The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974)

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writers:

Mordecai Richler (novel)
Lionel Chetwynd (adaptation)

Release Date:

11 April 1974 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

There's a little bit of Duddy Kravitz in everyone.

Plot:

The younger son of a working-class Jewish family in Montreal, Duddy Kravitz yearns to make a name for himself in society...

Plot Keywords:

Nipple Slip | Semi Autobiographical | Copped Feel | Film In Film | Groping

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Richard Dreyfuss	...	Duddy
Micheline Lanctôt	...	Yvette
Jack Warden	...	Max
Randy Quaid	...	Virgil
Joseph Wiseman	...	Uncle Benjy
Denholm Elliott	...	Friar
Henry Ramer	...	Dingleman
Joe Silver	...	Farber
Zvee Scooler	...	Grandfather
Robert Goodier	...	Calder
Alan Rosenthal	...	Lenny (as Allan Rosenthal)
Barry Baldaro	...	Paddy
Allan Kolman	...	Irwin (as Allan Migicovsky)
Barry Pascal	...	Bernie Farber
Susan Friedman	...	Linda

Also Known As:

L'apprentissage de Duddy Kravitz (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

120 min | Canada:94 min (TV)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Astral Bellevue Pathé

Trivia:

According to Richard Dreyfuss, he believed his performance in this film was so bad that his career would be over when it was released. This fear caused him to aggressively pursue the role of Matt Hooper in Jaws (1975).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Although film is set in early Fifties, in scene immediately following roulette game, logo on Pepsi-Cola sign outside café dates from much later - late Fifties or early Sixties.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Richard Dreyfuss/Jimmy Buffett, Gary Tigerman (#3.19)" (1978)

Soundtrack:

Wonder Boy

Strident, overlong comedy-drama only notable for its breakout star...

Critically-lauded, but gloppy-looking, abrasive coming-of-age story about a Jewish kid in 1940's Montreal who hustles his way out of the ghetto. Richard Dreyfuss snuck this in between "American Graffitti" and "Jaws", but his performance is one-note and not very appealing (the film did poor business, and when it premiered on HBO, after Dreyfuss attained success, no one knew where the picture came from). Supporting cast (Jack Warden, Randy Quaid, and Denholm Elliott among them) fair a bit better, but director Ted Kotcheff seems more interested in creating a realistically squalid atmosphere rather than concentrating on building reasonably enjoyable characters. Screenplay by Mordecai Richler, from his own novel, sets up the pieces but provides very little pay-off. *1/2 from ****