Going in Style (1979)

Three friends who are living on the dole decide to organize a bank robbery.

Director:

Martin Brest

Writers:

Martin Brest (screenplay by), Edward Cannon (story by)

Stars:

George Burns, Art Carney, Lee Strasberg

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Burns	...	Joe
Art Carney	...	Al
Lee Strasberg	...	Willie
Charles Hallahan	...	Pete
Pamela Payton-Wright	...	Kathy
Siobhan Keegan	...	Colleen
Brian Neville	...	Kevin
Constantine Hartofolis	...	Boy in Park
Mary Testa	...	Teller
Jean Shevlin	...	Mrs. Fein
James Manis	...	Hot Dog Vendor
Tito Goya	...	Gypsy Cab Driver
William Pabst	...	Bank Guard
Christopher Wynkoop	...	Bank Manager
John McComb	...	Businessman in Bank

Storyline

Joe, Al, and Willie are three old men who have resigned themselves to dying. One night, Joe hatches a scheme to put a bit of excitement back into their lives: robbing a bank.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | robbery | bank robbery | black comedy | satire | 

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Taglines:

Meet three guys with an outrageous plan to beat the system ...

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. WB Shop / Warner Archive

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Quadrilha do Reumático

Filming Locations:

TWA Terminal, JFK International Airport, Jamaica, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$26,869,286

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Where Joe (George Burns) is looking through his old photos and other memorabilia, he looks at a photo of a young couple, presumably Joe and his wife, and it makes him start to cry. The photo is actually a picture of Burns and his real (late) wife and legendary stage partner Gracie Allen.

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Goofs

When they rob the bank Joe hold the bag such that money falls out. Later in the overhead shot there is no sign of the spilled cash.

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Quotes

Willie: What if we get shot?
Joe: What's the difference?
Al: Yeah, Willie, what's the difference?

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Connections

Remade as Going in Style (2017)

User Reviews

A great movie with three great entertainers.

"Going In Style" is one of the more entertaining movies I've seen. The characters, Joe, Al and Willie exemplify the elderly male generation of our time. Three men who've partially lost their identities in no longer being able to carry on their vocations. As more and more of us will be moving into the retired or "seniors" group, this movie shows us both the problems of retirement and one very entertaining and interesting solution. All three characters are at an age which is too often ignored in motion pictures. Though basically this movie isn't exactly moral, it's a very good insight into the lives of its characters. Art Carney is an accomplished actor and George Burns was an accomplished entertainer. I'm not sure how many people know that Lee Strasberg was one of, if not the great teacher of dramatic acting during his lifetime. In "Going In Style," Strasberg, as the "not always up to speed" character Willie, is nevertheless often a bit of a surprise. All three men, portraying the various ways we age, give a beautiful performance, each in his own way. As a minor collector, I consider the motion picture the major art form of the past century. That's not to say that all the movies made during the last century are works or art, but quite often many were. It remains to be seen whether that tradition will be carried on into the new century before us. Whatever, I am very grateful for the gift of this movie and highly recommend it.