The Cemetery Club (1993)

Director:

Bill Duke

Writers (WGA):

Ivan Menchell (play)
Ivan Menchell (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 February 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

This comedy with much Jewish humor is about the widows Doris, Ester and Lucille, who's husbands died one after another in just a few years...

Plot Keywords:

Jewish | Widow | Sitting Shiva | Loss Of Husband | Bridesmaid

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Ellen Burstyn	...	Esther Moskowitz
Olympia Dukakis	...	Doris Silverman
Diane Ladd	...	Lucille Rubin
Danny Aiello	...	Ben Katz
Lainie Kazan	...	Selma
Jeff Howell	...	Paul
Christina Ricci	...	Jessica
Bernie Casey	...	John
Alan Manson	...	Abe Silverman
Sam Schwartz	...	Irving Jacobs
Stephen Pearlman	...	Rabbi
Gene Ray	...	Photographer
Allan Pinsker	...	Mel
Alice Eisner	...	Rene
Hy Anzell	...	Al
Robert Marinaccio	...	Caretaker
Ben Tatar	...	Man
Glen Z. Gress	...	MaitreD
Roger Serbagi	...	Bill
Robert Costanzo	...	Morty
Wallace Shawn	...	Larry
Louis Guss	...	Ed Bonfigliano
Irma St. Paule	...	Theresa
Therese Courtney	...	Nita
Bingo O'Malley	...	Judge
E. Matthew Yavne	...	Cantor
Brett James Kennedy	...	Customer
Kathryn Fisher	...	Second Customer
Sean Everett	...	Detective (as Sean E. Markland)
Etta Cox	...	Singer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tony Amen	...	Hotel Visitor (uncredited)
David Barckhoff	...	Wedding guest (uncredited)
John W. Iwanonkiw	...	Guy at Bar (uncredited)
Catherine Keener	...	Esther's Daughter (uncredited)
Jason Menz	...	Ballroom Dancer (uncredited)
Jerry Orbach	...	(uncredited)
Dave Petti	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Bill Duke

Writing credits (WGA)
Ivan Menchell		(play)
Ivan Menchell		(screenplay)

Produced by
David Brown	....	producer
Eva Fryer	....	associate producer
Howard Hurst	....	executive producer
Sophie Hurst	....	producer
David Manson	....	executive producer
Bonnie Palef	....	producer
Philip Rose	....	executive producer
Cyrus Yavneh	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Steven Poster

Film Editing by
John Carter

Casting by
Terry Liebling

Production Design by
Maher Ahmad

Art Direction by
Nicklas Farrantello

Set Decoration by
Gene Serdena

Costume Design by
Hilary Rosenfeld

Makeup Department
Alyce Banny	....	hair stylist: Ms. Kazan
Tom Brumberger	....	makeup artist: Ms. Dukakis
Bonnie Clevering	....	key hair stylist
Philip Ivey	....	hair stylist
Frances A. Kolar	....	makeup artist: Ms. Ladd (as Frances Kolar)
Paul LeBlanc	....	hair stylist: Ms. Burstyn
Debbie Zoller	....	makeup artist: Mr. Aiello (as Deborah Zoller)
Rosemary Zurlo	....	key makeup artist (as Rosemarie Zurlo)

Production Management
Eva Fryer	....	unit production manager
Bob Johnston	....	production supervisor
Cyrus Yavneh	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Eric Chapman	....	second assistant director
Warren Gray	....	first assistant director (as Warren D. Gray)
Babu Subramaniam 'T.R.'	....	second assistant director (as Babu Subramaniam)

Art Department
John Balling	....	key scenic
Kathryn A. Borland	....	stand-by painter (as Kathryn Borland)
Doug DuRose	....	assistant props
Sean Everett	....	property master (as Sean E. Markland)
Michael Hanley	....	draftsman
Michael Hanley	....	set designer
Jeffrey Paul Johnson	....	lead man
Kenneth J. Kellers	....	set dresser
Buster Pile	....	construction coordinator (as Eugene 'Buster' Pile)
Gregory Puchalski	....	set dresser
Gregory Puchalski	....	signwriter
Amy Shaff	....	on-set dresser
Christian Stavrakis	....	set dresser (as Chris Stavrakis)
Louis P. Taylor	....	construction coordinator
Joseph Waterkotte	....	construction foreman (as Joseph A. Waterkotte)
Robert Buncher	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Smith Harper Hutchings	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
D.W. Kann	....	third assistant props (uncredited)

Sound Department
John K. Adams	....	sound effects supervisor
Willie D. Burton	....	sound mixer (as Willie Burton)
T.W. Davis	....	adr supervisor
T.W. Davis	....	foley supervisor
Jed M. Dodge	....	adr editor
Jed M. Dodge	....	dialogue editor
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Ossama Khuluki	....	foley artist
Marvin E. Lewis	....	boom operator (as Marvin Lewis)
Donald Murray	....	dialogue supervisor
Phillip Seretti	....	sound re-recording mixer
Phillip Seretti	....	sound supervisor
Peter Waggoner	....	adr recordist: New York
Deborah Wallach	....	adr supervisor: New York
Janja Vujovich	....	post-production sound coordinator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sam Barkin	....	special effects

Stunts
Greg Wayne Elam	....	stunt coordinator (as Greg Elam)
Jamie Johnson	....	stunts
Don Picard	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
David A. Cook	....	rigging gaffer
Adger W. Cowans	....	still photographer
Kenny Davis	....	dolly grip (as Kenneth Davis)
Tom Durkin	....	best boy
Kurt Dale Hartman	....	company grip
Dustin A. Huber	....	best boy (as Dustin Huber)
Joshua Huber	....	rigging electrician
John Koester	....	camera operator (as John C. Koester)
George Kohut	....	camera operator
Norman G. Langley	....	second assistant camera
Michael Meinardus	....	Steadicam operator (as Michael Gary Meinardus)
Mike Moyer	....	chief lighting technician (as Mike G. Moyer)
Heather Page	....	first assistant camera: second camera
Norman Parker	....	first assistant camera
Michael G. Riba	....	additional first assistant camera
David Richert	....	second assistant camera (as David W. Richert)
Rich Schutte	....	additional first assistant camera (as Richard K. Schutte)
Scott Short	....	rigging grip
Todd M. Short	....	key grip (as Todd Michael Short)
Pernell Youngblood Tyus	....	second camera operator (as Pernell Tyus)
Bobby Vercruse	....	chief lighting technician (as Robert Vercruse)
Pat Dames	....	grip (uncredited)
Harry Greenberger	....	film loader (uncredited)
Jon D. Morrison	....	set lighting electrician (uncredited)
Brent Peelor	....	grip (uncredited)
Brian Powers	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Canice Kennedy	....	casting: Pittsburgh
Nancy Mosser	....	extras casting
Roy M. Rosenbluth	....	casting coordinator
J. Ben Sykes	....	casting assistant
Julie Matthews	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kathy Bird	....	costumer (as Kathryn Bird)
Mark Burchard	....	wardrobe supervisor
Mary Lou Byrd	....	wardrobe supervisor
Kathy Kiatta	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Jeff Bradley	....	assistant editor
Bob Kaiser	....	color timer (as Robert Kaiser)
Kevin Lindstrom	....	first assistant editor
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Kathy Durning	....	music editor
Sidney James	....	music production coordinator
Patrick Russ	....	orchestrator
Sue Sherlock	....	assistant music editor

Transportation Department
Paul D. Davis	....	transportation co-captain
Russell Davis	....	transportation captain
A. Welch Lambeth	....	transportation coordinator
Mark Brown	....	driver: production van (uncredited)

Other crew
David M. Baron	....	technical advisor (as Rabbi David M. Baron)
Elizabeth S. Barton	....	script supervisor (as Elizabeth Barton)
Michael Beaudin	....	second assistant accountant
Elliott Boswell	....	craft service
Marshall Brickman	....	production consultant
Denise Carole	....	production assistant (as Denise Perry)
Chanel	....	production assistant
Joan Marie Churchill	....	assistant: Mr. Manson (as Joan Churchill)
Stanley Bennett Clay	....	adr voice group
David Coburn	....	adr voice group
Marque E. DeVeaux	....	production assistant
Lorene M. Duran	....	assistant production coordinator
Jim Emswiller	....	video (as James W. Emswiller)
Deborah Fallender	....	adr voice group
Greg Finley	....	adr voice group
Donna Glasser-Hancock	....	production accountant (as Donna Glasser)
Jane Harrison	....	first assistant accountant
Lys Hopper	....	assistant location manager
Karen F. Hoyson	....	assistant location manager
Rosanna Huffman	....	adr voice group
Amy Hughes	....	production assistant
Walter Jacob	....	technical advisor (as Rabbi Walter Jacob)
Harvey Jason	....	adr voice group
Jim Juvonen	....	assistant: Mr. Manson
Sandra Katz	....	assistant: Ms. palef
Donna L. Kinsler	....	assistant: Mr. Duke
Sergio Lopez-Rivera	....	assistant: Mr. Duke
Gillian McManus	....	production coordinator
Margery Nelson	....	adr voice group
Grace O'Reilly	....	assistant: Mr. Brown
Greg Olszewski	....	production assistant
Debra F. Pine	....	technical advisor (as Rabbi Debra F. Pine)
Lauri Pitkus	....	location manager
Sharron Reynolds	....	script supervisor
Erica Spano	....	production assistant
Susan Steinlauf-Pascal	....	publicist (as Susan Steinlauf)
Ron Tassone	....	choreographer
Ron Stacker Thompson	....	production associate
Don Wadsworth	....	dialect coach
Mimi Wyeth	....	production assistant
E. Matthew Yavne	....	technical advisor (as Cantor Emanuel Matthew Yavne)
Evan Yavne	....	production assistant
Murray Yavner	....	technical advisor (as Cantor Murray Yavner)
John W. Iwanonkiw	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Diana Osberg	....	stand-in: Esther Moskowitz (uncredited)
Gina Priano	....	stand-in: Christina Ricci (uncredited)
Matthew Sirianni	....	location assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Down To Earth Productions
• Touchstone Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• Deborah Ross Film Design  titles
• Howard A. Anderson Company  titles and opticals
• Post Sound Corporation  post-production sound services
• Sound One Corporation  new york adr
• Tomkats Catering  catering
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sensuality and some language

Runtime:

Netherlands:107 min | UK:102 min | USA:106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Down To Earth Productions

Trivia:

The music store used for Moskowitz Music is called Spratt Music, and it is outside of Pittsburgh, in Brentwood, PA. The Moskowitz sign created for the movie is still displayed in the window of the store as of 2000.

Quotes:

Selma:I'm getting married and I want you girls to be there.
Lucille Rubin:We've never missed one of your weddings.

Movie Connections:

References "Roseanne" (1988)

Soundtrack:

Soliloquy

Light, but fun

It's enough of an accomplishment to see a movie about late-middle age women in our culture of youth, youth, and more youth. "The Cemetery Club" isn't going to be the most memorable movie you ever see, but it's a nice way to spend a couple of hours. Diane Ladd, one of the more underused and underrated actresses in the business, in particular turns in a nice performance.