The Last Waltz (1978)

A film account and presentation of the final concert of The Band.

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writer:

Mardik Martin (treatment)

Stars:

Robbie Robertson, Muddy Waters, Neil Young

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
The Band	...	Themselves
Rick Danko	...	Self - Bass / Violin / Vocal
Levon Helm	...	Self - Drums / Mandolin / Vocal
Garth Hudson	...	Self - Organ / Accordion / Saxophone / Synthesizers
Richard Manuel	...	Self - Piano / Keyboards / Drums / Vocal
Robbie Robertson	...	Self - Guitar / Vocal
Eric Clapton	...	Self - Performer
Neil Diamond	...	Self - Performer
Bob Dylan	...	Self - Performer
Joni Mitchell	...	Self - Performer
Neil Young	...	Self - Performer
Emmylou Harris	...	Self - Performer
Ringo Starr	...	Self - Performer
Paul Butterfield	...	Self - Performer
Dr. John	...	Self - Performer

Storyline

Thanksgiving, 1976, San Francisco's Winterland: the Band performs its last concert after 16 years on the road. Some numbers they do alone, some songs include guest artists from Ronnie Hawkins (their first boss, when they were the Hawks) to Bob Dylan (their last, when as his backup and as a solo group, they came into their own). Scorsese's camera explores the interactions onstage in the making of music. Offstage, he interviews the Band's five members, focusing on the nature of life on the road. The friendships, the harmonies, the hijinks, and the wear and tear add up to a last waltz.

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Plot Keywords:

year 1976 | metaphoric title | national film registry | band | interview | 

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Taglines:

It Started as a Concert. It Became a Celebration. [original theatrical]

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Music

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

After the concert, Martin Scorsese and Robbie Robertson moved in together in a house in Laurel Canyon, CA. It was here that most of the post-production editing happened without the help of most of the other members of The Band.

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Goofs

During Garth Hudson's solo in the song "Stagefright", the entire song cuts forward approximately 25 seconds.

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Quotes

Muddy Waters: [singing] Whoa! Now when I was a young boy, At the age of 5, My mother said I'm gonna be, The greatest man alive, But now I'm a man, Way past 21, I want you to believe me woman, I have lots of fun, Well, ain't that a man?

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Crazy Credits

During the United Artists opening logo the sound of the filmmakers getting ready to shoot the first sequence of the film (Rick Danko playing pool, which it leads right into) can be heard.

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Alternate Versions

The DVD features an outtake of the jam session onstage towards the end of the concert.

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Connections

Referenced in Head of the Class: The Last Waltz (1991)

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Soundtracks

Such A Night
Written by Dr. John
Performed by Dr. John with The Band

User Reviews

Amazing

Rock music at it's best. What a performance by Robbie and the band. They just don't make music like they used to nowadays. The energy and true musicianship that went into this concert was phenomenal. The guest artists that also played with the band really did bring the house down and with Martin Scorses's direction and great sound engineers this will undoubtedly go down in history as the greatest live rock/music video ever. I wish i had been around back in 76' for that concert man. Sad to see that Rick and Richard have passed away but glad that their talents have been captured on film for the world too see how good these guys were. Not only were the Band great musicians, but they were all great characters, real interesting guys with a genuine belief in what they were doing. Not like the sell-outs that the music industry now has in abundance.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English Middle English

Release Date:

26 April 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Super Jam

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,151, 7 April 2002

Gross USA:

$322,313

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$340,687

Company Credits

Production Co:

FM Productions, Last Waltz Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1