Paradise Alley (1978)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Sylvester Stallone

Writer:

Sylvester Stallone (written by)

Release Date:

22 September 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Carboni Boys. They haul ice, lay out stiffs and dance with monkeys.

Plot:

Three Italian-American brothers, living in the slums of 1940's New York, try to help each other with one's wrestling career using one brother's promotional skills and another brother's con-artist tactics to tho wart a sleazy manager. |

Plot Keywords:

Italian American | Con Artist | Wrestling | New York | Street Performer

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	Cosmo Carboni
Lee Canalito	...	Victor Carboni
Armand Assante	...	Lenny Carboni
Frank McRae	...	Big Glory
Anne Archer	...	Annie
Kevin Conway	...	Stitch
Terry Funk	...	Frankie the Thumper
Joyce Ingalls	...	Bunchie
Joe Spinell	...	Burp
Aimée Eccles	...	Susan Chow
Tom Waits	...	Mumbles
Chick Casey	...	Doorman
James J. Casino	...	Paradise Bartender
Fredi O. Gordon	...	Paradise Alley Hooker
Lydia Goya	...	Bar Room Hooker #1
Michael Jeffers	...	Paradise Alley Bum
Max Leavitt	...	Mr. Gaimbelli
Paul Mace	...	Rat
Polli Magaro	...	Fat Lady
Pamela Des Barres	...	Vonny (as Pamela Miller)
John Monks Jr.	...	Mickey the Bartender
Leo Nanas	...	Store Owner
Frank Pesce	...	Skinny the Hand
Stuart K. Robinson	...	Towel Boy
Ray Sharkey	...	Legs
Maria Smith	...	Dance Hall Girl (as Maria Smith-Caffey)
Patricia Spann	...	Bar Room Hooker #2
Frank Stallone	...	Singer
Jeff Wald	...	Sticky
John Ayers	...	Wrestler
Rolland Bastien	...	Wrestler
Ted DiBiase	...	Wrestler
Vincent Albert DiStefano	...	Wrestler
Dory Funk Jr.	...	Wrestler
Don Leo Jonathan	...	Wrestler
Don Kernodle	...	Wrestler
Gene Kiniski	...	Wrestler
Larry Lane	...	Wrestler
Randy Morse	...	Wrestler
Dick Murdoch	...	Wrestler
Reg Parks	...	Wrestler
Alex Perez	...	Wrestler
Rock Riddle	...	Wrestler
Bob Roop	...	Wrestler
Douglas Ryan	...	Wrestler
Don Slatton	...	Wrestler
Ervin Smith	...	Wrestler
Dennis Stamp	...	Wrestler
Johnny Starr	...	Wrestler
Ray Stevens	...	Wrestler
Tonga Fifita	...	Wrestler (as Tonga Yociato)
Jay S. York	...	Wrestler
John Zenda	...	Wrestler

Directed by
Sylvester Stallone

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sylvester Stallone		written by

Produced by
Arthur Chobanian	....	associate producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	executive producer
John F. Roach	....	producer
Ronald A. Suppa	....	producer
Jeff Wald	....	producer

Original Music by
Bill Conti

Cinematography by
László Kovács

Film Editing by
Eve Newman

Casting by
Caro Jones

Production Design by
John W. Corso

Art Direction by
Deborah Beaudet

Set Decoration by
Jerry Adams

Makeup Department
Jean Burt Reilly	....	hair stylist
Michael Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Michael S. Glick	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clifford C. Coleman	....	first assistant director
Mark R. Schilz	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Fernando Carrill	....	sculptor
Bill Dietz	....	property master (as William Dietz)
Thomas Wright	....	production illustrator

Sound Department
William A. Phillips	....	sound effects editor
William L. Stevenson	....	sound effects editor
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recordist
Charles M. Wilborn	....	sound

Special Effects by
Jeff Frink	....	special effects

Stunts
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunts
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunts
Dar Robinson	....	stunts
Bud Walls	....	stunts
David Zellitti	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Richmond L. Aguilar	....	gaffer (as Richard Aguilar)
Leonard Lookabaugh	....	key grip
Robert M. Stevens	....	camera operator
Joseph E. Thibo	....	assistant camera
Larry Newberg	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Johnny Walker	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandra Burke	....	costumer
Lambert Marks	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Rudy Freeman	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Bettie Biery	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Ken Peterson	....	transportation captain
Chris Haynes	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Terry Funk	....	wrestling choreography
Linda Grey	....	publicity coordinator
Marshall J. Wolins	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Image Ten

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1979) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1979) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1979) (Finland) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Esselte Video (19??) (Finland) (VHS)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2001) (Finland) (TV)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:18 (1979) | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | West Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Image Ten

Trivia:

Directing was such a new job to Stallone on this project that several times, cast and crew were in position, ready to do their jobs but they could not. They could not because Stallone would forget to yell, "Action."

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Tonga Fifita's surname is grossly misspelled in the end credits as Yociato.

Quotes:

[to his gang about Victor]
Stitch: That guy's too stupid to be scared. He's a primitive.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Just Your Luck (1996) (V)

Soundtrack:

Please Be Someone to Me

Wonderfully Bad

I have to admit that this film to many critics was a turgid mess, but I cannot help but enjoy and have true sentimentality for it. You have to watch Paradise Alley when you are in the right kind of mood. What mood is that? The mood I was in when I saw it on TV years ago.

It's got heart, good wrestling, believable characters, funny moments, a couple of hot babes, suspense and a bit of violence. It even has a good "Rocky" feel ending that wins your heart ending with a strong ballad. This is entertainment and who cares if it doesn't live up to any purists idea of good film-making. It's fun. If this movie were to be redone it might have a chance at the Oscars. It's quirky and offbeat and contains all the elements to get your moneys worth.