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IMDbPro

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

  • 19751975
  • PGPG
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
3.5K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
30,378
3,172
Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
A suddenly-unemployed company executive suffers a nervous breakdown, and his supporting wife tries everything to console him and pick up the slack.
Play trailer3:07
1 Video
35 Photos
Comedy
A suddenly-unemployed company executive suffers a nervous breakdown, and his supporting wife tries everything to console him and pick up the slack.A suddenly-unemployed company executive suffers a nervous breakdown, and his supporting wife tries everything to console him and pick up the slack.A suddenly-unemployed company executive suffers a nervous breakdown, and his supporting wife tries everything to console him and pick up the slack.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
3.5K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
30,378
3,172
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Melvin Frank
    • Writer
      • Neil Simon(play)
    • Stars
      • Jack Lemmon
      • Anne Bancroft
      • Gene Saks
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Melvin Frank
    • Writer
      • Neil Simon(play)
    • Stars
      • Jack Lemmon
      • Anne Bancroft
      • Gene Saks
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 57User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 1 win & 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 3:07
    Trailer

    Photos35

    Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    Jack Lemmon, Anne Bancroft, and Neil Simon in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    Jack Lemmon and Melvin Frank in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    Jack Lemmon in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    Jack Lemmon in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    Jack Lemmon in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
    The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jack Lemmon
    Jack Lemmon
    • Mel Edison
    Anne Bancroft
    Anne Bancroft
    • Edna Edison
    Gene Saks
    Gene Saks
    • Harry Edison
    Elizabeth Wilson
    Elizabeth Wilson
    • Pauline
    Florence Stanley
    Florence Stanley
    • Pearl
    Maxine Stuart
    Maxine Stuart
    • Belle
    Ed Peck
    Ed Peck
    • Man Upstairs
    Gene Blakely
    Gene Blakely
    • Charlie
    Ivor Francis
    Ivor Francis
    • Psychiatrist
    Stack Pierce
    Stack Pierce
    • Detective
    Patricia Marshall
    • Woman Upstairs
    Dee Carroll
    Dee Carroll
    • Helen
    Ketty Lester
    Ketty Lester
    • Unemployment Clerk
    M. Emmet Walsh
    M. Emmet Walsh
    • Joe - Doorman
    F. Murray Abraham
    F. Murray Abraham
    • Taxi Driver
    James McCallion
    James McCallion
    • Mr. Cooperman
    Fat Thomas
    • Bus Driver
    Arlen Stuart
    • Elevator Passenger
    • Director
      • Melvin Frank
    • Writer
      • Neil Simon(play) (screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to the Jack Lemmon's biography "Lemmon" by Don Widener, actress Anne Bancroft recounted this episode from the film's shooting: "[Jack was] nice to a point where he's crazy...We had a scene in 'Prisoner [of Second Avenue'] where he had to carry a shovel in - a very close two-shot favoring me. I played the scene with tears in my eyes because Jack had accidentally hit me in the shin with that shovel. The director saw something was wrong so he stopped everything. I had a big bump on my leg, but it was Friday and over the weekend I fixed it up. When we came back on Monday the first scene was a retake of the shovel thing. Well, Jack brought the shovel in and I anticipated getting hit again. He's so full of energy, you're sure he's not noticing; but he never touched me. The take was fine, but Jack limped away. To avoid hurting me, he had cut himself. He was bleeding and we had to bandage his leg; his wound was much worse than mine. He is so kind he hurt himself rather than injure someone else. That's a little crazy! It's the nicest crazy I know, and I know a lot of crazy people."
    • Goofs
      When Edna comes home from work with a souffle for dinner, she puts it in the oven but never turns the oven on. A few minutes later when she takes it out of the presumably hot oven, she does not use an oven mitt or pot holder to protect her hand.
    • Quotes

      Radio Announcer: In sports today, the Nassau Coliseum opened its doors and its heart when it announced it will house a charity basketball game between the Harlem Globetrotters and a team made up of members of the Gay Liberation movement.

      Radio Announcer: The gay libbers in a prepared statement said they did not expect to win, since their team is young and have only been playing with each other since December.

    • Connections
      Featured in Urban Living: Funny and Formidable (1975)

    User reviews57

    Review
    Top review
    Neil Simon is one of a kind
    Brilliant as Lemmon and Bancroft ALWAYS are, the biggest credit always belongs to the writer. Let's not forget that. Why do writers get SO little credit in Hollywood?????

    Is there a Neil Simon film I dislike? Yes. I didn't care for "Plaza Suite" or "Chapter Two". But "Prisoner" is another riveting, amusing, touching opus about middle-aged people going bananas in a big city. Their alienation is appealing because it is a search for human dignity. Nervous breakdown, unemployment, burglary are not funny subjects, but then which subject is? Simon wants us to laugh, and laugh we do, inwardly. SOMEONE understands us!
    helpful•3
    1
    • ivan-22
    • Aug 9, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 5, 1975 (Sweden)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue
    • Filming locations
      • 245 East 87th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Major Studio Partners
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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