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The King of Marvin Gardens

  • 19721972
  • RR
  • 1h 43m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
5.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
Official Trailer
Play trailer3:28
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Drama

A daydreamer convinces his radio personality brother to help fund one of his get-rich-quick schemes.A daydreamer convinces his radio personality brother to help fund one of his get-rich-quick schemes.A daydreamer convinces his radio personality brother to help fund one of his get-rich-quick schemes.

IMDb RATING
6.5/10
5.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Bob Rafelson
  • Writers
    • Jacob Brackman(screenplay)
    • Bob Rafelson(story)
  • Stars
    • Jack Nicholson
    • Bruce Dern
    • Ellen Burstyn
Top credits
  • Director
    • Bob Rafelson
  • Writers
    • Jacob Brackman(screenplay)
    • Bob Rafelson(story)
  • Stars
    • Jack Nicholson
    • Bruce Dern
    • Ellen Burstyn
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 59User reviews
    • 37Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The King of Marvin Gardens
    Trailer 3:28
    The King of Marvin Gardens

    Photos135

    Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Jack Nicholson and Scatman Crothers in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Jack Nicholson and Arnold Williams in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Jack Nicholson and Ellen Burstyn in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Jack Nicholson and Ellen Burstyn in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Jack Nicholson and Ellen Burstyn in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Jack Nicholson in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Ellen Burstyn in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Jack Nicholson in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
    Jack Nicholson in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jack Nicholson
    Jack Nicholson
    • David Staebleras David Staebler
    Bruce Dern
    Bruce Dern
    • Jason Staebleras Jason Staebler
    Ellen Burstyn
    Ellen Burstyn
    • Sallyas Sally
    Julia Anne Robinson
    Julia Anne Robinson
    • Jessicaas Jessica
    Scatman Crothers
    Scatman Crothers
    • Lewisas Lewis
    • (as Benjamin 'Scatman' Crothers)
    Charles LaVine
    Charles LaVine
    • Grandfatheras Grandfather
    Arnold Williams
    Arnold Williams
    • Roskoas Rosko
    John P. Ryan
    John P. Ryan
    • Surteesas Surtees
    • (as John Ryan)
    Sully Boyar
    Sully Boyar
    • Lebowitzas Lebowitz
    Josh Mostel
    Josh Mostel
    • Frankas Frank
    William Pabst
    • Bidlackas Bidlack
    Garry Goodrow
    • Nervous Manas Nervous Man
    • (as Gary Goodrow)
    Imogene Bliss
    • Magdaas Magda
    Ann Thomas
    • Bambias Bambi
    Tom Overton
    • Spot Operatoras Spot Operator
    Maxwell 'Sonny' Goldberg
    • Sonnyas Sonny
    Van Kirksey
    • Messenger #1as Messenger #1
    Tony King
    Tony King
    • Messenger #2as Messenger #2
    • Director
      • Bob Rafelson
    • Writers
      • Jacob Brackman(screenplay) (story)
      • Bob Rafelson(story)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    'It's Monopoly out there'. Jason Staebler, The King of Marvin Gardens, has gone directly to jail, lives on the Boardwalk and fronts for the local mob in Atlantic City. He is also a dreamer who asks his brother, David, a radio personality from Philadelphia to help him build a paradise on a Pacific Island - asking him to believe in yet another of his dreams, yet another of his get-rich-quick schemes. But luck is against them both and the game ends badly - real life reduced to radio drama. —Dave Cook <cookd@mcmail.cis.mcmaster.ca>
    • watching tv
    • cutting one's own hair
    • betrayal
    • gambling license
    • false promise of the american dream
    • 226 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to Burstyn's autobiography "Lessons in Becoming Myself", Burstyn and Julia Anne Robinson fell off the back of the golf cart in the Miss America scene when Bruce Dern took off too fast. Robinson hit her head and spent a few days in the hospital as a result.
    • Goofs
      David listens to tape recording he made but during close-up of tape recorder, none of the buttons that would allow it to play are depressed.
    • Quotes

      [Lewis and David in the kitchen of Lewis' nightclub. A guy in the door empties a whole bag of glass bottles on the ground, breaks them with a hammer and jumps into it]

      Lewis: Hey! What do they call you?

      Teddy the Wonderboy: Teddy the Wonderboy.

      Lewis: I wonder why the hell you don't stay outta my kitchen!

    • Crazy credits
      The Columbia Pictures logo does not appear on this film.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Coneheads/Benefit of the Doubt/Poetic Justice/Another Stakeout/Hocus Pocus (1993)
    • Soundtracks
      Steppin' Out With My Baby
      (uncredited)

      Written by Irving Berlin

      Heard when Jessica dances

    User reviews59

    Review
    Top review
    The most underrated movie of the 1970s?
    Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson's creative relationship began because of The Monkees. Rafelson directing and Nicholson writing their weird and wonderful psychedelic cult classic 'Head'. After that the two teamed up for one of the early Seventies best loved movies 'Five Easy Pieces'. A couple of years later they did it again with 'The King Of Marvin Gardens', though inexplicably it doesn't have the reputation or the high profile of their previous collaboration. I really fail to see why. File it under "great lost 1970s movies" alongside 'Scarecrow', 'Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia', 'Tracks', 'Fingers' (and add your own personal favourite to the list). Marvin Gardens features a really strong and controlled performance from Nicholson in the lead role, an introverted DJ with a show in which he spins "true" tales. But even better than Nicholson is Bruce Dern, a wonderful actor who never became a superstar like Nicholson, Pacino or De Niro, despite a long career of consistently good character roles in movies by Hitchcock, Roger Corman, Walter Hill, Hal Ashby, John Frankenheimer, Elia Kazan, Sydney Pollack and many others. Dern is absolutely wonderful as Nicholson's brother, a dreamer and Mob hanger on. He comes back into his brother's life with a nutty get rich quick scheme which ends up going horribly wrong. This is one of the very best performances by Dern I've ever seen, and his scenes with Nicholson make this essential viewing for any 1970s buff. Added to that are excellent performances from Ellen Burstyn ('The Exorcist', 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore') and newcomer Julia Anne Robinson (her only movie role - too bad!) as the women in Dern's life, and nice bits from legendary musician/actor Scatman Crothers ('Black Belt Jones' and appearances in no less than four 1970s Nicholson movies) and the underrated John P. Ryan ('Runaway Train', 'It's Alive', 'Class Of 1999'). 'The King Of Marvin Gardens' is a slow and thoughtful movie, but once you get into the rhythm of it, an extremely rewarding one. One of Nicholson's best, and Dern is just dynamite. Highly recommended.
    helpful•63
    11
    • Infofreak
    • Apr 30, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 13, 1972 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • The Philosopher King
    • Filming locations
      • Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel - Park Place & Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
    • Production companies
      • BBS Productions
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 43 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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