Gloria (1980)

Director:

John Cassavetes

Writer:

John Cassavetes (writer)

Release Date:

19 September 1980 (West Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

She attempted to beat the mob at their own game.

Plot:

Jack Dawn and his family are eliminated by the mob, because he was their accountant and was keeping a personal copy of their records...

Plot Keywords:

New York City | Neighbor | Puerto Rican | Witness | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Julie Carmen	...	Jeri Dawn
Gena Rowlands	...	Gloria Swenson
John Adames	...	Phil Dawn
Tony Knesich	...	1st Man / Gangster
Gregory Cleghorne	...	Kid in Elevator
Buck Henry	...	Jack Dawn
Lupe Garnica	...	Margarita Vargas
Jessica Castillo	...	Joan Dawn
Tom Noonan	...	2nd Man / Gangster
Ronald Maccone	...	3rd Man / Gangster
George Yudzevich	...	Heavy Set Man
Gary Howard Klar	...	Irish cop (as Gary Klar)
William E. Rice	...	TV Newscaster
Frank Belgiorno	...	Riverside Drive Man #5
J.C. Quinn	...	Riverside Drive Man #4

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:AA (original rating) | Iceland:12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Peru:18 | UK:15 (video rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The title character's name Gloria Swenson, is almost identical to that of actress Gloria Swanson.

Quotes:

[In a bar]
Gloria Swenson: There's reasons I can't turn and just look, but is there a little kid headed in here or across the street or whatever?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2006) (TV)

Gena Rowlands would kick Sharon Stone's butt

I have not seen the remake of GLORIA yet, and needless to say, I'm not looking forward to it. Not to say that Sharon Stone can't play a tough female, who's self-imposed as a bodyguard for a kid running from mobsters. It is just that Gena Rowlands is so much more versatile, and her range so much wider, and I just KNOW that Stone won't be able to cut it. So, I will stop speculating, and get to the facts.

GLORIA is a film that Cassavete's made as an antidote to brainless, violent action films. All of the violence has dramatic purpose, and nothing is pointless here. This may be off-putting to fans of the action genre, but Cassavetes' contempt for the genre is what makes GLORIA more interesting. There are several unexpected twists.

When the film begins, Gloria is a street-smart woman who is kind of "married" to the mob. Gloria has a tomboyish quality that lends credibility to the fact that she has lived this long. She looks out for herself, first and foremost.

This changes when a weasel, and friend,of Gloria's (Buck Henry) is murdered by her mobster friends. Henry and his wife are killed, leaving behind a scared child. The little boy is a witness to the murder, and the mobsters make chase.

Gloria feels her maternal instincts begin to take over, and begrudgingly protects the boy. As the film progresses, however, she becomes more sincere in her protection, and she draws the line further for the mobsters. She has survived in the harsh city for this long, so it is easy to assume that she knows how to stay alive.

GLORIA is by no means Cassavete best film. There are long stretches that test your patience, that can sometimes seem static. But, as much as I dislike this quality, I am familiar with several Cassavetes' films, and understand what he is trying to achieve. Cassavetes is a very emotional director. He doesn't focus on tragedy; he is more interested in survival and the baggage that that brings. GLORIA is a thinking-person's thriller, and if you prefer big explosions and high body-counts, go and see DIE HARD 2 again. But, if you want to see something different, check this one out.