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The King of Comedy (1982)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
18 February 1983 (USA) moreTagline:
. . and when it's all over one of them won't be laughing morePlot:
Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin wants to achieve success in showbiz, by resorting to stalking his idol, a late night talk show host who craves his own privacy. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Film Veteran Rossellini Dies (From WENN. 13 October 2008, 9:10 AM, PDT)
Actor Kim Chan Dies
(From WENN. 10 October 2008, 9:05 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Unforgettable moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Robert De Niro | ... | Rupert Pupkin | |
| Jerry Lewis | ... | Jerry Langford | |
| Diahnne Abbott | ... | Rita Keane | |
| Sandra Bernhard | ... | Masha | |
| Shelley Hack | ... | Cathy Long | |
| Ed Herlihy | ... | Ed Herlihy | |
| Lou Brown | ... | Band leader | |
| Loretta Tupper | ... | Stage Door Fan | |
| Peter Potulski | ... | Stage Door Fan | |
| Vinnie Gonzales | ... | Stage Door Fan | |
| Whitey Ryan | ... | Stage Door Guard | |
| Doc Lawless | ... | Chauffeur | |
| Marta Heflin | ... | Young Girl | |
| Katherine Wallach | ... | Autograph Seeker | |
| Charles Kaleina | ... | Autograph Seeker |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
109 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
Iceland:L | Brazil:12 | South Korea:15 | Australia:PG | Canada:14A | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PGFilming Locations:
New York City, New York, USAFun Stuff
Trivia:
In his monologue on the Jerry Langford show, De Niro's character Rupert Pupkin says that he is from Clifton, New Jersey. This is possibly an allusion to Andy Kaufman's abusive comedian persona, Tony Clifton, whom Pupkin resembles with similar hair, moustache and cheap blue suits. moreGoofs:
Continuity: Rupert is talking to Jerry in Jerry's limousine. Rupert bandages his hand with Jerry's handkerchief. In the next sequence in the car the bandage is missing. Following this Rupert's hand is again bandaged. moreQuotes:
[first lines]Ed Herlihy: And now, from New York, The Jerry Langford Show! With Jerry's guests Tony Randall, Richard Dreyfuss, Rodney Dangerfield, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Lou Brown and the orchestra, and little old me Ed Herlihy. And now say hello to Jerry!
more
Soundtrack:
Jerry Langford Theme moreFAQ
What is the entire monologue that Rupert Pupkin gives on the Jerry Langford Show?more
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This is one of the most memorable films I have ever seen. The first time I saw it in 1983, my dad took me to see it with my older cousin, who laughed hysterically throughout the film, then said afterwards how much he hated it. That was a memorable moment, but the film itself also made a very large impression on me. Despite the title, it is anything but a comedy, save for some amusing moments that could pass for dark comedy.
The story involves a 34 year old nerd (Robert DeNiro) who wants badly to be a standup comedian, but his only method of trying to attain this goal is by essentially stalking a popular talk show host played by Jerry Lewis. The performances are amazing, of course DeNiro can never fail at playing someone offbeat and deranged. Jerry Lewis is very good as the talk show host, and Sandra Bernhard is also well cast as a fellow stalker. The film is a tough watch as its tense and uncomfortable throughout, yet entertaining and intruiging enough so it never crosses the line into unbearable, which I imagine must have been exactly what filmmaker Scorcese was going for. Overall, the film is a combination of disturbing, entertaining, and unforgettable. What's more, it holds up extremely well seventeen years later, although it initially did not do well at the box office. Score: 9/10