Goodfellas (1990)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers (WGA):

Nicholas Pileggi (book)
Nicholas Pileggi (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 September 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

"As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." -- Henry Hill, Brooklyn, N.Y. 1955.

Plot:

Henry Hill and his friends work their way up through the mob hierarchy.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Mafia | Robbery | New York | Organized Crime

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 34 wins & 18 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Dec. 13

12:00 PM

AETV

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	James 'Jimmy' Conway
Ray Liotta	...	Henry Hill
Joe Pesci	...	Tommy DeVito
Lorraine Bracco	...	Karen Hill
Paul Sorvino	...	Paul Cicero
Frank Sivero	...	Frankie Carbone
Tony Darrow	...	Sonny Bunz
Mike Starr	...	Frenchy
Frank Vincent	...	Billy Batts
Chuck Low	...	Morris 'Morrie' Kessler
Frank DiLeo	...	Tuddy Cicero
Henny Youngman	...	Himself
Gina Mastrogiacomo	...	Janice Rossi
Catherine Scorsese	...	Tommy's Mother
Charles Scorsese	...	Vinnie
Suzanne Shepherd	...	Karen's Mother
Debi Mazar	...	Sandy
Margo Winkler	...	Belle Kessler
Welker White	...	Lois Byrd
Jerry Vale	...	Himself
Julie Garfield	...	Mickey Conway
Christopher Serrone	...	Young Henry
Elaine Kagan	...	Henry's Mother
Beau Starr	...	Henry's Father
Kevin Corrigan	...	Michael Hill
Michael Imperioli	...	Spider
Robbie Vinton	...	Bobby Vinton
Johnny Williams	...	Johnny Roastbeef (as John Williams)
Daniel P. Conte	...	Dr. Dan
Tony Conforti	...	Tony
Frank Pellegrino	...	Johnny Dio
Ronald Maccone	...	Ronnie
Tony Sirico	...	Tony Stacks
Joe D'Onofrio	...	Young Tommy (as Joseph D'Onofrio)
Steve Forleo	...	City Detective #1
Richard Dioguardi	...	City Detective #2
Frank Adonis	...	Anthony Stabile
John Manca	...	Nicky Eyes
Joseph Bono	...	Mikey Franzese
Katherine Wallach	...	Diane
Mark Evan Jacobs	...	Bruce
Angela Pietropinto	...	Paulie's Wife
Marianne Leone	...	Tuddy's Wife
Marie Michaels	...	Mrs. Carbone
LoNardo	...	Frenchy's Wife
Melissa Prophet	...	Angie
Illeana Douglas	...	Rosie
Susan Varon	...	Susan
Elizabeth Whitcraft	...	Tommy's Girlfriend @ Copa
Clem Caserta	...	Joe Buddha
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Stacks Edwards
Fran McGee	...	Johnny Roastbeef's Wife
Paul Herman	...	Dealer
Edward McDonald	...	Himself
Edward Hayes	...	Defense Attorney
Daniela Barbosa	...	Young Henry's Sister #1
Gina Mattia	...	Young Henry's Sister #2
Joel Calendrillo	...	Young Henry's Older Brother
Anthony Valentin	...	Young Michael
Edward D. Murphy	...	Liquor Cop #1
Michael Citriniti	...	Liquor Cop #2
Peter Hock	...	Mailman
Erasmus C. Alfano	...	Barbeque Wiseguy (as Erasmus C. Alfanio)
John Di Benedetto	...	Bleeding Man
Manny Alfaro	...	Gambling Doorman
Thomas Lowry	...	Hijacked Driver
Margaret Smith	...	School Guard
Richard Mullally	...	Cop #1
Frank Albanese	...	Mob Lawyer
Paul McIsaac	...	Judge - 1956
Bob Golub	...	Truck Driver at Diner
Louis Eppolito	...	Fat Andy
Tony Lip	...	Frankie the Wop
Mikey Black	...	Freddy No Nose
Peter Cicale	...	Pete the Killer
Anthony Powers	...	Jimmy Two Times
Vincent Pastore	...	Man w / Coatrack (as Vinny Pastore)
Anthony Alessandro	...	Henry's '60s crew
Victor Colicchio	...	Henry's '60s crew
Mike Contessa	...	Cicero's '60s crew
Philip Suriano	...	Cicero's '60s crew
Paul Mougey	...	Terrorized Waiter
Norman Barbera	...	Bouncer
Anthony Polemeni	...	Copa Captain
James Quattrochi	...	Henry Greeter #1
Lawrence Sacco	...	Henry Greeter #2
Dino Laudicina	...	Henry Greeter #3
Thomas E. Camuti	...	Mr. Tony Hood #1
Andrew Scudiero	...	Mr. Tony's Hood #2
Irving Welzer	...	Copa Announcer
Jesse Kirtzman	...	Beach Club Waiter
Russell Halley	...	Bruce's Brother #1
Spencer Bradley	...	Bruce's Brother #2
Bob Altman	...	Karen's Dad
Joanna Bennett	...	Marie #1
Gayle Lewis	...	Marie #2
Gaetano Lisi	...	Paul #3
Luke Walter	...	Truck Driver
Ed Deacy	...	Detective Deacy
Larry Silvestri	...	Detective Silvestri
John 'Cha Cha' Ciarcia	...	Batts' Crew #1 (as Johnny Cha Cha Ciarcia)
Vito Picone	...	Vito
Janis Corsair	...	Vito's Girlfriend
Frank Aquilino	...	Batts' Crew #2
Lisa Dapolito	...	Lisa
Michael Calandrino	...	Godfather at Table
Vito Antuofermo	...	Prizefighter
Vito Balsamo	...	Henry's '70s Crew
Peter Fain	...	Henry's '70s Crew
Vincent Gallo	...	Henry's '70s Crew (as Vinnie Gallo)
Gaetano LoGiudice	...	Henry's '70s Crew
Garry Pastore	...	Henry's '70s Crew (as Garry Blackwood)
Nicole Burdette	...	Carbone's Girlfriend
Stella Keitel	...	Henry's Older Child
Dominique DeVito	...	Henry's Baby
Michaelangelo Graziano	...	Bar Patron
Paula Kcira	...	Janice's Girlfriend #1 (as Paula Gallo)
Nadine Kay	...	Janice's Girlfriend #2
Tony Ellis	...	Bridal Shop Owner
Peter Onorati	...	Florida Bookie
Jamie De Roy	...	Bookie's Sister
Joel Blake	...	Judge - 1971
H. Clay Dear	...	Security Guard w / Lobsters
Thomas Hewson	...	Drug Buyer
Gene Canfield	...	Prison Guard in Booth
Margaux Guerard	...	Judy Hill @ 10 Years
Violet Gaynor	...	Ruth Hill @ 8 Years
Tobin Bell	...	Parole Officer
Berlinda Tolbert	...	Stacks' Girlfriend
Nancy Cassaro	...	Joe Buddha's Wife (as Nancy Ellen Cassaro)
Adam Wandt	...	Kid
Joe Gioco	...	Garbage Man (as Joseph P. Gioco)
Isiah Whitlock Jr.	...	Doctor
Alyson Jones	...	Judy Hill @ 13 Years
Ruby Gaynor	...	Ruth Hill @ 11 Years
Bo Dietl	...	Arresting Narc (as Richard 'Bo' Dietl)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Linda Carola	...	Gangster's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Anthony Caso	...	Truck Hijacker (uncredited)
George G. Colucci	...	Contruction Worker (uncredited)
Tony Devon	...	Mobster at the bar (uncredited)
Matthew T. Gitkin	...	Warehouse Worker (uncredited)
Richard Goteri	...	Cicero's '60s Crew (uncredited)
Nicole Grey	...	(uncredited)
Debbee Hinchcliffe	...	Jimmy's Date (uncredited)
Anibal O. Lleras	...	Fellas Chauffer (uncredited)
Charles Pendelton	...	Resturante Mob Onlooker (uncredited)
James Reno	...	(uncredited)
Jeffrey Rollins	...	Courtroom defendant (uncredited)
Barry Squitieri	...	Wiseguy (uncredited)
Frank Stellato	...	1956 Court Stenographer (uncredited)
Billy L. Sullivan	...	Jimmy's Son (uncredited)
Nick Vallelonga	...	Prison Inmate Sitting Behind Henry (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Scorsese

Writing credits (WGA)
Nicholas Pileggi		(book "Wise Guy")
Nicholas Pileggi		(screenplay) &
Martin Scorsese		(screenplay)

Produced by
Barbara De Fina	....	executive producer
Bruce S. Pustin	....	associate producer (as Bruce Pustin)
Irwin Winkler	....	producer

Cinematography by
Michael Ballhaus		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
James Y. Kwei		(as James Kwei)
Thelma Schoonmaker

Casting by
Ellen Lewis

Production Design by
Kristi Zea

Art Direction by
Maher Ahmad

Set Decoration by
Leslie Bloom		(as Les Bloom)

Costume Design by
Richard Bruno

Makeup Department
Alan D'Angerio	....	hair stylist
William A. Farley	....	hair stylist (as Bill Farley)
Carl Fullerton	....	makeup artist
Ilona Herman	....	hair stylist: Mr. De Niro
Ilona Herman	....	makeup artist: Mr. De Niro
Allen Weisinger	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bruce S. Pustin	....	unit production manager (as Bruce Pustin)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vebe Borge	....	second assistant director
Susan E. Fiore	....	dga trainee (as Susan Fiore)
Deborah Lupard	....	second second assistant director
Joseph P. Reidy	....	first assistant director (as Joseph Reidy)
Joseph P. Reidy	....	second unit director (as Joseph Reidy)

Art Department
John R. Ford	....	assistant property master (as John Ford)
Robert Griffon Jr.	....	property master (as Robert J. Griffon Jr.)
Caryl Loeb	....	master scenic artist
John McDonnell	....	assistant property master
Arne Olsen	....	construction foreman
Susan Pileggi	....	painting
Louis Sanchez	....	construction coordinator
Robin Standefer	....	art department researcher
Bruce Swanson	....	set dresser
Manny Sanchez	....	shop foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael Berenbaum	....	assistant sound editor
Ron Bochar	....	supervising foley editor
William Docker	....	assistant sound editor
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Frank Graziadei	....	sound recordist
Brian Johnson	....	assistant sound editor
Frank Kern	....	foley editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	dialogue editor
Skip Lievsay	....	supervising sound editor
Marissa Littlefield	....	dialogue editor
Bruce Pross	....	foley editor
Fred Rosenberg	....	dialogue editor
James Sabat	....	production sound mixer
Louis Sabat	....	boom operator
Anne Sawyer	....	assistant sound editor
Gail Showalter	....	adr editor
Jeffrey Stern	....	dialogue editor (as Jeff Stern)
Philip Stockton	....	supervising dialogue editor
Corey Coken	....	additional adr recordist (uncredited)
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Mel Zelniker	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Connie Brink	....	special effects (as Conrad Brink Sr.)

Visual Effects by
Richard Greenberg	....	opticals

Stunts
Paul Bucossi	....	stunts
Peter Bucossi	....	stunts
Norman Douglass	....	stunts (as Norm Douglass)
Roy Farfel	....	stunts
Nicholas J. Giangiulio	....	stunts (as Nick Giangiulio)
Tony Guida	....	stunts
Phil Neilson	....	stunts
Janet Paparazzo	....	stunts
Don Picard	....	stunts
Michael Russo	....	stunt coordinator (as Mike Russo)
Michael Russo	....	stunts (as Mike Russo)
Alex Stevens	....	stunts
Shawn O'Neil	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Florian Ballhaus	....	first assistant camera
Jerry DeBlau	....	chief lighting technician
David M. Dunlap	....	camera operator (as David Dunlap)
Brian Fitzsimons	....	second grip
Dennis Gamiello	....	key grip
John Lowry	....	second grip
Bobby Mancuso	....	second assistant camera (as Bob Mancuso)
Larry McConkey	....	Steadicam operator
Peter John Petraglia	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as John Petraglia)
Barry Wetcher	....	still photographer
Russell Caldwell	....	lamp operator (uncredited)
Larry Huston	....	Steadicam focus puller (uncredited)
Eric Leigh	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting
Laura Rosenthal	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer L. Bryan	....	wardrobe: women
Robert Dean Jackson	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Dean Jackson)
Thomas Lee Keller	....	assistant costume designer
Susan O'Donnell	....	assistant costume designer
Carol H. Beule	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Amy Auchincloss	....	second assistant editor
Kent Blocher	....	assistant editor
David Leonard	....	first assistant editor
Kate Sanford	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)
Tom San Martin	....	negative matcher (uncredited)
Arnold Shuster	....	negative matcher (uncredited)

Music Department
Christopher Brooks	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Bill Curry Jr.	....	transportation captain
Robert Leddy	....	co-transportation captain

Other crew
Todd Arnow	....	production accountant
Elaine Bass	....	title designer
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Marion Billings	....	unit publicist
Sharon A. Briggs	....	assistant: Barbara De Fina
Robin Chambers	....	assistant: Robert De Niro
Dermot Conley	....	assistant: Irwin Winkler, New York
Daniel Coss	....	location assistant
Janet Crosby	....	production associate
Alesandra M. Cuomo	....	production office coordinator
Michael DeCasper	....	runner
John Fischer	....	runner (as John Fisher)
Michele Giordano	....	production associate
Amy Herman	....	location assistant
Julia Judge	....	assistant: Martin Scorsese
Cayle Lewis	....	runner
John Manca	....	technical advisor
David I. Miller	....	runner
Heather Norton	....	runner
Sheila Paige	....	script supervisor
Steve Rose	....	location manager
Christopher Swartout	....	runner
Neri Kyle Tannenbaum	....	location assistant (as Neri Tannenbaum)
Robert Lee Whitlock II	....	craft service
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Sasha Tsyrlin	....	location scout (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1990) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1990) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1990) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1990) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1990) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1990) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1990) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1990) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1993) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Sandrews (1999) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Varus Video (199?) (Russia) (VHS)
• Warner & Metronome Film (1990) (Denmark) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (HD-DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (two-disc special edition)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (HD-DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (1998) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Atlantic Records  soundtrack published by
• C5  post-production sound services
• R/Greenberg Associates  opticals
• Sylvia Fay Casting  extras casting
• Sylvia Fay/Lee Genick & Associates Casting  extras casting
• Temptu  tattoo design

Also Known As:

Good Fellas (USA) (original script title)
GoodFellas (USA) (promotional title (video box title) (poster title))
Wiseguy (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

146 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Brazil:14 | USA:R (certificate #30613) | Israel:16 | India:A | Poland:18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Italy:VM14 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Bern) | UK:18

Filming Locations:

2409 Thirty Second Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

According to Ray Liotta, both Robert De Niro and Nancy Sinatra pranked his make-up room with a (fake) severed horse head, as an homage to The Godfather (1972) and an initiation into Mafioso films.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When young Henry Hill is arrested for selling black-market cigarettes (late 1950s), UPC barcodes are visible on the cigarette cartons. UPC barcodes first appeared in the late 1970s.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Henry Hill: The fuck is that?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Major Movie Star (2008)

Soundtrack:

Firenze Sogna

An Offer You Can't Refuse...

"As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." -- Henry Hill, Brooklyn, N.Y. 1955.

Gangsters are all around us. Everyone knows it, not everyone wants to accept it. "Goodfellas"--based on true events--explores the lives of gangsters, chronicling the events through the eyes of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), who gets involved with the Mafia at a young age and continues his "career" throughout the film.

As he gets older, he marries and has children, but still works for the organized crime family, under mob boss Paulie (Paul Sorvino); and he is friends with Jimmy (Robert De Niro), a calm, steady gangster; and Tommy (Joe Pesci), a wild man with serious mental problems.

Eventually Henry's life goes down the gutter, leading to drug abuse and paranoia, that leads to other unfortunate incidents that will be ruined if I type any more about them.

"Goodfellas" is one of the best films I have ever seen. It's a tour de force of breathtaking images, witty scriptwriting, superb acting and realistic violence.

Robert De Niro gives one of his best performances -- ever -- as Jimmy, even if he's not in the film as much as you might be lead to believe from the front cover.

Joe Pesci is in this movie about as much as De Niro, maybe a bit more or less. But when he's on screen there's no doubting he's on screen--he's very hard to miss. A short, deranged, loud-mouthed man with something wrong in his head. Someone makes an insult toward him and he shoots them, and then laughs. It's quite disturbing. I am a huge fan of Pesci, and I tend to love his characters, but he really makes you feel sick towards his character in "Goodfellas," while at the same time taking a strange liking to him. That just goes to show how good of an actor Pesci is.

Ray Liotta is perfect as Henry Hill. I can't think of a better actor to play him. He captures a sense of innocence yet at the same time a feeling of violence. I love the scene where he walks over to a man's house with a regular expression on his face. "What do you want, f&*^&?" the man asks. Liotta continues walking, takes out a gun, and starts to continually beat the man in the skull with the butt of his gun. As Henry walks back to his car, his face is disturbing and his expression stays with you for a long, long time.

Martin Scorsese is a brilliant director and his work here is fabulous; it's been recreated by other directors (namely Paul Thomas Anderson in "Boogie Nights") and there's a reason: it's great stuff. He totally deserved to receive Best Director in 1990, but of course he didn't. (Rumor has it the Academy frowns on Scorsese's use of racial slurs in his work. Oh boo hoo, get over it.)

The movie is based on the true-crime memoirs of the real-life Henry Hill, whose novel with Nicholas Pileggi -- "Wiseguys" -- was adapted into a screenplay by Pileggi and Scorsese. The book itself was fantastic and insightful; the screenplay is even better. The dialogue is incredible.

By the way, I think it is appropriate to put a bit of a disclaimer on this review: I would not recommend "Goodfellas" to those that have a problem with violence and/or language, and "Goodfellas" is definitely not one for your kids to watch--it contains extremely strong, pervasive language, and a great deal of strong, realistic violence. I only put this because I am sick of parents taking children to see R-rated films that are not appropriate for children. And this is definitely one of them.

Anyway, "Goodfellas" has to be one of the best films I've ever seen--a true modern classic that will be remembered for what it is: One of the greatest tales told on screen. It's an offer you can't refuse!