Gloria (1980)

When a young boy's family is killed by the mob, their tough neighbor Gloria becomes his reluctant guardian. In possession of a book that the gangsters want, the pair go on the run in New York.

Director:

John Cassavetes

Writer:

John Cassavetes

Stars:

Gena Rowlands, Buck Henry, Julie Carmen

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julie Carmen	...	Jeri Dawn
Tony Knesich	...	1st Man - Gangster
Gregory Cleghorne	...	Kid in Elevator
Buck Henry	...	Jack Dawn
John Adames	...	Phil Dawn
Lupe Garnica	...	Margarita Vargas
Jessica Castillo	...	Joan Dawn
Tom Noonan	...	2nd Man - Gangster
Ronald Maccone	...	3rd Man - Gangster
George Yudzevich	...	Heavy Set Man
Gena Rowlands	...	Gloria Swenson
Gary Howard Klar	...	Irish Cop (as Gary Klar)
William E. Rice	...	TV Newscaster
Frank Belgiorno	...	Riverside Drive Man #5
J.C. Quinn	...	Riverside Drive Man #4

Storyline

Mild mannered Jack Dawn has been secretly working as an accountant for the mob. He, his Puerto Rican wife Jeri, his teen-aged daughter Joan and his mother-in-law, all who were planning on going on the run, are murdered by the mob because Jack was going to inform on them to the FBI. Before they're killed, Jack and Jeri are able to send their six-year old son Phil to Jeri's friend and their neighbor, Gloria Swenson, for safe keeping. Also with Phil is the book which contains all the information Jack was going to turn over. Gloria and Phil have an antagonistic relationship, not so much for who they are but what they are, Phil a kid, and Gloria a strange white woman who hates kids. As an ex-mistress of a mobster, Gloria learns that the people that killed the Dawns are old friends of hers. As Gloria and Phil go on the run both from the mob and from the authorities (who believe she kidnapped Phil) throughout New York City, Gloria has to come up with a plan on how best to save themselves, ...

---

Plot Keywords:

neighbor | gangster | puerto rican | new york city | forename as title | 

---

Taglines:

She's tough...but she sides with the little guy.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

One Summer Night

Filming Locations:

Grand Concourse, Concourse Plaza Hotel, 161st Street, The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Cassavetes wrote a sequel in the late 1980s entitled "Gloria 2". It was briefly mentioned in a Chicago Tribune article published on 28th February 1989, twenty-five days after his death, that Gena Rowlands would appear in the film, but it never got made.

---

Goofs

When Phil boards the train, the shot has been reversed, as evidenced by backwards lettering on the signs on the train and the platform.

---

Quotes

Gloria Swenson: ...Had to shoot me with a Magnum!

---

Connections

Featured in Hollywood Mavericks (1990)

User Reviews

"He Don't Even Speak English..."

A genre-bending odyssey, full of dank, dark alleys, filthy side streets, buses, taxi cabs, trains and subways, John Cassavetes' film "Gloria" is perhaps the most impersonal of his personal work, which surely inspired Luc Besson's 1994 action-packed "Leon," the film explores the development of the mother-son bond under extreme circumstances.

One of Gena Rowland's most underrated performances, Gloria stands shoulder to shoulder with other iconic heroines of American cinema; such as Dietrich's Shanghai Lily and Uma Thurman's Beatrix Kiddo.

Cassavetes explores new narrative possibilities unlike any other of his contemporaries. Though there always seems to be a surplus of emotion, dialogue or trivialities in his work - and I'm not the first to make such an observation - Cassavetes maintains his focus, which is of course, to show us a slice of life, however extreme or crazy it may appear to an audience.