Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (1975)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writers:

Gail Parent (novel)
Kenny Solms (writer)

Release Date:

1 December 1975 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Sheila Levine is every single girl who has had to attend her younger sister's wedding.

Plot:

Sheila Levine is a Jewish-American princess and a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. An innovative...

Plot Keywords:

Roommate | Record Company | New York City | Doctor | Ex Roommate

Cast

Jeannie Berlin	...	Sheila Levine
Roy Scheider	...	Sam Stoneman
Rebecca Dianna Smith	...	Kate
Janet Brandt	...	Bernice
Sid Melton	...	Manny
Charles Woolf	...	Wally
Leda Rogers	...	Agatha
Jack Bernardi	...	Uncle Herm
Allen Secher	...	Rabbi
Lynne Pope	...	Rochelle
Jon Miller	...	Norman
Noble Willingham	...	Principal
Richard Rasof	...	Attendant
Evelyn Russell	...	Miss Burke
Don Carrara	...	Harold

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Roy Scheider was an eleventh hour replacement for another actor. Directly after the completion of the shooting, he traveled to Martha's Vineyard to film Jaws (1975).

Quotes:

Sam Stoneman: [repeated line, to Sheila] How are you, Harrisburg?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 52nd Annual Academy Awards (1980) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Love Me or Love People

Where is this movie? its an unsung New York classic.

HBO in the 1970s kindled my still vibrant love for movies in a powerful way. Being able to view movies you never heard of or wouldnt have ventured out to see even if you had gave this young guy a thorough education of film.

SHEILA LEVINE IS DEAD AND LIVING IN NEW YORK left an indelible impression on me. I still - 27 years later-remember certain scenes, especially Sheila dancing with a broom to a song I think was called "Love Me or Love People" and her talk with Roy Scheider. Every review I've read of this film lambasted it and called it the death of Academy Award nominee Jeanne Berlin's(for THE HEARTBREAK KID) career. To this impressionable 12 year old Italian boy who was a sickly child. Ms. Berlins shattering, stammering performance is burned ion my head. She was as alien a creature to me as E.T. was and like that little rubber puppet made me feel sorry and commiserate with her plight of being an outcast so strongly that it inadvertently helped ms cope with my own problems. Its a great, full fledged performance. Its as if Jeanne Berlin's character of the pathetic wife in HEARTBREAK left to be on her own in the big city. This and HEARTBREAK KID should be watched in tandem to get the full effect of an incredible one two acting punch.

Of course my review here is based on feelings and I would love to watch it again through 39 year old eyes and review it again as a film rather than as a memory. I may than agree with the critics about its screenplay(which I remember as being thin) and its murky look(very dark cinematography) but will positively not budge on my perception on Ms. Berlins landmark performance. I would love to see it as a film and experience its charms all over again. Me and my broomstick are waiting. Hopefully Paramount will reunite me with a dear old friend.