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The King of Comedy (1982) 7.7
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 ScorseseWriter:Paul D. Zimmerman |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Robert De Niro | ... | ||
| Jerry Lewis | ... | ||
| Diahnne Abbott | ... |
Rita Keane
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| Sandra Bernhard | ... | ||
| Shelley Hack | ... |
Cathy Long
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Ed Herlihy | ... |
Ed Herlihy
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Lou Brown | ... |
Band leader
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Loretta Tupper | ... |
Stage Door Fan
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Peter Potulski | ... |
Stage Door Fan
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Vinnie Gonzales | ... |
Stage Door Fan
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Whitey Ryan | ... |
Stage Door Guard
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Doc Lawless | ... |
Chauffeur
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Marta Heflin | ... |
Young Girl
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Katherine Wallach | ... |
Autograph Seeker
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Charles Kaleina | ... |
Autograph Seeker
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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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. Written by Andrew Hyatt <dres@uiuc.edu>
Plot Keywords:
kidnap | reference to robin williams | living with mother | tied to chair | white shoes |Taglines:
It's no laughing matter. See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
18 December 1982 (Iceland) See more »Also Known As:
King of Comedy See more »Filming Locations:
New York City, New York, USABox Office
Budget:
$20,000,000 (estimated)Gross:
$2,500,000 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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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!
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
George Kapp ("Mystery Guest") was an actual NYC high school chemistry teacher in the 1960s-1970s. See more »Goofs
The position that Jerry is facing as Rupert chats with him in the limousine. See more »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!
See more »
For some reason, I rarely count any movie in the past 30 years "a classic" but I think of this one as such, and that's a compliment. It has stayed with me since the first time I saw it almost 20 years ago.
In fact, I've never forgotten the name, "Rupert Pupkin," a strange name made famous by Robert De Niro as the leading actor in this unique drama/comedy/ crime film. De Niro was just outstanding, one of his best efforts in an illustrious career.
Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhard also were really good here, in supporting roles. Comedians sometimes make great dramatic actors as Lewis has demonstrated in several films. I don't know, frankly, if Bernard has ever done anything remotely as good as this.
Biographies of eccentric people usually are interesting and this one more than fits the bill. This movie was not popular with audiences and a number of critics but I think it was superbly done with laugh-out-loud lines as well as subtle humor and great acting. It is a wonderful character study of obsessed fans of celebrities, a pitiful condition that exists even more today.
I am not particularly a fan of director Martin Scorcese. Almost all of his films are ultra profane, but not here. There has very little profanity, and none, ironically, by De Niro. The only negative I found was making a hero out of his character, who executes a kidnapping and is richly rewarded for his efforts. Puh-leeze!! I wish Hollywood would stop making heroes out of criminals.
If you have a warped sense humor, however, which I do, you'll love this film. I think it is perhaps the best-ever from Scorcese and De Niro.