Klute (1971)

A small-town detective searching for a missing man has only one lead: a connection with a New York prostitute.

Director:

Alan J. Pakula

Writers:

Andy Lewis, David E. Lewis (as Dave Lewis)

Stars:

Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi

Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jane Fonda	...	Bree Daniels
Donald Sutherland	...	John Klute
Charles Cioffi	...	Peter Cable
Roy Scheider	...	Frank Ligourin
Dorothy Tristan	...	Arlyn Page
Rita Gam	...	Trina
Nathan George	...	Trask
Vivian Nathan	...	Psychiatrist
Morris Strassberg	...	Mr. Goldfarb
Barry Snider	...	Berger
Betty Murray	...	Holly Gruneman
Jane White	...	Janie Dale
Shirley Stoler	...	Momma Reese
Robert Milli	...	Tom Gruneman
Anthony Holland	...	Actor's Agent

Storyline

Six months after the disappearance of Tuscarora, PA businessman Tom Gruneman, his boss, Peter Cable, and his wife, Holly Gruneman, hire Tom's friend, private detective John Klute to find out what happened to Tom, as the police have been unable to do so, and despite John having no expertise in missing persons cases. The only lead is a typewritten obscene letter Tom purportedly wrote to Manhattan actress/model/call girl Bree Daniel, who admits to having received such letters from someone, and since having received several mysterious telephone calls as well. The suggestion/belief is that Tom was one of Bree's past johns, although she has no recollection of him when shown his photograph. Bree's tricking is both a compulsion and a financial need. In their initial encounters, John and Bree do whatever they can to exert their psychological dominance over the other, especially as Bree initially refused to even speak to him. Despite their less than friendly start, they embark on a personal ...

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | private detective | undressing | neo noir | woman undressing | 

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Taglines:

You'd never take her for a call girl. You'd never take him for a cop.

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 June 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

El pasado me condena

Filming Locations:

Filmways Studios - 246 East 127th Street, East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,512,637, 31 December 1971

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Gus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Klute was only the second film score for Michael Small, who said that Pakula took a big risk here to work with an unknown composer.

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Goofs

When Bree has drinks with one of her clients in his hotel, there is much clinking of ice on soundtrack but no ice in drinks.

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Quotes

John Klute: Miss Daniels, can I ask you some questions now?
Bree Daniel: [notices Klute's surveillance gear] You bastard! Is this a shakedown, hon'? 'Cause you picked a loser, I don't have it.
John Klute: I'm looking for Tom Gr...
Bree Daniel: [interrupts him] Jesus, do you think I'd still be living in this kip if I was still in the line fulltime? I'd be back on Park Avenue.
John Klute: Can I ask you some questions?
Bree Daniel: Or you'll have me thrown back in the brig, you mean.

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Alternate Versions

Some network TV versions omit six minutes' worth of footage, including a scene where Klute (Donald Sutherland) finds the clue that leads him to the murderer.

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Connections

Referenced in George Stevens: The Filmmakers Who Knew Him (2001)

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Soundtracks

We Gather Together
(uncredited)
Written by Adrianus Valerius
Lyrics by Theodore Baker
Sung by Jane Fonda

User Reviews

"Klute" is a terrific showcase for its leading lady, but it isn't much as a thriller...

Permeated by a kind of haughty, stoned decadence, Alan J. Pakula's "Klute" concerns a sexy, shaggy prostitute in N.Y.C. who is the only real link to a missing family man from suburbia; a close friend of the man asserts himself as detective on the case, and after questioning the girl and trailing her, he finds himself drawn to her. Billed as a mystery-thriller, "Klute" is more of a dramatic character study, with preconceived plot threads devised by two screenwriters who can barely keep their secrets from spilling out. The final moments which piece the story together don't ring true (starting about the time Jane Fonda attacks Donald Sutherland and runs out into the street), but until then it's a dandy show-piece for Fonda, who gives an Oscar-winning performance. The ins-and-outs of the hooker-biz aren't really explored, but we get all we need just by listening to Fonda's dialogue (her complaints to her psychiatrist, her need for Sutherland's companionship) and by seeing her living alone in her apartment. For the actress, it's stellar work; for director Pakula, it's a bit thin around the edges. ***1/2 from ****