In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Awards:
- Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 25 wins & 17 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Burt Lancaster | ... |
Lou
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| Susan Sarandon | ... |
Sally
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| Kate Reid | ... |
Grace
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| Michel Piccoli | ... |
Joseph
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| Hollis McLaren | ... |
Chrissie
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| Robert Joy | ... |
Dave
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| Al Waxman | ... |
Alfie
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| Robert Goulet | ... |
Singer
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Moses Znaimer | ... |
Felix
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| Angus MacInnes | ... |
Vinnie
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| Sean Sullivan | ... |
Buddy
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| Wallace Shawn | ... |
Waiter
(as Wally Shawn)
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| Harvey Atkin | ... |
Bus Driver
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| Norma Dell'Agnese | ... |
Jeanne
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Louis Del Grande | ... |
Mr. Shapiro
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John McCurry | ... |
Fred
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Eleanor Beecroft | ... |
Mrs. Reese
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| Cec Linder | ... |
President of Hospital
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| Sean McCann | ... |
Detective
(as Sean McCaan)
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Vincent Glorioso | ... |
Young Doctor
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Adèle Chatfield-Taylor | ... |
Florist
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Tony Angelo | ... |
Poker Player
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Sis Clark | ... |
Toll Booth Operator
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Gennaro Consalvo | ... |
Casino Guard
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Lawrence McGuire | ... |
Pit Boss
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Ann Burns | ... |
Singer in Casino
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Marie Burns | ... |
Singer in Casino
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Jean Burns | ... |
Singer in Casino
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Connie Collins | ... |
Connie Bishop
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John Allmond | ... |
Police Commissioner
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John J. Burns | ... |
Anchorman
(as John Burns)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Jack Allocco | ... |
Bit Part (uncredited)
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| Elias Koteas | ... |
Extra (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Louis Malle | ||
Written by
| John Guare | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Joseph Beaubien | ... | executive producer |
| Gabriel Boustiani | ... | executive producer (as Gabriel Boustany) |
| Jean-Serge Breton | ... | associate producer (uncredited) |
| Denis Héroux | ... | producer (as Denis Heroux) |
| Justine Héroux | ... | associate producer (as Justine Heroux) |
| John Kemeny | ... | producer |
| Larry Nesis | ... | associate producer |
Music by
| Michel Legrand | ... | (music composed by) |
Cinematography by
| Richard Ciupka | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Suzanne Baron | ||
Editorial Department
| James Bruce | ... | editorial apprentice |
| Federico Salzmann | ... | assistant editor |
Production Design by
| Anne Pritchard | ||
Set Decoration by
| Gretchen Rau | ... | (uncredited) |
Costume Design by
| François Barbeau | ... | (as Francois Barbeau) |
Makeup Department
| Donna Gliddon | ... | wig specialist |
| Rita Ogden | ... | make-up and hair stylist |
Production Management
| Micheline Garant | ... | unit manager |
| Ken Golden | ... | production manager |
| Justine Héroux | ... | production manager (as Justine Heroux) |
| Carl Zucker | ... | unit manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| John Board | ... | assistant director |
| Jim Chory | ... | second assistant director |
| John Desormeaux | ... | assistant director: pre-production |
| Robert McCart | ... | second assistant director |
| Patrick Burns | ... | second unit director: video sequence (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Jacques Chamberland | ... | set props |
| Charles Cirigliano | ... | carpenter (as Charles Cirgliano) |
| Wendell Dennis | ... | set dresser |
| Marcel Desrochers | ... | construction manager |
| Csaba András Kertész | ... | art department coordinator (as Csaba Kertesz) |
| Edward L. McMillan | ... | carpenter |
| Joe Petruccio Jr. | ... | carpenter (as Joseph Petruccio Jr.) |
| Gretchen Rau | ... | property master |
| Raymond M. Samitz | ... | construction manager |
| Marie-Claude Tetrault | ... | art department coordinator |
| Jean-Vincent Fournier | ... | assistant set props (uncredited) |
| Alain Giguère | ... | scenic painter (uncredited) |
| Michael Hagen | ... | scenic charge (uncredited) |
| Dominique Ricard | ... | graphic artist (uncredited) |
| Marcel Zalme | ... | standby painter (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Jean-Claude Laureux | ... | sound |
| Jacques Maumont | ... | dubbing mixer |
| Gilles Ortion | ... | boom operator |
Stunts
| Frank Ferrara | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| John Berrie | ... | gaffer |
| Andy Chmura | ... | first assistant cameraman |
| Attila Dory | ... | still photographer |
| Jean-Baptiste Dutreix | ... | camera grip |
| Larry Lynn | ... | second assistant cameraman |
| John Roy Morgan | ... | grip (as John Oravetz) |
| Jacob Rolling | ... | key grip |
Casting Department
| Venetia Rickerby | ... | extras casting: Joy Todd Inc. |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Carla Froeberg | ... | assistant wardrobe stylist |
| Marie-Hélène Gascon | ... | wardrobe master |
| Jeff Ullman | ... | wardrobe stylist (as Jeffrey Ullman) |
Location Management
| Robert Wertheimer | ... | location manager |
Music Department
| Michel Legrand | ... | conductor |
| Tony Coe | ... | musician: reeds (uncredited) |
| Barry Guy | ... | musician: acoustic double bass (uncredited) |
| Roger Kellaway | ... | musician: electric piano (uncredited) |
| Paul Lytton | ... | musician: drums (uncredited) |
| Evan Parker | ... | musician: reeds (uncredited) |
| Howard Riley | ... | musician: accordion (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| France Lachapelle | ... | continuity |
Additional Crew
| Patrick Burns | ... | video sequence |
| Jill De Wolfe | ... | unit publicist (as Jill De Wolfe James) |
| Pierre Guevremont | ... | production accountant |
| Leonard Luizzi | ... | teamster captain (as Lenny Luizzi) |
| Vincent Malle | ... | production coordinator |
| Barbara Shrier | ... | production office coordinator |
| Luc Bouthillier | ... | staff accountant (uncredited) |
| Alan Jacques | ... | projectionist (uncredited) |
| John Marshall | ... | subtitle and timing (uncredited) |
| Phillip L. Tomalin Jr. | ... | Craft Service: Atlantic City (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- International Cinema Corporation (ICC) (present)
- Selta Films (present)
- Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC) (participation)
- Cine-Neighbor (co-production: Montreal)
- Selta Films (co-production: Paris)
- Famous Players Limited (produced with the participation of)
Distributors
- Concorde Filmverleih (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Enterprise Pictures Limited (1980) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Filmco A/S (1980) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Gaumont Italia (1980) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Filmes Ocidente (1981) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Paramount Pictures (1981) (United States) (theatrical) (A Gulf+Western Company)
- Sandrew Film & Teater (1981) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Harlequin Pictures (1982) (United States) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Films (1982) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Home Video (1983) (Australia) (video)
- VCG (1983) (Greece) (VHS)
- Video MPA (1983) (Canada) (VHS) (dubbed)
- CBS (1984) (United States) (tv) (broadcast premiere)
- Mondial Video (West Germany) (VHS)
- Cine Saison (1989) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Paramount Pictures (2002) (United States) (DVD)
- Arte Vidéo (2005) (France) (DVD)
- Atlantic Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Kinokuniya (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
- Video Film Express (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Concorde Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
- Rai Movie (2016) (Italy) (tv)
- Summer Classics (2022) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Malavida (2023) (France) (theatrical) (re-release) (restored version)
- LMP (Brazil) (VHS)
- LW Editora (Brazil) (DVD)
- Paramount Home Entertainment (United States) (VHS)
- Pidax Film (2023) (Germany) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- The Peer-Southern Organization (music: published by)
- Canadian Casting Associates (casting)
- Joy Todd Casting (extras casting)
- Myrna Post Associates (publicity coordinator)
- Film Opticals (titles and opticals)
- The Film House Group (processing by)
- Panavision (lenses and Panaflex camera)
- Resorts Atlantic City (the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of)
- Park Mobile (the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of)
- CITY-TV (the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: for their program excerpts and Vicki Gold Levi)
- Captions (captions)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Atlantic City is a place where people go to realize their dreams, the promise of the future manifested by the demolition of the old crumbling buildings to be replaced by new hotels and casinos. Someone who recently came to Atlantic City for that promise is native Moose Javian (Saskatchewan) Sally Matthews, who currently works as a waitress at a hotel oyster bar, but who is training to be a black jack croupier and wants to be more cultured, such as learning French, in order to work at the casinos in Monte Carlo. Another dreamer who came to Atlantic City decades ago is Lou Pascal, who has long worked as a numbers runner and who claims to have been a cellmate and thus implied confidante of Bugsy Siegel. Although Lou still dresses to the standard to which he is accustomed, his dream long died as he only works penny ante stuff for Fred, most of his current income from being the kept man of widowed recluse, Grace Pinza. Grace too came to Atlantic City to fulfill her dreams - most specifically to participate in a Betty Grable lookalike contest - and ended up staying, marrying a player named Cookie Pinza. Sally, Lou and Grace all live in the same soon to be demolished apartment building - Sally and Lou who are next door neighbors - although Sally knows neither of her neighbors. Lou, however, secretly spies Sally through their respective apartment windows as she goes through a daily ritual. The dreams of this collective are potentially affected - largely dashed or reawakened - with the arrival into Atlantic City of Dave Matthews, Sally's estranged, deadbeat husband, and his very pregnant new ageist girlfriend Chrissie, who happens to be Sally's younger sister. It is the unknown to Sally that Dave and Chrissie bring with them that affects those dreams, namely a large cache of cocaine stolen from criminal sources. Written by Huggo |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | She made him become what he always wanted to be - a lover, a hero, a rich man...and a killer! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $7,200,000 (estimated) |
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $12,729,678, 09 Mar 2012 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | It was widely believed that Burt Lancaster would have won the Oscar for his performance in this film, were it not for Jane Fonda's aggressive campaign to win the award for her father Henry Fonda's final film performance On Golden Pond (1981). See more » |
| Goofs | Near the end of the film Grace tells Chrissie that they'd both lost their men to a shooting. But Chrissie's man was stabbed, not shot. Chrissie didn't know that. If she didn't know, a Goof can't be charged against her. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Albert Brooks/Susan Sarandon (1981). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Atlantic City, My Old Friend See more » |
| Crazy Credits | As the end credits roll, an old building on the boardwalk is demolished to some of the tunes that appear earlier in the film. Each time the wrecking ball hits, we hear a cymbal crash and the soundtrack jumps to a different song. See more » |
| Quotes |
Chrissie:
Oh, I never use seatbelts. I don't believe in gravity. See more » |