Buddy
Wallace Shawn	...	Waiter (as Wally Shawn)
Harvey Atkin	...	Bus driver
Norma Dell'Agnese	...	Jeanne
Louis Del Grande	...	Mr. Shapiro
John McCurry	...	Fred
Eleanor Beecroft	...	Mrs. Reese
Cec Linder	...	President of hospital
Sean McCann	...	Detective (as Sean McCaan)
Vincent Glorioso	...	Young doctor
Adèle Chatfield-Taylor	...	Florist
Tony Angelo	...	Poker player
Sis Clark	...	Toll booth operator
Gennaro Consalvo	...	Casino guard
Lawrence McGuire	...	Pit boss
Ann Burns	...	Singer in casino
Marie Burns	...	Singer in casino
Jean Burns	...	Singer in casino
Connie Collins	...	Connie Bishop
John Allmond	...	Police Commissioner
John J. Burns	...	Anchorman (as John Burns)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tony Devon	...	Gambler (uncredited)

Directed by
Louis Malle

Writing credits
John Guare		(written by)

Produced by
Joseph Beaubien	....	executive producer
Gabriel Boustiani	....	executive producer (as Gabriel Boustany)
Denis Héroux	....	producer
Justine Héroux	....	associate producer
John Kemeny	....	producer
Larry Nesis	....	associate producer
Jean-Serge Breton	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Michel Legrand

Cinematography by
Richard Ciupka		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Suzanne Baron

Production Design by
Anne Pritchard

Set Decoration by
Gretchen Rau		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
François Barbeau

Makeup Department
Donna Gliddon	....	wig specialist
Rita Ogden	....	hair stylist
Rita Ogden	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Micheline Garant	....	unit manager
Ken Golden	....	production manager
Justine Héroux	....	production manager
Carl Zucker	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Board	....	assistant director
James Chory	....	second assistant director (as Jim Chory)
John Desormeaux	....	assistant director: pre-production
Robert McCart	....	second assistant director
Patrick Burns	....	second unit director: video sequence (uncredited)

Art Department
Jacques Chamberland	....	set props
Charles Cirigliano	....	carpenter (as Charles Cirgliano)
Wendell Dennis	....	set dresser
Marcel Desrochers	....	construction manager
Csaba András Kertész	....	art department coordinator (as Csaba Kertesz)
Edward L. McMillan	....	carpenter
Joe Petruccio Jr.	....	carpenter (as Joseph Petruccio Jr.)
Gretchen Rau	....	property master
Raymond M. Samitz	....	construction manager
Marie-Claude Tetrault	....	art department coordinator
Jean-Vincent Fournier	....	assistant set props (uncredited)
Alain Giguère	....	scenic painter (uncredited)
Dominique Ricard	....	graphic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jean-Claude Laureux	....	sound
Jacques Maumont	....	dubbing mixer
Gilles Ortion	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
John Berrie	....	gaffer
Andy Chmura	....	first assistant camera
Attila Dory	....	still photographer
Jean-Baptiste Dutreix	....	camera grip
Larry Lynn	....	second assistant camera
John Oravetz	....	grip
Jacob Rolling	....	key grip

Casting Department
Venetia Rickerby	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carla Froeberg	....	assistant wardrobe stylist
Marie-Hélène Gascon	....	wardrobe master
Jeff Ullman	....	wardrobe stylist (as Jeffrey Ullman)

Editorial Department
James Bruce	....	apprentice editor
Federico Salzmann	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Michel Legrand	....	conductor

Other crew
Patrick Burns	....	video sequence
Jill De Wolfe	....	unit publicist (as Jill De Wolfe James)
Pierre Guevremont	....	production accountant
France Lachapelle	....	continuity
Leonard Luizzi	....	teamster captain (as Lenny Luizzi)
Vincent Malle	....	production coordinator
Barbara Shrier	....	production office coordinator
Robert Wertheimer	....	location manager
Luc Bouthillier	....	staff accountant (uncredited)
Alan Jacques	....	projectionist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• International Cinema (present)
• Selta Films (present)
• Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC) (participation) (as The Canadian Film Development Corporation)
• Selta Films (co-production)
• Famous Players Limited (produced with the participation of)
• Cine-Neighbor (in association with)
• Merchant Films (in association with)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Arte Vidéo (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Cine Saison (1989) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1981) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1984) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Kinokuniya (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• LMP (Brazil) (VHS)
• LW Editora (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Roadshow Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Peer-Southern Organization, The  music publisher
• Canadian Casting Associates  casting
• Joy Todd Casting  extras casting
• Myrna Post Associates  publicity
• Film Opticals  titles and opticals
• The Film House Group  processing by
• Panavision Canada  lenses and panaflex camera (as Panavision)
• Resorts Atlantic City  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of (as International Hotel and Casino)
• Park Mobile  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of
• CITY-TV  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of

Also Known As:

Atlantic City (USA)
Atlantic City, USA (Canada: English title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Canada | France

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | West Germany:16 (f) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Albany Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

International Cinema

Trivia:

In his conversation with Buddy, the reminiscent bathroom attendant, Lou mentions an incident that involved Nucky Johnson. Johnson was one of the most powerful New Jersey Republican's and a racketeer with the mob who ran Atlantic City from 1910-1941 before being jailed in 1941 for income tax evasion for which he served four years in prison.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Near the end of the film Grace tells Chrissie that they'd both lost their men to a shooting. But near the film's beginning, it's quite clear that Chrissie's man was murdered by being stabbed, not shot.

Quotes:

Lou: A room. For me and my mother.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: Road to Rhode Island (#2.13)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Atlantic City, My Old Friend

Atlantic CITY (Louis Malle, 1980) ***1/2

Malle's best American film is also one of his finest ever (though I've yet to watch his masterpiece LACOMBE LUCIEN [1974]) and an ageing Burt Lancaster, too - charming, self-assured and elegant - is somewhere near his best. Susan Sarandon offers solid support with a typically excellent performance, while Michel Piccoli and Kate Reid make the most of their respective roles (both eccentrics in their own way).

The film provides a surprising milieu for Malle but he manages to bring a European sensibility or, if you like a Continental style, to a fundamentally American setting. While there are a couple of exciting action sequences (most memorable is Lancaster's killing of two hoods/drug dealers, his first 'hit' which makes him giddy with delight and finally proud of himself, after having spent his life spinning tall tales of his stature in the underworld!), it's clearly a character-driven piece - courtesy of John Guare's incisive script - and its tone introspective and bittersweet over a vanished way of life ("the good old days" as they're typically referred to); and, yet, everything is not bleak but actually quite funny on occasion!

Atlantic CITY deservedly won several accolades at the time - including the Golden Lion Prize at the Venice Film Festival and quite a few plums to Lancaster himself - but, then, it was criminally neglected at the Oscars (even if the film was up for the 5 top awards and was, in my opinion, better than most of the eventual winners)!