The Pawnbroker (1964)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Morton S. Fine (screenplay) &
David Friedkin (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 April 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Most Talked About Picture!

Plot:

A Jewish pawnbroker, victim of Nazi persecution, loses all faith in his fellow man until he realizes too late the tragedy of his actions.

Plot Keywords:

Flashback | Concentration Camp | Nazi | Jewish | Pawnbroker

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 9 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Rod Steiger	...	Sol Nazerman
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Marilyn Birchfield
Brock Peters	...	Rodriguez
Jaime Sánchez	...	Jesus Ortiz (as Jaime Sanchez)
Thelma Oliver	...	Ortiz' Girl
Marketa Kimbrell	...	Tessie
Baruch Lumet	...	Mendel
Juano Hernandez	...	Mr. Smith
Linda Geiser	...	Ruth
Nancy R. Pollock	...	Bertha
Raymond St. Jacques	...	Tangee
John McCurry	...	Buck
Ed Morehouse	...	Robinson
Eusebia Cosme	...	Mrs. Ortiz
Warren Finnerty	...	Savarese
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Ader	...	Morton (uncredited)
Marc Alexander	...	Rubin (uncredited)
Robert Dahdah	...	Jew In Cage (uncredited)
Charles Dierkop	...	Robinson (uncredited)
Morgan Freeman	...	Man on Street (uncredited)
Hilda Haynes	...	Woman (uncredited)
Marianne Kanter	...	Joan (uncredited)
E.M. Margolese	...	Papa (uncredited)
Donnie Melvin	...	Nazerman's Son (uncredited)
Reni Santoni	...	Junkie selling radio (uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney Lumet

Writing credits
Morton S. Fine		(screenplay) (as Morton Fine) &
David Friedkin		(screenplay)
Edward Lewis Wallant		(novel)

Produced by
Philip Langner	....	producer
Roger Lewis	....	producer
Joseph Manduke	....	associate producer
Worthington Miner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Quincy Jones

Cinematography by
Boris Kaufman

Film Editing by
Ralph Rosenblum

Casting by
Jessica Levy

Production Design by
Richard Sylbert

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Ed Callaghan	....	hair stylist
Bill Herman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ulu Grosbard	....	unit manager
Mel Howard	....	assistant production manager
Al Markim	....	executive in charge of production (as Alfred Markim)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dan Eriksen	....	assistant director

Art Department
Albert Brenner	....	assistant art director (as Al Brenner)
Jack Flaherty	....	set dresser
Ken Thompson	....	construction chief
Thomas Wright	....	chief props (as Tom Wright)

Sound Department
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor
James A. Gleason	....	sound mixer (as James Gleason)
Alan Heim	....	sound editor
Dennis Maitland	....	sound
James Perdue	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Fortune	....	chief electrician (as Buddy Fortune)
Edward Knott	....	chief grip (as Eddie Knott)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
George Newman	....	wardrobe
Marilyn Putnam	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Sheila Bakerman	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Billy Byers	....	orchestrator (as William Byers)
Quincy Jones	....	orchestrator
Richard Hazard	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Jack Sheldon	....	musician: trumpet (uncredited)

Other crew
Belle Iacobellis	....	production secretary
Maggie James	....	script supervisor
Ely A. Landau	....	presenter (as Ely Landau)
Dana Steadley	....	production secretary
Herbert R. Steinmann	....	presenter
Harold Reidman	....	location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Landau Company

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Wivefilm (1966) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Artisan Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Cult Classic (2010) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Olive Films (2012) (Canada) (DVD) (DVD and Blu-ray)
• Olive Films (2012) (USA) (DVD) (DVD and Blu-ray)
• Planet (UK)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Film Opticals (optical effects)

Other Companies

• Recording Studios  sound recording
• F. Hillsberg  titles

Also Known As:

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:R (Ontario) | Norway:16 | UK:12 (1998) | UK:X (video rating) (1965) | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 (bw) | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Landau Company

Trivia:

Most of the action of the film takes place on the west side of Park Avenue just to the north of 116th Street.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Jesus runs down the street, his shirt changes from a V-neck to a turtle neck, and then back again.

Quotes:

Jesus Ortiz:That's all life is about?
Sol Nazerman:That's *all* life is about!
Jesus Ortiz:You mean... money is the whole thing?
Sol Nazerman:Money is the whole thing!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Rocket Attack U.S.A. (#3.5)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

Soul Bossa Nova

Never has internal pain been so vividly portrayed.

This is in my 50 best movies of all time list.

Rod Steiger,a gifted actor, is at his very best here portraying Sol Nazerman, a pawnbroker who is completely shut down emotionally.

Through flashbacks, some fast, mostly slow, we see both the joy and subsequent horror of Sol's life in Nazi Germany, when his wife and children are swept into the camps and killed. Sol's deepest pain is that he survived and he carries it visibly. Nothing touches him. He is removed from humanity, living a life outside anyone else's.

This is never more exemplified than at his shop, where he is behind bars, often in shadow, while humanity moves outside, sometimes pleading with him, sometimes just wishing to make an emotional contact to no avail.

Brilliant black and white photography. Quincy Jones' music underscores this, it is jazzy 60s type of music, loud and vibrant, totally contrasting with the dark, dead world of Sol.

The supporting cast are terrific and the outdoor location shooting in New York is riveting. The movement of street life against the heaviness of Sol's plodding.

I still find it hard to believe that Rod lost the Oscar to Lee Marvin in the forgettable "Cat Ballou" (!!) that year.

This has to be seen by any serious lovers of movies. The last scene, done in one continuous take is heartbreaking, Sol finally getting in touch with the pain he has buried so deeply. Gut wrenching stuff. 9 out of 10.