The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)
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- PG
- 1h 38min
- Comedy
- 05 May 1975 (Sweden)
- Movie
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
Jack Lemmon | ... |
Mel Edison
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Anne Bancroft | ... |
Edna Edison
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Gene Saks | ... |
Harry Edison
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Elizabeth Wilson | ... |
Pauline
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Florence Stanley | ... |
Pearl
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Maxine Stuart | ... |
Belle
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Ed Peck | ... |
Man Upstairs
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Gene Blakely | ... |
Charlie
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Ivor Francis | ... |
Psychiatrist
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Stack Pierce | ... |
Detective
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Patricia Marshall | ... |
Woman Upstairs
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Dee Carroll | ... |
Helen
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Ketty Lester | ... |
Unemployment Clerk
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M. Emmet Walsh | ... |
Joe - Doorman
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F. Murray Abraham | ... |
Taxi Driver
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James McCallion | ... |
Mr. Cooperman
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Fat Thomas | ... |
Bus Driver
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Arlen Stuart | ... |
Elevator Passenger
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Sylvester Stallone | ... |
Youth in Park
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Alan DeWitt | ... |
Wayne Morgan
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Harry Ray | ... |
Man with Dog
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Lonnie Burr | ... |
Man on Street (uncredited)
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Eddie Garrett | ... |
Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
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Ben Lautman | ... |
NYU Student (uncredited)
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Dave Michaels | ... |
Radio Newscaster (uncredited) (voice)
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Gary Owens | ... |
Radio Newscaster (uncredited) (voice)
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John Ritter | ... |
Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
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Cosmo Sardo | ... |
Subway Passenger (uncredited)
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Norman Stevans | ... |
Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
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Joe Turkel | ... |
Man Upstairs (uncredited) (voice)
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Directed by
Melvin Frank |
Written by
Neil Simon | ... | (play) |
Neil Simon | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
Melvin Frank | ... | producer |
Music by
Marvin Hamlisch |
Cinematography by
Philip H. Lathrop | ... | director of photography (as Philip Lathrop) |
Editing by
Bob Wyman |
Art Direction by
E. Preston Ames | ... | (as Preston Ames) |
Set Decoration by
Marvin March |
Costume Design by
Joel Schumacher |
Makeup Department
Harry Ray | ... | makeup artist |
Fred Williams | ... | makeup artist |
Sherry Wilson | ... | hairdresser |
Production Management
Hal Klein | ... | unit production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Howard Roessel | ... | first assistant director |
Bruce Satterlee | ... | second assistant director |
Art Department
Dennis J. Parrish | ... | property master (as Dennis Parrish) |
Bill Gold | ... | poster designer (uncredited) |
Mentor Huebner | ... | production illustrator (uncredited) |
Gene Lauritzen | ... | construction coordinator (uncredited) |
Sound Department
Billy Mauch | ... | dialogue editor (as William J. Mauch) |
Al Overton | ... | sound (as Al Overton Sr.) |
Billie Owens | ... | sound effects editor |
Arthur H. Pullen | ... | sound effects editor (as Arthur Pullen) |
Tex Rudloff | ... | sound |
Ed Scheid | ... | sound effects editor (as Edwin Scheid) |
John O. Young | ... | sound effects editor |
Arthur Bloom | ... | boom operator (uncredited) |
Jack C. Jacobsen | ... | sound mixer (uncredited) |
Randy Nite | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
James Perdue | ... | sound recordist (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Barlia | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
Vinnie Gerardo | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
Carl Manoogian | ... | key grip (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael J. Harte | ... | wardrobe man (as Michael Harte) |
Thalia Phillips | ... | wardrobe lady |
Music Department
Pete Candoli | ... | musician: trumpet solos |
Donald Harris | ... | music editor |
Tommy Tedesco | ... | musician: guitar (uncredited) |
Louise Di Tullio | ... | musician: flute (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
Hope Williams | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
Alan DeWitt | ... | dialogue coach |
Arnold Saint Subber | ... | produced on the stage by (as Saint Subber) |
Howard R. Schuster | ... | financing (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Major Studio Partners (financed by)
- Polyphony Digital (presents)
- Warner Bros.
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1975) (United States) (theatrical)
- Columbia-Warner Distributors (1975) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Warner-Columbia Film (1975) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1975) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Columbia-Warner Filmes de Portugal (1977) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1979) (United States) (tv) (pan/scan)
- Warner Home Video (1981) (West Germany) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Modern Film Effects (titles and opticals)
- Panavision (filmed in)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
The story of Mel and Edna (Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft), a middle-class, middle-aged, middle-happy couple living in a Manhattan high rise apartment building. Mel loses his job, the apartment is robbed, Edna gets a job, Mel loses his mind, Edna loses her job . . . to say nothing of the more minor tribulations of nosy neighbors, helpful relatives, and exact bus fares. The couple suffers indignity after indignity (some self-inflicted), and when they seem on the verge of surrender, they thumb their noses defiantly and dig the trenches for battle. Written by alfiehitchie |
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Taglines | ...and you think you've got problems. See more » |
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Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Did You Know?
Trivia | According to the Jack Lemmon's biography "Lemmon" by Don Widener, actress Anne Bancroft recounted this episode from the film's shooting: "[Jack was] nice to a point where he's crazy...We had a scene in 'Prisoner [of Second Avenue'] where he had to carry a shovel in - a very close two-shot favoring me. I played the scene with tears in my eyes because Jack had accidentally hit me in the shin with that shovel. The director saw something was wrong so he stopped everything. I had a big bump on my leg, but it was Friday and over the weekend I fixed it up. When we came back on Monday the first scene was a retake of the shovel thing. Well, Jack brought the shovel in and I anticipated getting hit again. He's so full of energy, you're sure he's not noticing; but he never touched me. The take was fine, but Jack limped away. To avoid hurting me, he had cut himself. He was bleeding and we had to bandage his leg; his wound was much worse than mine. He is so kind he hurt himself rather than injure someone else. That's a little crazy! It's the nicest crazy I know, and I know a lot of crazy people." See more » |
Goofs | When Edna comes home from work with a souffle for dinner, she puts it in the oven but never turns the oven on. A few minutes later when she takes it out of the presumably hot oven, she does not use an oven mitt or pot holder to protect her hand. See more » |
Movie Connections | Featured in Urban Living: Funny and Formidable (1975). See more » |
Quotes |
Pearl:
Maybe it's not even a nervous breakdown. Doctors can be wrong, too. They took out all my top teeth... then found out it was kidney stones. See more » |