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Dog Day Afternoon

  • 19751975
  • XX
  • 2h 5m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
252K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,007
241
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Al Pacino and John Cazale in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Trailer for this failed robbery drama based on a true story
Play trailer2:40
3 Videos
99+ Photos
BiographyCrimeDrama

Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre night... Read allThree amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.

IMDb RATING
8.0/10
252K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,007
241
  • Director
    • Sidney Lumet
  • Writers
    • Frank Pierson
    • P.F. Kluge
    • Thomas Moore
  • Stars
    • Al Pacino
    • John Cazale
    • Penelope Allen
Top credits
  • Director
    • Sidney Lumet
  • Writers
    • Frank Pierson
    • P.F. Kluge
    • Thomas Moore
  • Stars
    • Al Pacino
    • John Cazale
    • Penelope Allen
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 353User reviews
    • 92Critic reviews
    • 86Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 14 wins & 21 nominations total

    Videos3

    Dog Day Afternoon
    Trailer 2:40
    Dog Day Afternoon
    Who Are the "Hunters"?
    Clip 3:20
    Who Are the "Hunters"?
    Does 'Joker' Exist in a Scorsese-Verse of Films?
    Clip 2:53
    Does 'Joker' Exist in a Scorsese-Verse of Films?

    Photos172

    Al Pacino, John Cazale, and Carol Kane in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Al Pacino and Penelope Allen in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Charles Durning in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Al Pacino, Carol Kane, Penelope Allen, Sully Boyar, and Marcia Jean Kurtz in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Charles Durning in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Al Pacino and John Cazale in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Al Pacino and Charles Durning in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
    Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Al Pacino
    Al Pacino
    • Sonnyas Sonny
    John Cazale
    John Cazale
    • Salas Sal
    Penelope Allen
    Penelope Allen
    • Sylviaas Sylvia
    Sully Boyar
    Sully Boyar
    • Mulvaneyas Mulvaney
    Beulah Garrick
    • Margaretas Margaret
    Carol Kane
    Carol Kane
    • Jennyas Jenny
    Sandra Kazan
    • Deborahas Deborah
    Marcia Jean Kurtz
    Marcia Jean Kurtz
    • Miriamas Miriam
    Amy Levitt
    Amy Levitt
    • Mariaas Maria
    John Marriott
    John Marriott
    • Howardas Howard
    Estelle Omens
    • Ednaas Edna
    Gary Springer
    Gary Springer
    • Stevieas Stevie
    James Broderick
    James Broderick
    • Sheldonas Sheldon
    Charles Durning
    Charles Durning
    • Morettias Moretti
    Carmine Foresta
    • Carmineas Carmine
    Lance Henriksen
    Lance Henriksen
    • Murphyas Murphy
    Floyd Levine
    Floyd Levine
    • Phone Copas Phone Cop
    Dick Anthony Williams
    Dick Anthony Williams
    • Limo Driveras Limo Driver
    • Director
      • Sidney Lumet
    • Writers
      • Frank Pierson(screenplay)
      • P.F. Kluge(based upon a magazine article by)
      • Thomas Moore(based upon a magazine article by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit
    Based upon a real-life incident which occurred in August 1972 in which a Chase Manhattan Bank branch in Gravesend, Brooklyn, New York, was held siege by Sonny, a Vietnam veteran turned bank robber determined to steal enough money ($2500) for his "wife" (Leon, a man; the two, were, according to an onscreen TV news report, married in a church by a priest who was defrocked shortly after, although Leon says to the police that Sal is "married and has children") to undergo a sex change operation. (The real life character upon whom Leon is based did, in fact, get the operation.) On a hot summer afternoon, Sonny and two cohort, Stevie and Sal, go to rob the (fictional) First Savings Bank of Brooklyn. Stevie soon gets nervous and flees. Although the bank manager and female tellers agree not to interfere with the robbery, Sonny finds there is not much to steal, as most of the cash has been picked up for the day. Sonny then gets an unexpected phone call from Captain Moretti of the NYPD, who tells him the place is surrounded by the city's entire police force. Having few options under the circumstances, Sonny nervously bargains with Moretti, demanding safe escort to the airport and a plane out of the country in return for the bank employees' safety. —alfiehitchie (updated by R.M. Sieger)
    heistshot in the foreheadhostagerobberyhostage situation163 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Nobody could dream him up. His incredible bank robbery is all the more bizarre...because it's true.
    • Genres
      • Biography
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • X
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Although he had initially agreed to play the part of Sonny, Al Pacino told Sidney Lumet near the start of production that he couldn't play it. Pacino had just completed production on The Godfather: Part II (1974) and was physically exhausted and depressed after the shoot. With his reliance on the Method, Pacino didn't relish the thought of working himself up to a state of near hysteria every day. Lumet unhappily accepted the actor's decision and dispatched the script to Dustin Hoffman. Pacino changed his mind when he heard that his rival was being considered.
    • Goofs
      In 1972, NYC police squad cars were dark green and white, not blue and white which debuted about two years later.
    • Quotes

      Sonny: Is there any special country you wanna go to?

      Sal: Wyoming.

      Sonny: Sal, Wyoming's not a country.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: What you are about to see is true - It happened in Brooklyn, New York on August 22, 1972.
    • Alternate versions
      Recent DVD release replaces the old Warner Bros. logo at the beginning with the newer WB/AOL logo.
    • Connections
      Featured in Lumet: Film Maker (1975)
    • Soundtracks
      Amoreena
      (uncredited)

      Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

      Performed by Elton John

    User reviews353

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Underlying Motive
    The late John Wojtowicz whose mad exploit on one afternoon in Brooklyn probably never dreamed his life would result in an awarded picture. But I suppose the Oscar that Frank Pierson won for Best Original Screenplay kind of verified his time on earth. Not to mention the five other Oscar categories Dog Day Afternoon was nominated in, Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Director for Sidney Lumet, Best Actor for Al Pacino and Best Supporting Actor for Chris Sarandon.

    It all happened to be sure on Avenue P in Brooklyn, the location that the film was shot on 10th Street was not where it happened, just the same borough. But the film sure comes close to graphically illustrating the bizarre carnival of events that happened in the summer of 1972.

    Al Pacino playing Sonny Wojcik is a gay man who has left his wife and kids and is now living with a man who has confessed to him he's a transgender individual and the doctors have recommended a sex change for him. The sexually confused Pacino and at that time he was hits on this mad move to rob a bank to get enough money for sexual reassignment. At that time the cost they're talking about is $2500.00 which now wouldn't pay for the scrub nurse. Then as now medical insurance companies won't cover it.

    So Pacino goes in with buddies John Cazale and Gary Springer and pulls a robbery at closing time at a Brooklyn bank. They're supposed to be in and out, but these guys aren't professional criminals. One thing leads to another and law enforcement has Pacino and Cazale trapped, Springer having opted out of the crime real early.

    Then the media freak show begins, at first with crowd actually on Pacino's side as he gives lip to the law. Then when they find out what is the underlying motive for the robbery, good old homophobia takes over. The cheers turn to jeers when Pacino comes out in the street for the police and the cameras.

    Dog Day Afternoon is a key film for the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community in the USA. It's one of the first that explores a gamut of issues like the closet, internalized homophobia, being forced into marriage for convention's sake, even same gender marriage. It's exploitive to be sure, but does have its tender moments as well. The highlight of the film for me is the phone conversation with Pacino and Sarandon who had no idea what Pacino had in mind. Sarandon gave one of the first performances of a transgender person in a major motion picture.

    John Wojtowicz, Sonny Wojcik for the film did a stretch in the federal pen for the bank robbery and after he was released I met him. By the time we met, both of us were comfortable in our sexuality, I was most closeted when this incident happened. When we met it was the late Eighties. If I was comfortable, John Wojtowicz was positively reveling in it.

    Dog as he was then known because of the film was a character in the Greenwich Village bar scene where I met him. Dog used his celebrity, notoriety if you prefer, to get himself a fabulous share of rent boys whom he paid nominal monies for services. He carried ever ready copy of faded clippings from the crime and some of those dumb kids actually thought of him as something special. As a character Dog certainly was.

    When I moved out of New York I didn't see Dog around any more and he died a few years ago. The man had his fifteen minutes of celebrity and worked it to the max. This review is dedicated to John Wojtowicz as one unforgettable individual.
    helpful•6
    1
    • bkoganbing
    • Jan 19, 2012

    FAQ6

    • What is 'Dog Day Afternoon' about?
    • Is 'Dog Day Afternoon' based on a book?
    • What does the title mean?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 18, 1975 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Warner Bros. (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Pasje popoldne
    • Filming locations
      • 285 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Warner Bros.
      • Artists Entertainment Complex
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,800,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $50,000,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $50,000,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 5 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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