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Shadows

  • 19581958
  • PGPG
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
11K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Shadows (1958)
Cassavetes' jazz-scored improvisational film explores interracial friendships and relationships in Beat-Era (1950s) New York City.
Play trailer2:54
2 Videos
45 Photos
  • Drama
  • Music
  • Romance

Cassavetes' jazz-scored improvisational film explores interracial friendships and relationships in Beat-Era (1950s) New York City.Cassavetes' jazz-scored improvisational film explores interracial friendships and relationships in Beat-Era (1950s) New York City.Cassavetes' jazz-scored improvisational film explores interracial friendships and relationships in Beat-Era (1950s) New York City.

IMDb RATING
7.2/10
11K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • John Cassavetes
  • Writer
    • John Cassavetes
  • Stars
    • Ben Carruthers
    • Lelia Goldoni
    • Hugh Hurd
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Cassavetes
  • Writer
    • John Cassavetes
  • Stars
    • Ben Carruthers
    • Lelia Goldoni
    • Hugh Hurd
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 55User reviews
    • 67Critic reviews
    • 86Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 4 BAFTA Awards
      • 2 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos2

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:54
    Trailer
    Shadows
    Clip 3:11
    Shadows

    Photos45

    Shadows (1958)
    Shadows (1958)
    Shadows (1958)
    Shadows (1958)
    Shadows (1958)
    Shadows (1958)
    Ben Carruthers in Shadows (1958)
    Lelia Goldoni in Shadows (1958)
    Ben Carruthers in Shadows (1958)
    Ben Carruthers in Shadows (1958)
    Lelia Goldoni in Shadows (1958)
    Ben Carruthers in Shadows (1958)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ben Carruthers
    Ben Carruthers
    • Benas Ben
    Lelia Goldoni
    Lelia Goldoni
    • Leliaas Lelia
    Hugh Hurd
    • Hughas Hugh
    Anthony Ray
    Anthony Ray
    • Tonyas Tony
    Dennis Sallas
    • Dennisas Dennis
    Tom Reese
    Tom Reese
    • Tomas Tom
    • (as Tom Allen)
    David Pokitillow
    • Davidas David
    Rupert Crosse
    • Rupertas Rupert
    David Jones
    • Daveyas Davey
    • (as Davey Jones)
    Pir Marini
    • Pir the Piano Playeras Pir the Piano Player
    Victoria Vargas
    • Vickieas Vickie
    Jack Ackerman
    • Jack, Director of Dance Studioas Jack, Director of Dance Studio
    Jacqueline Walcott
    • Jacquelineas Jacqueline
    Cliff Carnell
    Cliff Carnell
    Jay Crecco
    Ronald Maccone
    Bob Reeh
    Joyce Miles
    • Girl in Restaurantas Girl in Restaurant
    • Director
      • John Cassavetes
    • Writer
      • John Cassavetes
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Benny's a hipster, moving in and out of Manhattan's beat scene, aimless, maybe close to trouble. His sister Lelia, who looks less African-American than White, is vulnerable and about to fall in love. Hugh, their older brother, is a struggling singer whose agent, Rupert, may be the only person with faith in his talent. The story moves back and forth, like jazz, among the three of them and what seems at first to be separate lives. Lelia meets Tony, and lets herself hope this is true love. Then he meets Hugh and prejudice gives Tony an excuse to cut and run. Can family and friendship bring solace for her hurt, purpose for Benny, and belief in Hugh? Is life more than shadows? —<jhailey@hotmail.com>
    • racism
    • jazz
    • singer
    • new york city
    • nightlife
    • 91 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Music
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • PG
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Cassavetes screened the movie in 1957 and 1958, but because of poor response he went back and re-shot about half of the film in 1959. The first version of the film was believed to be lost for almost 50 years. In the mid-1980s Prof. Ray Carney began his search for the film after talking to Cassavetes about the first version. Carney searched almost everywhere but was led to dead ends for 20 years. Finally, in 2002, he was contacted by a woman who said her father, a junk dealer, had a cardboard box with a film called "Shadows". It turned out to be the first version and not the second one. The print was in pristine condition.
    • Goofs
      When Tony takes Lelia back to her apartment, Ben, Dennis, and Tom are sitting around the table playing poker and trying to arranges some dates. All three bear the marks of a fight that won't take place until near the end of the movie.
    • Quotes

      Girl at Party: The trouble with you is, you suffer from self-induced hysteria at the word 'existentialism'. Are you aware of that?

    • Crazy credits
      "Presented by Jean Shepherd's Night People"
    • Alternate versions
      Cassavetes screened a finished version of Shadows in 1957 and 1958 that ran 78 minutes. Part of the original negative of this version was used for the 1959 version, which was completely reshot with new actors. In 2002, Prof. Ray Carney of Boston University discovered the only remaining 16mm copy of this earlier version.
    • Connections
      Featured in Cinéastes de notre temps: John Cassavetes (1969)
    • Soundtracks
      Beautiful
      Written by Jack Ackerman, Hunt Stevens and Eleanor Winters

    User reviews55

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    "improvisation" at its best
    It ends with the declaration that "the film you have just seen was an improvisation"-at once making you feel like an idiot for thinking an improvisation was an good movie, and astounded at Cassavetes' genius...once again. Of course, Cassavetes told some guy it wasn't really an improvisation per se, on his deathbed, so...it's the story about a light-skinned black woman, Lelia, who passes for white, and her family: another passing-for-white brother named Ben, and a black-black brother named Hughie. When she falls in love with a white jerk named Tony, he is unpleasantly surprised when he finds out she's black, and from there it goes on about the three main characters' individual aspirations and shortcomings. Hughie is a jazz singer in the process of becoming a failure, Lelia's still hopelessly depressed over Tony, and Ben is angsty and violent in general, in desperate need of something to shock him out of his stale patterns of existence. Overall, I suppose it's really about stasis vs. change in human life. I suspect that Cassavetes had the plot organized enough, and it was just the dialogue that was improvised. The dialogue itself is very uneven - sometimes somebody will say something very memorable, other times it's memorably awkward. What's amazing is the extent of the amateur actors' embodiment of their characters. Cassavetes went through the acting class he was teaching at the time he decided to do Shadows, whispered in the ears of the ten best students, and this was the result...the guys playing Ben and Hughie are very good. At first I didn't like Lelia, but as the film progressed you see more and more she's one of those actors who gets better as the tension and drama builds - not necessarily the best with small talk. Shadows is hailed by many as the forerunner of the indie film movement (made in 1959) and it's definitely recommended.
    helpful•20
    8
    • LuckyGraveyardBoots
    • May 9, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 14, 1960 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Schatten
    • Filming locations
      • Grand Central Station, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Lion International
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $40,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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