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Opening Night (1977)

PG-13 | | Drama | 17 April 1978 (Sweden)
Opening Night Poster
An actress suffers an emotional uproar in her personal life after a fan dies trying to see her.

Director:

John Cassavetes

Writer:

John Cassavetes

Stars:

Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara | See full cast & crew »
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Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gena Rowlands ... Myrtle Gordon
John Cassavetes ... Maurice Aarons
Ben Gazzara ... Manny Victor
Joan Blondell ... Sarah Goode
Paul Stewart ... David Samuels
Zohra Lampert ... Dorothy Victor
Laura Johnson ... Nancy Stein
John Tuell ... Gus Simmons
Ray Powers Ray Powers ... Jimmy
John Finnegan ... Bobby
Louise Lewis Louise Lewis ... Kelly (as Louise Fitch)
Fred Draper ... Leo
Katherine Cassavetes Katherine Cassavetes ... Vivian
Lady Rowlands Lady Rowlands ... Melva Drake
Carol Warren Carol Warren ... Carla
See full cast »
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Storyline

A young woman gets killed in an accident trying to meet her favorite actress Myrtle Gordon after a play. Then Myrtle Gordon felt responsible for the killing leading her down to an emotional crisis that interferes with her professional work as an actress. Written by Chemi González <chemi01@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

woman | actress | theater | written and directed by cast member | hit by a car | See All (8) »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

PG-13 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 April 1978 (Sweden) See more »

Also Known As:

Noche de estreno See more »

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Faces Distribution See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes in real life were married. In this film they both worked as actors with the latter also being the writer-director. See more »

Goofs

A bus rolls by the New Haven theater with an ad for KBIG FM 104, a Los Angeles station. See more »

Quotes

Sarah Goode: Just please tell me what this play doesn't express.
Myrtle Gordon: Hope.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) See more »

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User Reviews

 
this is a bliss
19 August 2004 | by foutiroir – See all my reviews

Let's go straight to the point: this is The Movie I would take with me on a desert island (with dvd player). It's just perfect. If a reason for you to see a movie is that you love the actors, you like to see them free to involve in the space and feelings, this movie is for you. See the scene when Myrtle (Rowlands) come on stage drunk and Maurice(Cassavetes) has to improvise because she doesn't follow the script anymore. If you're sensitive to the camera's movements, you'll be fascinated by the way the camera moves on stage, the particular flow, that give you the impression camera follow the actors as if it was lead by the theatrical principle of "private space"... amazing. And the story is just a brilliant mix of tale and realistic drama. Cassavetes is again arguing with Hollywood and the majors' politics, but this time, he do it through Broadway, making one of the most exciting movie about theater. Well, this movie is a bliss.
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