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IMDbPro

Once Upon a Time in America

  • 1984
  • 12
  • 3h 49m
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
367K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
600
46
Robert De Niro, James Woods, William Forsythe, Brian Bloom, Adrian Curran, James Hayden, Rusty Jacobs, and Scott Tiler in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Trailer 2 for Once Upon A Time In America
Play trailer2:41
2 Videos
99+ Photos
CrimeDrama

A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan 35 years later, where he must once again confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan 35 years later, where he must once again confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan 35 years later, where he must once again confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.

  • Director
    • Sergio Leone
  • Writers
    • Harry Grey
    • Leonardo Benvenuti
    • Piero De Bernardi
  • Stars
    • Robert De Niro
    • James Woods
    • Elizabeth McGovern
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.3/10
    367K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    600
    46
    • Director
      • Sergio Leone
    • Writers
      • Harry Grey
      • Leonardo Benvenuti
      • Piero De Bernardi
    • Stars
      • Robert De Niro
      • James Woods
      • Elizabeth McGovern
    • 852User reviews
    • 128Critic reviews
    • 75Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #83
    • Won 2 BAFTA Awards
      • 11 wins & 11 nominations total

    Videos2

    Once Upon a Time in America
    Trailer 2:41
    Watch Once Upon a Time in America
    What Roles Has Jennifer Connelly Turned Down?
    Clip 3:18
    Watch What Roles Has Jennifer Connelly Turned Down?

    Photos223

    Robert De Niro and Tuesday Weld in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Robert De Niro and James Woods in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Brian Bloom, Rusty Jacobs, Noah Moazezi, and Scott Tiler in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Robert De Niro and Elizabeth McGovern in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Jennifer Connelly, Brian Bloom, Rusty Jacobs, Noah Moazezi, and Scott Tiler in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Robert De Niro and James Woods in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Joe Pesci and Burt Young in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Robert De Niro, James Woods, Joe Pesci, William Forsythe, and Burt Young in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Robert De Niro and Elizabeth McGovern in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
    Jennifer Connelly and Scott Tiler in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert De Niro
    Robert De Niro
    • Noodles
    James Woods
    James Woods
    • Max
    Elizabeth McGovern
    Elizabeth McGovern
    • Deborah
    Treat Williams
    Treat Williams
    • Jimmy O'Donnell
    Tuesday Weld
    Tuesday Weld
    • Carol
    Burt Young
    Burt Young
    • Joe
    Joe Pesci
    Joe Pesci
    • Frankie
    Danny Aiello
    Danny Aiello
    • Police Chief Aiello
    William Forsythe
    William Forsythe
    • Cockeye
    James Hayden
    James Hayden
    • Patsy
    Darlanne Fluegel
    Darlanne Fluegel
    • Eve
    • (as Darlanne Fleugel)
    Larry Rapp
    Larry Rapp
    • Fat Moe
    Dutch Miller
    • Van Linden
    Robert Harper
    Robert Harper
    • Sharkey
    Richard Bright
    Richard Bright
    • Chicken Joe
    Gerard Murphy
    • Crowning
    Amy Ryder
    • Peggy
    Olga Karlatos
    • Woman in the Puppet Theatre
    • Director
      • Sergio Leone
    • Writers
      • Harry Grey
      • Leonardo Benvenuti
      • Piero De Bernardi
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When filming was completed, the footage ran to a total of eight to ten hours. Director Sergio Leone and editor Nino Baragli trimmed the footage to around six hours, with the plan of releasing the film as two three-hour movies. The producers refused this idea, and Leone had to further cut the film down to three hours and forty-nine minutes.
    • Goofs
      When celebrating the end of the Prohibition Era, four bottles are opened with machetes. However, the actor in the back to the right fails to open his bottle cleanly and accidentally smashes it in half before quickly walking off-screen with the broken bottle.
    • Quotes

      Noodles: [to Deborah] There were two things I couldn't get out of my mind. One was Dominic, the way he said, "I slipped," just before he died. The other was you. How you used to read me your Song of Songs, remember? "How beautiful are your feet / In sandals, O prince's daughter." I used to read the Bible every night. Every night I used to think about you. "Your navel is a bowl / Well-rounded with no lack of wine / Your belly, a heap of wheat / Surrounded with lilies / Your breasts / Clusters of grapes / Your breath, sweet-scented as apples." Nobody's gonna love you the way I loved you. There were times I couldn't stand it any more. I used to think of you. I'd think, "Deborah lives. She's out there. She exists." And that would get me through it all. You know how important that was to me?

    • Crazy credits
      Joey Faye is credited as the "adorable old man."
    • Alternate versions
      For its U.S. theatrical release the film was cut by 90 minutes from 3 hours and 47 minutes to 2 hours and 19 minutes despite the original cut gaining rave reviews at the film's premiere at Cannes. Many film critics gave two separate reviews for the film. While the complete European version was highly praised, the heavily edited US theatrical release was critically butchered.
    • Connections
      Edited into Bellissimo: Immagini del cinema italiano (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      God Bless America
      Music by Irving Berlin

      Irving Berlin Music Corporation

      Performed by Kate Smith

      Courtesy of RCA Record

    User reviews852

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Leone Doing What He Does Best
    Leone helms a virtuous epic film in the crime / drama genre. This film has excellent direction, screenplay, editing, cinematography, score and acting. There are many famous artists involved in this film and they deliver superlative and realistic performances. De Niro and Woods in particular are superb. The plot revolves around a former gangster, Noodles, who returns to New York after disappearing four decades earlier to start a new life and for other reasons. The plot initially hints as to why Noodles left New York, but after his return we learn the entire story as seen through his own flashbacks. We see Noodles and his friends growing up in a Jewish slum in New York's Lower East Side. Noodles, a natural leader, rises to bootlegger and ultimately a Mafia boss. This does not come without violence, betrayal and remorse. The film does a magnificent job examining all of the characters and what makes them tick. The plot is gripping, intense, violent, gritty, bloody, duplicitous and has a cathartic ending. This is a sprawling story and thus turns into a lengthy and entertaining film which Leone is known for to begin with. It is a masterful work of art, memorable, timeless and a classic. This film takes a different path, as far as the storyline, than most traditional gangster films which is refreshing. This viewer has revisited this film many times and in my opinion it is bravura in it's genre and holds it's own with the other celebrated gangster / mob films.
    helpful•8
    0
    • PCT1970
    • May 8, 2019

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    FAQ5

    • How did the invention Noodles' shows to Capuano work?
    • Is 'Once Upon a Time in America' based on a book?
    • What is the book Noodles reads as a kid when he's in the bathroom?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 27, 1984 (Netherlands)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Italy
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Warner Bros. (United States)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
      • French
      • Yiddish
      • Hebrew
    • Also known as
      • Het gebeurde in Amerika
    • Filming locations
      • Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy(Studio)
    • Production companies
      • The Ladd Company
      • Warner Bros.
      • Producers Sales Organization (PSO)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $30,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,321,508
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,412,014
      • Jun 3, 1984
    • Gross worldwide
      • $5,474,090
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      3 hours 49 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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