Bagdad Cafe (1987)

A lonely German woman ends up in the most desolate motel on Earth and decides to make it brighter.

Director:

Percy Adlon

Writers:

Eleonore Adlon (screenplay), Percy Adlon (screenplay)

Stars:

Marianne Sägebrecht, CCH Pounder, Jack Palance

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marianne Sägebrecht	...	Jasmin Münchgstettner
CCH Pounder	...	Brenda
Jack Palance	...	Rudi Cox
Christine Kaufmann	...	Debby
Monica Calhoun	...	Phyllis
Darron Flagg	...	Salomo
George Aguilar	...	Cahuenga
G. Smokey Campbell	...	Sal
Hans Stadlbauer	...	Münchgstettner
Alan S. Craig	...	Eric
Apesanahkwat	...	Sheriff Arnie
Ronald Lee Jarvis	...	Trucker Ron
Mark Daneri	...	Trucker Mark
Ray Young	...	Trucker Ray
Gary Lee Davis	...	Trucker Gary

Storyline

Out of Rosenheim (Bagdad Café) is a look into the minds and lives of some people most of us have met but few of us know much about. This movie exemplifies how one person in the right place can affect a community of lives. The Adlons seem to express the view that all change and "magic" comes from hard work and mutual acceptance. A well-crafted view of the lives of tourists everywhere and the difficulties they can face. A Whimsical and lovingly Photographed look at the vast wasteland that is too often ignored by much of humanity.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | gas station | playing piano | bare breasts | phone ringing | 

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Taglines:

Off Route 66 between Vegas and nowhere a little magic's going on...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Imagica TV [Japan]

Country:

West Germany

Language:

English German

Release Date:

22 April 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bagdad Cafe

Filming Locations:

Bagdad, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$3,587,303

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pelemele Film,Pro-ject Filmproduktion,Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Whoopi Goldberg turned down the part of Brenda. She later played the part in the TV version Bagdad Cafe (1990).

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Goofs

Christine Kaufmann's character's, the tattoo artist, name is spelled Debby in the film credits but the sign outside her shop spells her name Debbie.

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Quotes

Jasmin Münchgstettner: Goodbye Miss Brenda.
Brenda: Bye Miss Jasmin.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Tucker: The Man and His Dream/Vibes/Cocktail/Clean and Sober/Bagdad Cafe (1988)

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Soundtracks

Calling You
Written by Bob Telson
Performed by Jevetta Steele

User Reviews

Amazing!

I watched this because C.C.H. Pounder is one of my favorites. 1 minute in I thought...'why am I watching this?' Three minutes in I was so hooked I watched it twice. One of my favorite Jack Palance performances. Pounder is unbelievably good, and Marianne Sagebrecht is a marvel. The haunting score alone is worth the movie. Do yourself a big favor and ignore the FEW negative comments here and watch this movie. Try to forget big efx, car chase, alien films for a couple of hours and you won't be disappointed.