Opening Night (1977)

Opening Night (1977) (Blu-Ray) (*)

Out of Stock

Screened, competed or awarded at:
Berlin International Film Festival
Golden Globes
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Dolby Linear PCM )
English ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( Blu-Ray/Region B )

Running Time:
144 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.85:1)

Special Features:
Cast/Crew Interview(s)
Commentary
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Booklet
Blu-Ray & DVD Combo

Movie filmed in 1977 and produced in:
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
John Cassavetes

Written By:
John Cassavetes

Actors:
Gena Rowlands ..... Myrtle Gordon
John Cassavetes ..... Maurice Aarons
Ben Gazzara ..... Manny Victor
Joan Blondell ..... Sarah Goode
Paul Stewart ..... David Samuels
Zohra Lampert ..... Dorothy Victor
Laura Johnson ..... Nancy Stein
John Tuell ..... Gus Simmons
Ray Powers ..... Jimmy
John Finnegan ..... Prop man
Louise Lewis ..... Kelly (as Louise Finch)
Fred Draper ..... Leo
Katherine Cassavetes ..... Vivian
Lady Rowlands ..... Melva Drake
Carol Warren ..... Carla

Synopsis:

John Cassavetes' Opening Night stars Gena Rowlands (Mrs. Cassavetes) as end-of-tether Broadway actress Myrtle Gordon. She is about to open in a play written by her old friend Sarah Goode (Joan Blondell), but a series of pre-show setbacks and disasters threaten to destroy not only the production but Myrtle's sanity. The actress is especially rattled when one of her staunchest fans dies in an accident. In the face of bleak reality, just how important is the old 'show must go on' ethic? Supporting Gena Rowlands are such veterans of the New York-Hollywood shuttle as Ben Gazzara, Zohra Lampert, Paul Stewart, James Karen, and several friends and relatives of the principals.

Broadway actress Myrtle Gordon (Gena Rowlands) rehearses for her latest play about a woman in denial at the onset of her autumn years. When Myrtle witnesses the accidental death of an adoring young fan, it leads to a crisis of confidence in both her professional and her personal life which threatens to undermine the whole production. Featuring a startling and compelling performance by Gena Rowlands, which won her the Silver Bear for Best Actress in 1978, Opening Night is arguably one of John Cassavetes' most self-reflexive works and offers an insightful and intriguing evocation of the theatrical experience from both sides of the proscenium.

An actress suffers an emotional uproar in her personal life after a fan dies trying to see her.

This product was added to our catalog on Monday 14 October, 2013.