Mean Streets (1973)

A small-time hood struggles to succeed on the "mean streets" of Little Italy.

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Martin Scorsese (screenplay), Mardik Martin (screenplay),

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval

5 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Johnny Boy
Harvey Keitel	...	Charlie
David Proval	...	Tony
Amy Robinson	...	Teresa
Richard Romanus	...	Michael
Cesare Danova	...	Giovanni
Victor Argo	...	Mario (as Vic Argo)
George Memmoli	...	Joey
Lenny Scaletta	...	Jimmy
Jeannie Bell	...	Diane
Murray Moston	...	Oscar (as Murray Mosten)
David Carradine	...	Drunk
Robert Carradine	...	Boy With Gun
Lois Walden	...	Jewish Girl
Harry Northup	...	Soldier

Storyline

The future is set for Tony and Michael - owning a neighbour- hood bar and making deals in the mean streets of New York city's Little Italy. For Charlie, the future is less clearly defined. A small-time hood, he works for his uncle, making collections and reclaiming bad debts. He's probably too nice to succeed. In love with a woman his uncle disapproves of (because of her epilepsy) and a friend of her cousin, Johnny Boy, a near psychotic whose trouble-making threatens them all - he can't reconcile opposing values. A failed attempt to escape (to Brooklyn) moves them all a step closer to a bitter, almost preordained future.

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Plot Keywords:

little italy | new york | epilepsy | new york city | bar | 

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Taglines:

You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

14 October 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Season of the Witch

Filming Locations:

Belmont, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$32,645 (USA) (13 March 1998)

Gross:

$32,645 (USA) (13 March 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Taplin - Perry - Scorsese Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The voice over narration in the opening of the movie ("You don't make up for your sins in Church; you do it on the street; everything else is bullshit and you know it...") is actually not said by Harvey Keitel (the character we are intended to believe is thinking these thoughts), but director Martin Scorsese. Scorsese felt that using a separate voice to make the distinction between Keitel's thoughts and actions was necessary. Scorsese borrowed this technique from Federico Fellini, who used it in I Vitelloni.

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Goofs

While Charlie and Johnny Boy are walking (after the bar shooting), in one shot it is nighttime, and in the next the sun is up. The dialogue continues as if no time has passed.

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Quotes

Giovanni Cappa: Honorable men go with honorable men.

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Connections

Referenced in Animaniacs: We're No Pigeons/Whistle Stop Mindy/Katie Ka-Boom: The Broken Date (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Steppin' Out"
By 'Cream'
Courtesy of R.S.O. Records

User Reviews

early Scorsese masterpiece

Mean Streets was a brilliant early film by Martin Scorsese. It was his first ever collaboration with Robert DeNiro. Their very successful partnership has produced some of the best movies ever made: Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and Casino. It also helped launch Harvey Keitel to stardom.

Keitel as Charlie and DeNiro as Johnny Boy deliver great performances. Scorsese's direction is strong. Even close to 30 years ago, these three men show the talent which would eventually place them among the very best in the business. Scorsese uses a great selection of popular music in Mean Streets and that has become a trademark of his.

Mean Streets easily ranks with Scorsese's best. 9/10