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Mistress

  • 19921992
  • RR
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Mistress (1992)
Clip: The script needs changes
Play clip0:31
Mistress
2 Videos
35 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama

This self-effacing comedy about film industry blues stars Robert Wuhl and Martin Landau as a writer/producer duo who must deal with the increasingly fickle demands of their film's financiers... Read allThis self-effacing comedy about film industry blues stars Robert Wuhl and Martin Landau as a writer/producer duo who must deal with the increasingly fickle demands of their film's financiers (Danny Aiello, Robert De Niro and Eli Wallach).This self-effacing comedy about film industry blues stars Robert Wuhl and Martin Landau as a writer/producer duo who must deal with the increasingly fickle demands of their film's financiers (Danny Aiello, Robert De Niro and Eli Wallach).

IMDb RATING
5.4/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Barry Primus
  • Writers
    • Barry Primus(story)
    • J.F. Lawton(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Robert Wuhl
    • Martin Landau
    • Vasek Simek
Top credits
  • Director
    • Barry Primus
  • Writers
    • Barry Primus(story)
    • J.F. Lawton(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Robert Wuhl
    • Martin Landau
    • Vasek Simek
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 16User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
    • 63Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos2

    Mistress
    Clip 0:31
    Mistress
    Mistress
    Clip 0:31
    Mistress

    Photos35

    Mistress (1992)
    Mistress (1992)
    Mistress (1992)
    Mistress (1992)
    Mistress (1992)
    Tuesday Knight in Mistress (1992)
    Martin Landau and Robert Wuhl in Mistress (1992)
    Christopher Walken in Mistress (1992)
    Vasek Simek in Mistress (1992)
    Jace Alexander and Robert Wuhl in Mistress (1992)
    Robert De Niro in Mistress (1992)
    Danny Aiello and Jean Smart in Mistress (1992)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Wuhl
    Robert Wuhl
    • Marvin Landismanas Marvin Landisman
    Martin Landau
    Martin Landau
    • Jack Rothas Jack Roth
    Vasek Simek
    • Hansas Hans
    Thomas R. Voth
    • Stagehandas Stagehand
    Jace Alexander
    Jace Alexander
    • Stuart Stratland, Jr.as Stuart Stratland, Jr.
    Mary Mercier
    • Shelby's Waitressas Shelby's Waitress
    Tuesday Knight
    Tuesday Knight
    • Peggy Paulineas Peggy Pauline
    Eli Wallach
    Eli Wallach
    • George Lieberhoffas George Lieberhoff
    Danny Aiello
    Danny Aiello
    • Carmine Rassoas Carmine Rasso
    Jean Smart
    Jean Smart
    • Patricia Rileyas Patricia Riley
    Robert De Niro
    Robert De Niro
    • Evan M. Wrightas Evan M. Wright
    William L. Rotko
    William L. Rotko
    • Valetas Valet
    • (as Bill Rotko)
    Dimitri Dimitrov
    • Maitre d'as Maitre d'
    Sheryl Lee Ralph
    Sheryl Lee Ralph
    • Beverly Dumontas Beverly Dumont
    Chuck Low
    Chuck Low
    • Bernieas Bernie
    • (as Chuck Lowe)
    Ernest Borgnine
    Ernest Borgnine
    • Ernest Borgnineas Ernest Borgnine
    Laurie Metcalf
    Laurie Metcalf
    • Rachel Landismanas Rachel Landisman
    Fríða Aradóttir
    • Mrs. Evan M. Wrightas Mrs. Evan M. Wright
    • (as Frida S. Aradóttir)
    • Director
      • Barry Primus
    • Writers
      • Barry Primus(story) (screenplay)
      • J.F. Lawton(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    A comedy about a screenwriter (Robert Wuhl), whose old movie script is read by a producer (Martin Landau) and the search for financial backers begins. But it seems that each money source (Danny Aiello, Robert De Niro, and Eli Wallach) has his own mistress that he wants put into the film. Gradually, the screenwriter is forced to make changes to his script to accommodate these backers, until he finally sees no semblance of his original ideas in the writing. —BOB STEBBINS <stebinsbob@aol.com>
    • screenwriter
    • money
    • writing
    • mistress
    • acura nsx
    • 28 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The Director Had A Vision. The Producers All Had Girlfriends.
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Drama
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Barry Primus had been shopping his script around at different studios for several years before his good friend Robert De Niro agreed to back the film, and take a co-starring role.
    • Goofs
      The boom mike drops below the frame during the meeting with George and Peggy while Stuart mentions possible changes to the script.
    • Quotes

      Marvin Landisman: That's it. I'm going back to the original script! I'm not making any changes. Any changes!

      Stuart Stratland Jr.: Marvin, what are you talking about? They won't make the film! Don't be self-destructive.

      Marvin Landisman: Help me, Stuart. I mean, you're a smart guy. There's a great story here. Just help me use these women to tell it. It's my fault. I never told you what this all came out of.

      Stuart Stratland Jr.: It's about that actor comitting suicide on your film.

      Marvin Landisman: No. It's about how I killed him.

      Stuart Stratland Jr.: What?

      Marvin Landisman: Believe it or not Stuart once I was pretty hot. From an old novel I wrote a script about a ruthless gambler who destroys someone he loves. Life changes for him and then isolated and desperate, he realizes who he is and he kills himself. Pretty grim stuff but I got Warren Zell. Warren was a very special actor. He was an original but he had been through a lot and he wasn't acting anymore. See, I had been his student. He trusted in my plan and I convinced him that I could give what he had been through meaning. Warren was amazing. The film suddenly had an incredible mystery to it. Actually it was too good. The producers loved the rushes and thought it might be a Christmas release. Oh, they had one small change. Take out the suicide. Instead have the character recite some speech like, "There's always another day." It was at four o'clock in the afternoon. I had a terrible headache. I can still hear the thud.

      Stuart Stratland Jr.: God, that's sick. He was crazy!

      Marvin Landisman: Of course he was or he wouldn't have jumped. But he was too weak to fight us any other way. He had to remain honest to himself and the suffering he represented. I was betraying him. Turning this into an insane farce. Don't you see, Stuart? This is what the film *needs* to be about. The fact that not everything is for sale. That some things just have to be left as they are. Help me, Stuart. I want his death to mean something.

      Stuart Stratland Jr.: Marvin, they're only making this to put their girlfriends in it.

      Marvin Landisman: Then take out the painter.

      Stuart Stratland Jr.: He's a photographer and we can't take him out. The whole thing revolves around him!

      Marvin Landisman: Okay, leave him in. But take out the suicide.

      Stuart Stratland Jr.: What are you, crazy? After all the trouble we went through to sell it? That's the only element everyone agrees on!

      Marvin Landisman: I can't bear him dying amidst all this crap! Let him get hit by a car. Let him leave town! Some shit!

      Stuart Stratland Jr.: It's a little late for that, Marvin. The suicide stays!

      Marvin Landisman: You take it out! I'm not gonna have him turned into a comic book. I'm not gonna murder him again!

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Unforgiven/Mistress/Death Becomes Her/Enchanted April/London Kills Me (1992)
    • Soundtracks
      Sex Goddess
      Written by Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni and James Rado

      Performed by Tuesday Knight (uncredited)

      [Peggy sings the song as her audition for Marvin]

    User reviews16

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    It`s Not BATMAN 3 That`s For Sure
    The info button described MISTRESS as thus " An earnest screenwriter sees his dream mangled in the Hollywood movie machine . Robert DeNiro is a crass moneyman demanding a role for his talentless mistress " Great I thought , this is going to be like THE KING OF COMEDY except it`s set in Hollyloot . Twenty minutes later DeNiro`s still not appeared and I`m aware of one thing - info buttons are never right

    The info button wasn`t so much wrong but it was rather misleading . DeNiro does indeed play a crass moneyman who is after a role for his mistress but she`s not exactly talentless . The plot mainly revolves around a failed director/screenwriter called Marvin who finds himself having to severly alter his script if he wants it produced , it`s a sort of satire/black comedy on the Hollyloot system of film making and once you get over the initial disappointment of it not being a Scorsese / DeNiro masterpiece it`s an enjoyable film , and one with a lot of scathing truth like a pitch is all down to presentation , casting is down to who the actress is sleeping with and a producer`s vulgarity is only matched by his ignorance . Also watch out for the line " This isn`t BATMAN 3 " which at that time hadn`t been produced yet . I guess someone made BATMAN 3 as a homage to MISTRESS ?
    helpful•9
    5
    • Theo Robertson
    • Aug 26, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 24, 1992 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Czech
    • Also known as
      • Hollywood Mistress
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Meir Teper
      • Mistress Productions
      • Tribeca Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,102,469
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $34,146
      • Aug 9, 1992
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,102,469
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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