Roseland (1977)

"Roseland" is made up of three stories, sometimes connecting, all set in the famed New York dance palace, and all having the same theme: finding the right dance partner.

Director:

James Ivory

Writer:

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Teresa Wright, Lou Jacobi, Don De Natale

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Teresa Wright	...	May (The Waltz)
Lou Jacobi	...	Stan (The Waltz)
Don De Natale	...	Master of Ceremonies (The Waltz)
Louise Kirtland	...	Ruby (The Waltz)
Hetty Galen	...	Red-Haired Lady (The Waltz)
Carol Culver	...	Young May (The Waltz)
Denny Shearer	...	Young Eddie (The Waltz) (as Danny Shearer)
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Marilyn (The Hustle)
Helen Gallagher	...	Cleo (The Hustle)
Joan Copeland	...	Pauline (The Hustle)
Christopher Walken	...	Russel (The Hustle)
Conrad Janis	...	George (The Hustle)
Jayne Heller	...	Bella (The Hustle)
Annette Rivera	...	The Hustle Couple (The Hustle)
Floyd Chisholm	...	The Hustle Couple (The Hustle)

Storyline

Three separate stories of the hopes of the lonely are told, with the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan as the setting. In "The Waltz", recently widowed May, a graceful woman who was married to her husband Eddie for thirty-five years, mourns the loss of dancing with her long time partner. Although she initially thinks him crass, May chooses as her new dance partner Stan if solely for what link Stan seems to be able to provide to her past. Stan tries to steer her away from that past and look to her future. In "The Hustle", a young man named Russel "works" as a full time gigolo for the wealthy Pauline, who is on the far side of middle age. Russel meets the shy Marilyn, Pauline's friend who was recently jilted by her husband, with whom there is a mutual attraction. Cleo, Russel's former dance teacher, wants Russel as her professional dance partner despite him treating dance now merely as a past-time. Both Marilyn and Cleo try to get Russel away from the life he leads with Pauline, which may ...

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Plot Keywords:

dance | dream | dance partner | ballroom | dance teacher | 

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Taglines:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen...you are about to dance into somebody's life.

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Merchant Ivory Productions [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 1979 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Peabody

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Merchant Ivory Productions, Oregon Four

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Appearing as the emcee in th "The Waltz" segment was Don De Natale who was the Roseland dance hall's real-life master-of-ceremonies. He had previously played Jackie in Merchant Ivory's earlier film The Wild Party (1975).

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Quotes

Russel: What do you do at home? Stare at the wall and go quietly crazy?

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Connections

Referenced in Yes Man (2008)

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Soundtracks

Baubles, Bangles and Beads
By Bob Wright (as Robert Wright) and Chet Forrest (as George Forrest)

User Reviews

Low Key

'Roseland' is a film made up of three separate stories set in the legendary Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan. The first, entitled 'The Waltz' features the wonderful Teresa Wright as a widow who comes to Roseland in order to sustain the memory of her late husband. She meets Stan (Lou Jacobi), who offers her an opportunity for happiness in the present. 'The Hustle' concerns Christopher Walken as a gigolo with three women in his life, all of whom depend on him for different degrees of romance and companionship. In the final story, 'The Peabody,' an older woman (Lilia Skala) sets out to win a dance competition despite warnings that it could endanger her health.

All three segments are sensitive portrayals of different kinds of lonely people seeking some sort companionship and/or fulfillment. Out of the three, only 'The Waltz' is truly memorable, thanks to the great performances from Wright and Jacobi. The performances in the other two are good, but don't top those in the first.

The cinematography captures the dance floor activities wonderfully, and the entire film has an eerie, otherworldly quality to it. It's as if when these people step off the cruel New York streets, they are transported into another world. A world that is full of music, romance, and possibilities.