The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

In New Jersey in 1935, a movie character walks off the screen and into the real world.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mia Farrow	...	Cecilia
Jeff Daniels	...	Tom Baxter / Gil Shepherd
Danny Aiello	...	Monk
Irving Metzman	...	Theater Manager
Stephanie Farrow	...	Cecilia's Sister
David Kieserman	...	Diner Boss
Elaine Grollman	...	Diner Patron
Victoria Zussin	...	Diner Patron
Mark Hammond	...	Diner Patron
Wade Barnes	...	Diner Patron
Joseph G. Graham	...	Diner Patron
Don Quigley	...	Diner Patron
Maurice Brenner	...	Diner Patron
Paul Herman	...	Penny Pitcher
Rick Petrucelli	...	Penny Pitcher

Storyline

Cecilia is a waitress in New Jersey during the Depression and is searching for an escape from her dreary life. Tom Baxter is a dashing young archaeologist in the film "The Purple Rose of Cairo." After losing her job Cecilia goes to see the film in hopes of raising her spirits. Much to her surprise Tom Baxter walks off the screen and into her life. There's only one problem..Tom isn't real. Meanwhile Hollywood is up in arms when they dicover that other Tom Baxters are trying to leave the screen in other theatres. Will Tom ever return and finish the film or will he decide to stay in the real world?

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Plot Keywords:

film within a film | 1930s | movie theater | film industry | entering movie via screen | 

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Taglines:

She's finally met the man of her dreams. He's not real but you can't have everything. [Video]

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 April 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

La rosa púrpura del Cairo

Filming Locations:

Kent Theater, 1170 Coney Island Avenue, Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$114,095, 3 March 1985, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$10,631,333

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions,Orion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Buster Keaton's film Sherlock Jr. (1924) was one of Woody Allen's major inspirations for the film. In tribute to the silent film comedian, Robert Talmadge, the leading man of the fictional film "The Purple Rose of Cairo", was named after his son Robert Talmadge Keaton.

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Goofs

As Cecilia and Gil play and sing in the music store, the camera casts a shadow in the lower left that disappears as it pulls back to a wide angle shot.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Theater Manager: Oh Cecilia, be careful! You all right?
Cecilia: Yeah.
Theater Manager: You're gonna like this one, it's better than last week's, more romantic.

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Crazy Credits

Alexander Cohen's name is listed as "Alexander H. Cohen" in the opening credits, although the middle initial is dropped in the end credits.

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Connections

Featured in Ucieczka z kina 'Wolnosc' (1990)

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Soundtracks

Cheek to Cheek
(1935)
Written by Irving Berlin
Vocal by Fred Astaire
Played during the opening credits and
In clip from Top Hat (1935) at the end

User Reviews

One of his Great Ones

A movie I like to recommend to people who really dislike Woody Allen (because of his on-screen characters or off-screen life). And I usually get positive feedback.....he does not appear in this movie, and that makes sense because there really are no characters he could play in The Purple Rose of Cairo. It is a hugely entertaining movie--one of his best. Sharp, hilarious, and poignant. And anyone who can keep a dry eye for that ending must be a machine. This is the movie where Jeff Daniels really gets to strut his best comic stuff. He's always been underrated in my opinion. He's terrific at playing the "Everyman," but in Allen's movie he has a duel role--the clueless movie hunk who leaps off the screen to be with Mia Farrow, and the frustrated actor who plays him. Farrow is also good, back to playing mousey after her bold turn in Broadway Danny Rose. I really can't say enough about this. I would rank it as his best film of the '80s. I never get tired of watching it. I don't like using this adjective, but it seems to fit the movie....it is magical.