IMDb > Carny (1980)
Videos (see all 3)
Carny (1980) -- Open-ended Trailer from Warner Home Video
Carny (1980) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
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Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   832 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert Kaylor
Writers:
Phoebe Kaylor (story) and
Robert Kaylor (story) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Carny on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 July 1981 (Finland) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
Where love is just another sucker's game. more
Plot:
A carnival comes to a small town. Eighteen year old Donna meets Frankie and Patch, two carnival hustlers... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Warners digs up some cheesy gold on DVD
 (From EW.com - PopWatch. 11 August 2009, 2:05 PM, PDT)
Rockin' The Reel: Musicians Turned Moviemakers
 (From IFC. 27 June 2008, 8:49 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Prime Jodie Foster.... more (15 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Gary Busey ... Frankie

Jodie Foster ... Donna

Robbie Robertson ... Patch
Meg Foster ... Gerta
Kenneth McMillan ... Heavy St. John
Elisha Cook Jr. ... On-Your-Mark

Tim Thomerson ... Doubles
Teddy Wilson ... Nails (as Theodore Wilson)
John Lehne ... Skeet
Bill McKinney ... Marvin Dill
Bert Remsen ... Delno Baptiste

Woodrow Parfrey ... W. C. Hannon
Alan Braunstein ... Willie Mae

Tina Andrews ... Sugaree
Craig Wasson ... Mickey
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
107 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Australia:R | UK:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R
Filming Locations:
Savannah, Georgia, USA
Company:
Lorimar Productions more

Fun Stuff

Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: After Frankie is dunked by Patch, he is not near the microphone but his voice is still amplified. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Being John Malkovich (1999) more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
Prime Jodie Foster...., 22 August 1999
Author: George Litman from Marietta, OH USA

This may not be a familiar title to many, but for me, "Carny" marks a major turning point in the career of Jodie Foster.

In "Carny", she plays a regular young woman who is lured by the excitement of the midway into becoming one of the regular carnival members or, as the title calls them, a carny.

This is basically a story about carnival life, the nomadic existance of the carnies and the eventual maturing of Foster's character by this new way of life. Watching her adjustments, both easy and difficult, make it easy to see why she received more difficult roles after this.

Robbie Robertson, leader of The Band, plays a fellow carny and love interest for Foster. He is all cool assurance and strong emotional center, both of which are things Foster's character is looking for. It's a wonder Robertson hasn't been in more movies since.

Gary Busey, in a performance that is both humorous and borderline psychotic, plays a dunk tank clown that forever taunts patrons, both in and out of the cage. He is also involved with Foster, and finds himself at odds with Robertson over her attentions.

If there's one problem with this film it's that it is too brief. More likely than not a filming decision but see it yourself and see if you don't agree.

Eight stars.

Now, "Carny" is a movie that DESERVES a sequel.

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