Born to Win (1971)

A smart-mouthed junkie/loser known as J.J. (George Segal) spends his days looking for just "one more fix".

Director:

Ivan Passer

Writers:

David Scott Milton (screenplay), Ivan Passer (screenplay),

Stars:

George Segal, Karen Black, Paula Prentiss

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Segal	...	J
Karen Black	...	Parm
Paula Prentiss	...	Veronica
Jay Fletcher	...	Billy Dynamite
Hector Elizondo	...	Vivian
Robert De Niro	...	Danny (as Robert DeNiro)
Ed Madsen	...	Detective
Marcia Jean Kurtz	...	Marlene
Irving Selbst	...	Stanley
Tim Pelt	...	Little Davey
José Pérez	...	Junior Conception (as Jose Perez)
Sylvia Syms	...	Cashier (as Sylvia Simms)
Jack Hollander	...	Harry
Alex Colon	...	Bus Boy
Max Brandt	...	Store Clerk

Storyline

A smart-mouthed junkie/loser known as J.J. (George Segal) spends his days looking for just "one more fix".

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Plot Keywords:

thief | duffy square manhattan new york city | broadway manhattan new york city | hold up | drug addiction | 

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Taglines:

Their story is written on his arm. If they can get a grip on each other, maybe they can turn their lives around.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 July 1972 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Addict

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edward Spector Productions Inc., Segal-Tokofsky Productions Inc., Theater Guild

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paula Prentiss received star billing even though she appears on screen for only about three minutes. When asked about this at the New York Film Festival press screening, directed Ivan Passer said that her agent demanded it, adding, "After all, what difference does it make?"

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Quotes

[first lines]
J: They same I'm a charmer... that I charm the people I hustle. Well, that comes after dealing with women, after hairdressing. I love to dress hair! But being that I know what to do, being that I'm hip enough to know, I do it!

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Connections

References Sudden Terror (1970)

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Soundtracks

"Ballad in C"
by Karen Black

User Reviews

Worth a look

While low budget filmmakers in California were making films like "Psych-out" and "The Trip" with Fonda and Nicholson and Hopper it was different in New York. Low budget filmmakers on the east coast took a more tougher look at drugs and it usually took place on the streets of New York. This film is about a drug addict named J (George Segal) who has the tattoo "Born to Win" on his arm and he's always doing favors for a local dealer named Vivian (Hector Elizondo) who is becoming annoyed by J. One day J meets Parm (Karen Black) who is a free spirited girl and they both become attracted to each other right away. J is becoming more desperate and he even resorts to robbing some of the people he does favors for. Two dirty cops (Robert Deniro and Ed Madsen) tell J that they want to bust Vivian and they want him to help. They won't bust J because they want to keep him on the streets but they do make his life even worse than it is. This film was directed by Ivan Passer who is a competent director but has only had a mediocre career making movies. But he does a good job here and all the characters are portrayed as lowlifes. Even Paula Prentiss is a drug addict in this film and it's a strange bit of casting to have her in such a role. Good use of New York locations as it was shot right in the middle of downtown and it gives this film that authentic street look. One of the reasons that this is interesting to view is spotting the actors in early roles. Segal had already broke through with an Oscar nomination in 1966 and he obviously was trying new ground as an actor and Black was fresh off an Oscar nomination herself. Early look at Deniro and Elizondo and Burt Young pops up as a thug about midway through. This has that sad and ambiguous ending but that adds to the impact of this tough and gritty little film. All the performances are pretty good and I would have been interested in seeing Prentiss in a larger role. This doesn't get discussed much when people talk of the New York films of the 1970's but it is a well made low budget entry that others should view.