In New York in 1928, a struggling playwright is forced to cast a mobster's talentless girlfriend in his latest drama in order to get it produced.In New York in 1928, a struggling playwright is forced to cast a mobster's talentless girlfriend in his latest drama in order to get it produced.In New York in 1928, a struggling playwright is forced to cast a mobster's talentless girlfriend in his latest drama in order to get it produced.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
39K
YOUR RATING
- Won 1 Oscar
- 22 wins & 30 nominations total
Videos2
Malgorzata Zajaczkowska
- Lilias Lili
- (as Margaret Sophie Stein)
Nina von Arx
- Josetteas Josette
- (as Nina Sonya Peterson)
- Director
- Writers
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
- All cast & crew
Storyline
1920s Broadway. Playwright David Shayne considers himself an artist, and surrounds himself with like minded people, most struggling financially as they create art for themselves, not the masses. David, however, believes the failure of his first two plays was because he gave up creative control to other people who didn't understand the material. As such, he wants to direct his just completed third play, "God of Our Fathers", insider scuttlebutt being that it may very well make David the toast of Broadway. With David having no directing history, David's regular producer, Julian Marx, can't find any investors,... until a single investor who will finance the entire production comes onto the scene. He is Nick Valenti, a big time mobster, with the catch being that his dimwitted girlfriend, non-actress Olive Neal, get the lead role. A hesitant David and Julian, who are able to talk Nick into them giving Olive one of the two female supporting roles instead, go along with the scheme hoping that the three other actors hired will be able to make up for any deficiencies posed by Olive. What makes Olive's situation worse for David is that Nick has placed a bodyguard named Cheech - a typical thug who kills if need be - on Olive, he a constant presence at the theater during rehearsals. David is unaware or mindfully ignorant of issues concerning the other actors. Helen Sinclair, who has the lead, is a diva of an actress, who hasn't had a hit in years. Regardless, she is slyly manipulating David to make the role more glamorous befitting her real life persona than the frigid character he has written. Gossip is that Warner Purcell, the only male among the cast, has a roller coaster of a weight problem. Currently on a low, Warner tends to eat and eat and eat when when he gets stressed. And Eden Brent, a happy-go-lucky actress, has a constant companion in her pet chihuahua, Mr. Woofulls, whose presence is a constant thorn in Helen's side. With one problem after another during rehearsals, one event seems to have the potential to turn the production around on a permanent upswing,... that is if David goes along with it, he resisting if only because it would mean that his artistic vision was wrong. Regardless, there is still the potential for something to go violently wrong with Nick solely looking out for Olive's interest, and Cheech a constant presence, he seeing and hearing everything that is happening. —Huggo
- Taglines
- A killer comedy!
- Genres
- Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R for some language
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaDianne Wiest said she really struggled with Helen Sinclair's signature line. She finally decided to lower her voice when she said "Don't speak!" The lower she said it, the funnier it became.
- GoofsWhen David stands in the street and argues with Sheldon Flender in the apartment above, a powerful floodlight on a technical-looking stand is reflected in the open window.
- SoundtracksToot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo' Bye!)
Written by Dan Russo, Ernie Erdman and Gus Kahn
Performed by Al Jolson with the Vitaphone Orchestra
Courtesy of Academy Sound and Vision Ltd.
Top review
Dianne Wiest Is Perfection
Witty and waspish Broadway story directed by Woody Allen and co-written by Allen and Douglas McGrath is a fond look at a bygone era.
John Cusack plays a struggling playwright who agrees hire the no-talent Olive (Jennifer Tilly) in order to have a mobster back his new play. The mobster assigned a stooge (Chazz Palminteri) to watch over Olive and make sure she doesn't cheat on him.
Cusack and his agent (Jack Warden) talk fading Broadway star Helen Sinclair (Dianne Wiest) into starring in the play, but as the play struggles in rehearsals, the stooge (Palminteri) starts to make constructive criticisms that launch the play in a different direction. As the rehearsals catch fire, it become obvious that Olive must go ... and go she does.
While the main characters are all well played, it's Dianne Wiest who growls and guzzles her way to a sublime performance (and a well-deserved Oscar) as the haughty star who never plays frumps or virgins.
Others in the cast include Mary-Louise Parker as Cusack's drab girlfriend, Tracey Ullman as the actress with a dog, Harvey Fierstein, Rob Reiner, Jim Broadbent, and Joe Viterelli as the mobster. Edie Falco plays the small role of the assistant director.
The film is aided by the usual impeccable production design by Santo Loquasto and costumes by Jeffrey Kurland. The music is also spot on.
John Cusack plays a struggling playwright who agrees hire the no-talent Olive (Jennifer Tilly) in order to have a mobster back his new play. The mobster assigned a stooge (Chazz Palminteri) to watch over Olive and make sure she doesn't cheat on him.
Cusack and his agent (Jack Warden) talk fading Broadway star Helen Sinclair (Dianne Wiest) into starring in the play, but as the play struggles in rehearsals, the stooge (Palminteri) starts to make constructive criticisms that launch the play in a different direction. As the rehearsals catch fire, it become obvious that Olive must go ... and go she does.
While the main characters are all well played, it's Dianne Wiest who growls and guzzles her way to a sublime performance (and a well-deserved Oscar) as the haughty star who never plays frumps or virgins.
Others in the cast include Mary-Louise Parker as Cusack's drab girlfriend, Tracey Ullman as the actress with a dog, Harvey Fierstein, Rob Reiner, Jim Broadbent, and Joe Viterelli as the mobster. Edie Falco plays the small role of the assistant director.
The film is aided by the usual impeccable production design by Santo Loquasto and costumes by Jeffrey Kurland. The music is also spot on.
helpful•62
- drednm
- Apr 24, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Tiếng Súng Trên Sàn Diễn
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $13,383,747
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $86,072
- Oct 23, 1994
- Gross worldwide
- $13,383,747
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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