I Call First (1967)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Betzi Manoogian (additional dialogue)
Martin Scorsese (writer)

Release Date:

20 January 1978 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Mean Streets was just around the corner.

Plot:

J.R. is a typical Italian-American on the streets of New York. When he gets involved with a local girl...

Plot Keywords:

Catholic Guilt | Italian American | Ethnic Identity | Religion | Bar

Cast

Zina Bethune	...	Girl
Harvey Keitel	...	J.R.
Anne Collette	...	Young girl in dream (as Ann Collette)
Lennard Kuras	...	Joey
Michael Scala	...	Sally Gaga
Harry Northup	...	Harry
Tsuai Yu-Lan	...	Girl in dream fantasy
Saskia Holleman	...	Girl in dream fantasy
Bill Minkin	...	Iggy at Party
Philip Carlson	...	Boy in Copake (as Phil Carlson)
Wendy Russell	...	Gaga's Girl
Robert Uricola	...	Boy with Gun
Susan Wood	...	Girl at Party
Marissa Mathes	...	Girl at Party (as Marrisa Joffrey)
Catherine Scorsese	...	Mother

Also Known As:

Bring on the Dancing Girls (USA) (working title)
J.R. (USA) (reissue title)
Who's That Knocking at My Door (USA) (new title (longer version))

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18A | Brazil:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:M18 | USA:R | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Trimod Films

Trivia:

In order to get distribution for his film, Scorsese was told to add nude scenes so it could be promoted as a sexploitation film. So he shot the fantasy scene showing J.R. imagining encounters with prostitutes.

Movie Connections:

References The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Soundtrack:

Shotgun

For Scorsese's maniacs...

"Who's that knocking at my door" is along with "Boxcar Bertha" the most unknown picture of the Italian-American genius Scorsese. Make no mistakes: it's nothing like a masterpiece and it's no surprise that almost no one know about this movie, but here we got some of the constants in Marty's cinema: the street talking, the violence, the outsiders... Those things that "mean streets" dealt about... This was Martin Scorsese's debut and so it was for his friend Harvey Keytel who plays a chauvinist-bad tempered young man.

So, this is a movie that I recommend to those who really love Scorsese's work and wanna know about his origins.

*My rate: 6/10