Nickelodeon (1976)

This homage to the childhood days of the motion pictures starts in 1910, when the young attorney Leo Harrigan by chance meets a motion picture producer. Immediately he's invited to become a... See full summary »

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers:

Peter Bogdanovich, W.D. Richter

Stars:

Ryan O'Neal, Burt Reynolds, Tatum O'Neal

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan O'Neal	...	Leo Harrigan
Burt Reynolds	...	Buck Greenway
Tatum O'Neal	...	Alice Forsyte
Brian Keith	...	H.H. Cobb
Stella Stevens	...	Marty Reeves
John Ritter	...	Franklin Frank
Jane Hitchcock	...	Kathleen Cooke
Jack Perkins	...	Michael Gilhooley
Brion James	...	Bailiff
Sidney Armus	...	Judge
Joe Warfield	...	Defense Attorney
Tamar Cooper	...	Edna Mae Gilhooley
Alan Gibbs	...	Patents Hooligan
Mathew Anden	...	Hecky
Lorenzo Music	...	Mullins

Storyline

This homage to the childhood days of the motion pictures starts in 1910, when the young attorney Leo Harrigan by chance meets a motion picture producer. Immediately he's invited to become a writer for him - the start of a sensational career. Soon he's promoted to a director and shoots one silent movie after the other in the tiny desert village Cacamonga with a small crew of actors. But the competition is hard: the patent agency sends out Buck Greenway to sabotage them. When they visit L.A., his crew is surprised by a new species: fans!

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Plot Keywords:

celebrity | hollywood | movie business | movie production | film making | 

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Taglines:

Dreams. 5 cents.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Peter Bogdanovich's Nickelodeon

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Lion Film Corporation, Columbia Pictures Corporation, EMI Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Orson Welles urged Bogdanovich to photograph the film in black and white, but the studio baulked at this idea. At the March 2008 Bogdanovich retrospective held at the Castro Theater, San Francisco, the director's cut of the film was presented in a black and white print.

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Quotes

Leo Harrigan: Frank, to be quite frank, I don't know how to do it.
Franklin Frank: Do what?
Leo Harrigan: Direct.
Franklin Frank: You don't?
Leo Harrigan: No.
Franklin Frank: Gee.
Leo Harrigan: Don't just say "gee", I'm a nervous wreck.

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Connections

Featured in Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream (1998)

User Reviews

NINE million bucks? In 1976?

I had no idea this film cost so much. As charming and entertaining as it is, it is a million more than STAR WARS of 1977(and even THE BETSY...., sorry,) and 3 million more than Bogdanovich's previous film AT LONG LAST LOVE. At the time it was severely criticised by purists for lifting gags from his own 1972 comedy WHAT'S UP DOC? and for not really making a funny film about a topic falling all over itself with possibilities. Viewed THIRTY years later (Jeez!) NICKELODEON is an almost masterpiece of film craft and highly evocative, and I would like to say, as maligned as some other Bogdanovich films. It does stand the test of time and for a new audience, uneducated on silent films, would be a refreshing and often hilarious comedic revelation. Well, compared with Adam Sandler films and common day multiplex cine-stupidity, NICKELODEON is hilarious. It actually has production values, sight gags, engaging characters, actors and actually IS funny and endearing. It deserves re appraisal and I recommend it above CHAPLIN ....SINGIN IN THE RAIN it ain't, but PERILS OF PAULINE it is close................... NICKELODEON is well made fun.