The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)

A suddenly-unemployed executive suffers a nervous breakdown.

Director:

Melvin Frank

Writers:

Neil Simon (play), Neil Simon (screenplay)

Stars:

Jack Lemmon, Anne Bancroft, Gene Saks

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Lemmon	...	Mel Edison
Anne Bancroft	...	Edna Edison
Gene Saks	...	Harry Edison
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Pauline
Florence Stanley	...	Pearl
Maxine Stuart	...	Belle
Ed Peck	...	Man Upstairs
Gene Blakely	...	Charlie
Ivor Francis	...	Psychiatrist
Stack Pierce	...	Detective
Patricia Marshall	...	Woman Upstairs
Dee Carroll	...	Helen
Ketty Lester	...	Unemployment Clerk
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Joe - Doorman
F. Murray Abraham	...	Taxi Driver

Storyline

The story of Mel and Edna (Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft), a middle-class, middle-aged, middle-happy couple living in a Manhattan high rise apartment building. Mel loses his job, the apartment is robbed, Edna gets a job, Mel loses his mind, Edna loses her job . . . to say nothing of the more minor tribulations of nosy neighbors, helpful relatives, and exact bus fares. The couple suffers indignity after indignity (some self-inflicted), and when they seem on the verge of surrender, they thumb their noses defiantly and dig the trenches for battle.

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Plot Keywords:

nervous breakdown | 48 year old | 55 year old | suburb | apartment | 

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Taglines:

...and you think you've got problems.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

F. Murray Abraham: As a New York taxi driver. Of the two films that Abraham appeared in in 1975, both were works by Neil Simon; the other was The Sunshine Boys (1975).

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Goofs

After Mel (Jack Lemmon) chases the kid (Sylvester Stallone) all over the park and then takes his wallet, he puts it in the right breast pocket of his sport jacket, but when he takes it out to show Edna in the apartment, he removes it from his left breast pocket.

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Quotes

Mel: Sons of bitches! Dirty rotten bastards! You heard me.
[gesture's middle finger]

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Connections

Referenced in Magic Time: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon (2002)

User Reviews

Caustic but funny

Mel Edison (Jack Lemmon) and his loving wife Edna (Anne Bancroft) live on Second Avenue in NYC. Mel hates the city and his job and complains nonstop. Edna tries to calm him down. Then Mel is laid off from his job and has a complete nervous breakdown.

Sounds like a drama but it's not. It's an adaptation of a Neil Simon play (adapted by Simon himself) and it's more or less a comedy with a very serious edge. The script itself manages to switch gears from comedy to drama pretty effortlessly and great acting by Lemmon and Bancroft keeps it going. There are quite a few people who hate Simons plays. They say the one liners are old and the characters are stale but I'm not one of those people. I happen to think his jokes are quite funny and finds he writes three-dimensional, believable characters. But, if you don't like Simon, this movie won't change your mind. Some people might accuse this of being dated--there was a huge recession going on in the mid 1970s and that is worked in to the plot. But, seeing as we're in another one at the moment, this is very timely. My only complaint is the ending is way too pat to be believable but that's minor. I give it a 7. Look for F. Murray Abraham as a cab driver and Sylvester Stallone.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 May 1975 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

Filming Locations:

383 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Major Studio Partners, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1