The Goodbye Girl (1977)

After being dumped by her live-in boyfriend, an unemployed dancer and her 10-year-old daughter are reluctantly forced to live with a struggling off-Broadway actor.

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writer:

Neil Simon

Stars:

Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings

Won 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Elliot Garfield
Marsha Mason	...	Paula McFadden
Quinn Cummings	...	Lucy McFadden
Paul Benedict	...	Mark
Barbara Rhoades	...	Donna
Theresa Merritt	...	Mrs. Crosby
Michael Shawn	...	Ronnie
Patricia Pearcy	...	Rhonda
Gene Castle	...	Assistant Choreographer
Daniel Levins	...	Dance Instructor (as Daniel Levans)
Marilyn Sokol	...	Linda
Anita Dangler	...	Mrs. Morganweiss
Victoria Boothby	...	Mrs. Bodine
Robert Costanzo	...	Liquor Store Salesman
Pancho González	...	Mugger (as Poncho Gonzalez)

Storyline

A divorced woman and her daughter come home to find that her boyfriend has left for an out of town job with no warning. This has happened before. The second surprise comes in the form of another actor who has sublet the apartment from her boyfriend (who did not mention the pair of females who would be in residence). After some negotiation the two decide to share the apartment even though she has vowed to stay away from actors.

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Plot Keywords:

single mother | apartment | actor | dancer | female | 

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Taglines:

Thank you Neil Simon for making us laugh at falling in love...again.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

30 November 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bogart Slept Here

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$102,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Rastar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Neil Simon rewrote the film's screenplay in just six weeks.

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Goofs

When Paula is on the balcony at the end of the film holding the guitar, the position of her hands changes after they cut back from a quick shot of Elliot.

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Quotes

Lucy McFadden: [watching Elliot's performance as a gay Richard III] Looks like the guy at the beauty parlor.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Beast of Yucca Flats (1995)

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Soundtracks

How About You?
(1941) (uncredited)
Music written by Burton Lane
Lyrics written by Ralph Freed
Played on a record and sung by Richard Dreyfuss

User Reviews

Marsha Mason Does Helen Trent ***1/2

Poor Marsha Marson. All of her relationships end in failure. The guy simply walks out. She has a precocious daughter, devilishly played by Quinn Cummings. The latter received a supporting actress nomination and faded from the movie scene real fast. Where are you Quinn darling?

Forced to share an apartment with a stranger, Mason may finally be on the right track. Richard Dreyfuss is that man and in a surprise Oscar winning performance (Richard Burton was also up for Equus that year), he is perfect in the role as the charmer.

By movie's end Dreyfuss has to go off to somewhere but unlike the other men in her life, will return. How do we know he is coming back? Just see this delightful film and find out.