Barfly (1987)

Based on the life of successful poet Charles Bukowski and his exploits in Hollywood during the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Director:

Barbet Schroeder

Writer:

Charles Bukowski

Stars:

Mickey Rourke, Faye Dunaway, Alice Krige

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mickey Rourke	...	Henry
Faye Dunaway	...	Wanda Wilcox
Alice Krige	...	Tully
Jack Nance	...	Detective
J.C. Quinn	...	Jim
Frank Stallone	...	Eddie
Sandy Martin	...	Janice
Roberta Bassin	...	Lilly
Gloria LeRoy	...	Grandma Moses
Joe Unger	...	Ben
Harry Cohn	...	Rick
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Joe
Joe Rice	...	Old Man in Bar
Julie 'Sunny' Pearson	...	Hooker in Bar
Donald L. Norden	...	Man in Alley

Storyline

Henry Chinaski never cared for the American dream, the thought of needing to become 'something' and fit into the system disgusts him. He believes that life is free and yours to live like you see fit, and if that in some cases involves copious amounts of whiskey then so be it. Henry spends his days drinking and listening to the radio, and he spends his nights drinking and fighting against Eddy who he thinks personifies shallowness and shameless self promoting. Sometimes in the middle of this he finds the time to jot down a few lines of poetry or a short story. After fighting Eddy and winning for a change Henry is thrown out of his regular bar where Eddy is a bartender. This leads him to seek another watering hole where he happens to find Wanda who is a barfly, in her own words "if another man came along with a fifth of whiskey, I'd go with him". Henry is not fazed by this thou and moves in with her. Of course Wanda immediately goes off and sleeps with Eddy, but after some clothes ...

---

Plot Keywords:

writer | alcoholism | bar | drinking | alcoholic | 

---

Taglines:

Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 October 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Barfly

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$45,900, 18 October 1987

Gross USA:

$3,221,568

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,221,568

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golan-Globus Productions, Zoetrope Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The exterior and interior of the Golden Horn were actually Big Ed's bar in downtown Culver City at what was then Washington Blvd and Main Street (across from the Culver Hotel). The bar and hotel were torn down in the late 80s due to fire damage shortly after the film was released, and a parking lot sat in its place until construction on a new office, shopping, and dining structure (dubbed the "Culver Steps") began in 2017. The portions of Washington Blvd and Main St were also replaced with a pedestrian mall, so the area is virtually unrecognizable today...with exception to the still-standing Culver Hotel - saved due to its National Historic Landmark status.

---

Goofs

Henry calls an ambulance and gives address of apartment building as 334, while in scene earlier that day building is clearly marked 360.

---

Quotes

Tully: Do you need a drink?
Henry: Yeah, like a spider needs a fly.

---

Connections

Referenced in Eleven Men Out (2005)

---

Soundtracks

Poem of Ecstasy
By Alexander Scriabin
Courtesy of Supraphon Records, Prague

User Reviews

Great late night movie

I came across this movie on HBO one night and like any great movie I was immediately hooked by it. I could tell right away that this movie had a strange artistic appeal to it. The movie is strange, funny, and weird. In one scene Henry (Mickey Rourke) collects 500$ from a rich woman he meets. He then takes it immediately to his flea bag appartment along with a bottle of liquor. He wakes up his girlfriend (Faye Dunnaway)and from out of her slumber they begin to drink. Henry manages to stab a man, get a girlfriend, have a wealthy mistress, be a bar room fighter, and o yeah, a poet. Overall this is a gritty movie about the ups and downs of a poet who insists to live in squalor and would'nt have it any other way.