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IMDbPro

The Purple Rose of Cairo

  • 19851985
  • PGPG
  • 1h 22m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
52K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
10,518
707
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
Pre, "Coming Soon"
Play trailer1:34
1 Video
75 Photos
ComedyFantasyRomance
In 1935 New Jersey, a movie character walks off the screen and into the real world.In 1935 New Jersey, a movie character walks off the screen and into the real world.In 1935 New Jersey, a movie character walks off the screen and into the real world.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
52K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
10,518
707
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Woody Allen
    • Writer
      • Woody Allen
    • Stars
      • Mia Farrow
      • Jeff Daniels
      • Danny Aiello
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Woody Allen
    • Writer
      • Woody Allen
    • Stars
      • Mia Farrow
      • Jeff Daniels
      • Danny Aiello
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 166User reviews
    • 89Critic reviews
    • 75Metascore
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 15 wins & 15 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Purple Rose of Cairo
    Trailer 1:34
    The Purple Rose of Cairo

    Photos75

    Woody Allen and Mia Farrow in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
    Mia Farrow in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
    Jeff Daniels and Mia Farrow in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
    Jeff Daniels and Mia Farrow in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
    "Purple Rose of Cairo, The" Stephanie Farrow, Mia Farrow
    Demetri Martin's Drawings of His Favorite Films
    Mia Farrow in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
    The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
    Jeff Daniels and Mia Farrow in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
    Jeff Daniels and Mia Farrow in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
    Jeff Daniels and Mia Farrow in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
    Jeff Daniels and Mia Farrow in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mia Farrow
    Mia Farrow
    • Cecilia
    Jeff Daniels
    Jeff Daniels
    • Tom Baxter…
    Danny Aiello
    Danny Aiello
    • Monk
    Irving Metzman
    • Theater Manager
    Stephanie Farrow
    • Cecilia's Sister
    David Kieserman
    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
    Maurice Brenner
    • Diner Patron
    Paul Herman
    Paul Herman
    • Penny Pitcher
    Rick Petrucelli
    • Penny Pitcher
    Peter Castellotti
    • Penny Pitcher
    Milton Seaman
    • Ticket Buyer
    Mimi Weddell
    Mimi Weddell
    • Ticket Buyer
    • Director
      • Woody Allen
    • Writer
      • Woody Allen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Interiors
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After this film was previewed, word got back to Woody Allen that if he just changed his ending, he could have a big hit. Allen declined, saying that the ending is one of the reasons he made the film.
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Cecilia: I just met a wonderful new man. He's fictional but you can't have everything.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Beach Boys: An American Band/Maria's Lover/The Purple Rose of Cairo/The Sure Thing (1985)
    • 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 reviews166

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Flawless in its own way, a pure pleasure to sit back and lose yourself
    The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

    There's no way you can't like the ingenuity of the movie, and the fun it has. It's about the joy of life, and love of the movies, and the difficulty to tell the difference sometimes (at least when in the theater).

    In some ways this is one of Woody Allen's lightest movies, and certainly lightweight compared to the more serious movies of this period (like the stunning gem, "Another Woman"). It's not zany like his earliest comedies ("Love and Death"). And it's not deeply observant and sometimes downright moving and brilliant like his best movies (like "Annie Hall" or "Crimes and Misdemeanors"). In that way it feels like what some novelists would call an "entertainment" to distinguish from their heavier masterpieces, and sometimes these are the most readable of all. Or the most watchable.

    "The Purple Rose of Cairo" is inventive, warm, and touching. It's really high brow hilarious when the people on the screen react to the situation, not only because of the existential reality shift going on, but because they are all high brow types. Then there are the everyday scenes with Mia Farrow, the lead actress in the real world (usually), and support from Danny Aiello, really just a foil for the main romances (two) going on with Farrow (singular). It's not as complicated as it sounds, which might prove the elegance of Allen's writing.

    A beautiful, delicate movie without undo weightiness. Joyous, yes, even in its melancholy end.
    helpful•30
    5
    • secondtake
    • Nov 23, 2010

    FAQ2

    • What film is Cecilia watching at the end?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 19, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • La rosa purpura de El Cairo
    • Filming locations
      • Bertrand Island Amusement Park, Mount Arlington, New Jersey, USA
    • Production companies
      • Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions
      • Orion Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $10,631,333
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $114,095
      • Mar 3, 1985
    • Gross worldwide
      • $10,631,333
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 22 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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