The King of Comedy (1982)

Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin wants to achieve success in showbiz, by resorting to stalking his idol, a late night talk show host who craves his own privacy.

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writer:

Paul D. Zimmerman

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Rupert Pupkin
Jerry Lewis	...	Jerry Langford
Diahnne Abbott	...	Rita Keane
Sandra Bernhard	...	Masha
Shelley Hack	...	Cathy Long
Ed Herlihy	...	Ed Herlihy
Lou Brown	...	Band leader
Loretta Tupper	...	Stage Door Fan
Peter Potulski	...	Stage Door Fan
Vinnie Gonzales	...	Stage Door Fan
Whitey Ryan	...	Stage Door Guard
Doc Lawless	...	Chauffeur
Marta Heflin	...	Young Girl
Katherine Wallach	...	Autograph Seeker
Charles Kaleina	...	Autograph Seeker

Storyline

Rupert Pupkin is obsessed with becoming a comedy great. However, when he confronts his idol, talk show host Jerry Langford, with a plea to perform on the Jerry's show, he is only given the run-around. He does not give up, however, but persists in stalking Jerry until he gets what he wants. Eventually he must team up with his psychotic Langford-obsessed friend Masha to kidnap the talk show host in hopes of finally getting to perform his stand-up routine.

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Plot Keywords:

kidnap | reference to robin williams | living with mother | tied to chair | white shoes | 

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Taglines:

. . and when it's all over one of them won't be laughing

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1982 (Iceland)

Also Known As:

King of Comedy

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$2,500,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embassy International Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

George Kapp ("Mystery Guest") was an actual NYC high school chemistry teacher in the 1960s-1970s.

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Goofs

In the final scenes between Masha and Jerry, after she undresses, her bra straps go from crossed (which is the logical choice to go with her dress) to straight.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ed Herlihy: And now, from New York, The Jerry Langford Show! With Jerry's guests Tony Randall, Richard Dreyfuss, Rodney Dangerfield, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Lou Brown and the orchestra, and little old me Ed Herlihy. And now say hello to Jerry!

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Connections

References The Misfits (1961)

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Soundtracks

"Back on the Chain Gang"
Written by Chrissie Hynde
Performed by The Pretenders

User Reviews

Unforgettable

This is one of the most memorable films I have ever seen. The first time I saw it in 1983, my dad took me to see it with my older cousin, who laughed hysterically throughout the film, then said afterwards how much he hated it. That was a memorable moment, but the film itself also made a very large impression on me. Despite the title, it is anything but a comedy, save for some amusing moments that could pass for dark comedy.

The story involves a 34 year old nerd (Robert DeNiro) who wants badly to be a standup comedian, but his only method of trying to attain this goal is by essentially stalking a popular talk show host played by Jerry Lewis. The performances are amazing, of course DeNiro can never fail at playing someone offbeat and deranged. Jerry Lewis is very good as the talk show host, and Sandra Bernhard is also well cast as a fellow stalker. The film is a tough watch as its tense and uncomfortable throughout, yet entertaining and intruiging enough so it never crosses the line into unbearable, which I imagine must have been exactly what filmmaker Scorcese was going for. Overall, the film is a combination of disturbing, entertaining, and unforgettable. What's more, it holds up extremely well seventeen years later, although it initially did not do well at the box office. Score: 9/10