New York, New York (1977)

An egotistical saxophone player and a young singer meet on V-J Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long uphill climb.

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Earl Mac Rauch (screenplay), Mardik Martin (screenplay),

Stars:

Liza Minnelli, Robert De Niro, Lionel Stander

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Liza Minnelli	...	Francine Evans
Robert De Niro	...	Jimmy Doyle
Lionel Stander	...	Tony Harwell
Barry Primus	...	Paul Wilson
Mary Kay Place	...	Bernice Bennett
Georgie Auld	...	Frankie Harte
George Memmoli	...	Nicky
Dick Miller	...	Palm Club Owner
Murray Moston	...	Horace Morris
Lenny Gaines	...	Artie Kirks
Clarence Clemons	...	Cecil Powell
Kathi McGinnis	...	Ellen Flannery
Norman Palmer	...	Desk Clerk
Adam David Winkler	...	Jimmy Doyle Jr.
Dimitri Logothetis	...	Desk Clerk

Storyline

The day WWII ends, Jimmy, a selfish and smooth-talking musician, meets Francine, a lounge singer. From that moment on, their relationship grows into love as they struggle with their careers and aim for the top.

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Plot Keywords:

singer | musician | love | trumpet | orchestra | 

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Taglines:

A love story is like a song. It's beautiful while it lasts.

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nea Yorki, Nea Yorki

Filming Locations:

Ballroom, Park Plaza Hotel - 607 S. Park View Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chartoff-Winkler Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

155 min 163 min (1981 re-issue) 136 min (re-cut)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The added "Happy Endings" musical fantasy cost an extra $350,000 to make.

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Goofs

During the VJ dance sequence when Jimmy (DeNiro) is initially trying to pick up Francine (Minnelli), the cherry in her drink disappears (when she eats it in one shot) but then reappears in her drink only to disappear in subsequent shots.

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Quotes

Jimmy: I know you from some place.
Francine: No.
Jimmy: You don't remember me?
Francine: No.
Jimmy: You don't remember we met a few years ago? It was at a party or a dance. We had a long conversation. You can't remember that?
Francine: No.
Jimmy: I just want to explain to you, first of all, my parents are over there, my mother and father, my brother and sister. So I got to see them because I just was two years in the service, you know, so they haven't see me. Now, I want to get your phone number so I can tell you tomorrow about what I was thinking ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Just You, Just Me"
(uncredited)
Music by Jesse Greer
Lyrics by Raymond Klages
Performed by Liza Minnelli with Georgie Auld

User Reviews

Tinseltown

New York, New York is Scorcese's most underrated film. Ahead of its time, out of the mainstream of mundane tastes, and both a tribute and a criticism of the musicals of the 40s and 50s, New York, New York is constantly misunderstood - especially by a culture weened on Rambos and Die Hards. DeNiro is a misogynist; Minnelli, a codependent. The characters are not necessarily supposed to be likeable or easily understood. They are consciously not written to be cozy, comfey typical boy-meets-girl characters. Like any couple caught in the disease of romantic addiction and career obsession, Jimmy Doyle (DeNiro) and Francine Evans (Minnelli) depict flaws that approach hyper-visibility within the context of fake scenery, big brassy musical numbers, a slow pace, and sparse dialogue. It's not that there isn't any normative plot; there just doesn't NEED to be one. Through its minimalism, NY, NY breaks boundaries for musicals in the way that Ingmar Berman films broke ground for European movies. In the 70s, people were tired of musicals and Star Wars had been released. Out with the "old," in with the new. NY, NY only LOOKED like the old movies that modern culture was trying to get away from. Had people looked at it as parody (a trend that was to consume 80s cinema), NYNY would have been seen through a truer lens. DeNiro is tempermental, insensitive, and bombastic. Minnelli is shy and patient. DeNiro is jealous and insecure. Minnelli is focused and self-assured. Minnelli, in fact, not only evokes the period, she IS the period. Her doe-shaped eyes are not lost behind her extravagant custumes, and Minnelli's voice is the best of her career, displaying everything from subtlety (in songs like "You are my Lucky Star," and "There Goes the Ball Game") to power and emotion (in "But the World Goes 'Round," and "The Man I Love"). Minnelli's classic rendition of the title song is a show stopper, coming on the heals of a 15-minute production number entitled "Happy Endings" that takes the film into a three-dimensional surreality, for within "Happy Endings" (the movie within the movie) is a ANOTHER movie called "Aces High," where a sequined Liza combines the personas of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russel into a single glamorous diva. The film's downbeat ending is actually a sign of strength for the Minnelli character, and DeNiro's Doyle is left alone to ponder the love he left behind.