The King of Comedy (1982)
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- PG
- 1h 49min
- Comedy, Crime
- 18 Dec 1982 (Iceland)
- Movie
A passionate yet unsuccessful comedian stalks and kidnaps his idol to take the spotlight for himself.
Director:
Writer:
Awards:
- Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Robert De Niro | ... |
Rupert Pupkin
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| Jerry Lewis | ... |
Jerry Langford
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| Diahnne Abbott | ... |
Rita Keane
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| Sandra Bernhard | ... |
Masha
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| Ed Herlihy | ... |
Ed Herlihy
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Lou Brown | ... |
Band Leader
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| Loretta Tupper | ... |
Stage Door Fan
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Peter Potulski | ... |
Stage Door Fan
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Vinnie Gonzales | ... |
Stage Door Fan
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Whitey Ryan | ... |
Stage Door Guard
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Doc Lawless | ... |
Chauffeur
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| Marta Heflin | ... |
Young Girl
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Katherine Wallach | ... |
Autograph Seeker
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Charles Kaleina | ... |
Autograph Seeker
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Richard Baratz | ... |
Caricaturist
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| Catherine Scorsese | ... |
Rupert's Mom (voice)
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Cathy Scorsese | ... |
Dolores
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| Chuck Low | ... |
Man in Chinese Restaurant
(as Chuck L. Low)
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| Liza Minnelli | ... |
Liza Minnelli (creditOnly)
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Leslie Levinson | ... |
Roberta Posner
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Alan Potashnick | ... |
Man at Telephone
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Michael Kolba | ... |
Man at Telephone
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Robert Colston | ... |
Man at Telephone
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Ramon Rodriguez | ... |
Man at Telephone
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Chuck Coop | ... |
Man at Telephone
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Sel Vitella | ... |
Man at Telephone
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| Margo Winkler | ... |
Receptionist
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Tony Boschetti | ... |
Mr. Gangemi
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| Shelley Hack | ... |
Cathy Long
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| Mick Jones | ... |
Street Scum
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| Joe Strummer | ... |
Street Scum
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| Paul Simonon | ... |
Street Scum
(as Paul Simmion)
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Kosmo Vinyl | ... |
Street Scum
(as Kosmo Vynil)
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| Ellen Foley | ... |
Street Scum
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Pearl Harbour | ... |
Street Scum
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Gaby Salter | ... |
Street Scum
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Jerry Baxter-Worman | ... |
Street Scum
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| Don Letts | ... |
Street Scum
(as Dom Letts)
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Matt Russo | ... |
Cabbie
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Thelma Lee | ... |
Woman in Telephone Booth
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| Joyce Brothers | ... |
Dr. Joyce Brothers
(as Dr. Joyce Brothers)
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George Kapp | ... |
Mystery Guest
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| Victor Borge | ... |
Victor Borge
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Ralph Monaco | ... |
Raymond Wirtz
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Rob-Jamere Wess | ... |
Security Guard
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| Kim Chan | ... |
Jonno
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Audrey Dummett | ... |
Cook
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June Prud'Homme | ... |
Audrey
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| Frederick De Cordova | ... |
Bert Thomas
(as Fred De Cordova)
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Edgar J. Scherick | ... |
Wilson Crockett
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Thomas M. Tolan | ... |
Gerrity
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Ray Dittrich | ... |
Giardello
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Richard Dioguardi | ... |
Captain Burke
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| Jay Julien | ... |
Langford's Lawyer
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| Harry J. Ufland | ... |
Langford's Agent
(as Harry Ufland)
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Scotty Bloch | ... |
Crockett's Secretary
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Jim Lyness | ... |
Ticket Taker
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Bill Minkin | ... |
Clarence McCabe
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Diane Rachell | ... |
McCabe's Wife
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Dennis Mulligan | ... |
Plainclothesman
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| Tony Devon | ... |
Plainclothesman
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Peter Fain | ... |
Plainclothesman
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Michael F. Stodden | ... |
Plainclothesman
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Gerard Murphy | ... |
Plainclothesman
(as Jerry Murphy)
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Jimmy Raitt | ... |
Stage Manager
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| Martin Scorsese | ... |
TV Director
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| Tony Randall | ... |
Tony Randall
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| Charles Scorsese | ... |
First Man at Bar
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| Mardik Martin | ... |
Second Man at Bar
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Bill Jorgensen | ... |
Newsman (voice)
(as William Jorgensen)
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| Marvin Scott | ... |
Newsman (voice)
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Chuck Stevens | ... |
Newsman (voice)
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William Litauer | ... |
Newsman (voice)
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| Jeff David | ... |
Announcer (voice)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Allan Baker | ... |
Audience Member (uncredited)
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Diane Baldessari | ... |
Office Assistant (uncredited)
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Margaret Mary Briggs | ... |
Girlfriend at Bar (uncredited)
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| Mark Heenehan | ... |
Joe - Talk Show Stagehand (uncredited)
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| Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio | ... |
Extra in crowd scene (uncredited)
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Joe Napoleone | ... |
Waiter (uncredited)
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| William G. Schilling | ... |
Man on Street (uncredited)
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| Mike Tremont | ... |
Talk Show Contestant (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Martin Scorsese | ||
Written by
| Paul D. Zimmerman | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Robert F. Colesberry | ... | associate producer |
| Robert Greenhut | ... | executive producer |
| Arnon Milchan | ... | producer |
Music by
| Robbie Robertson | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
| Fred Schuler | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Thelma Schoonmaker | ||
Editorial Department
| Donah Bassett | ... | negative cutter |
| Louis Bertini | ... | second assistant editor |
| Richard Candib | ... | first assistant editor |
| Mary Hickey | ... | apprentice editor |
| Holly Huckins | ... | post-production coordinator |
| Susan Lazarus | ... | apprentice editor |
| Robert Raring | ... | color timer (as Bob Raring) |
Casting By
| Cis Corman | ||
Production Design by
| Boris Leven | ||
Art Direction by
| Lawrence Miller | ||
| Edward Pisoni | ||
Set Decoration by
| George DeTitta Sr. | ||
| Daniel Robert | ||
Costume Design by
| Richard Bruno | ||
Makeup Department
| Philip Goldblat | ... | makeup artist (as Philip Goldblatt) |
| Lyndell Quiyou | ... | hair stylist (as Lyn Quiyou) |
| Jay Cannistraci | ... | assistant makeup artist (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Robert F. Colesberry | ... | production manager |
| Barbara De Fina | ... | post-production supervisor |
| Tom Razzano | ... | assistant unit manager (as Thomas A. Razzano) |
| Thelma Schoonmaker | ... | production supervisor |
| Ezra Swerdlow | ... | unit manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Lewis Gould | ... | second assistant director |
| Scott Maitland | ... | first assistant director |
| Jerry Olinick | ... | dga trainee |
Art Department
| Billy Bishop | ... | second props (as Bill Bishop) |
| Edward Garzero | ... | scenic artist |
| Carlos Quiles | ... | carpenter (as Carlos Quiles Sr.) |
| Jimmy Raitt | ... | property master |
| Dave Weinman | ... | set dresser (as David Weinman) |
| Joe Williams Sr. | ... | construction grip |
| Richard Shelton | ... | painter (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Rebecca Einfeld | ... | sound editorial staff |
| Tom Fleischman | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Gary S. Gerlich | ... | sound editorial staff (as Gary Gerlich) |
| Vito L. Ilardi | ... | boom operator (as Vito Ilardi) |
| Les Lazarowitz | ... | sound mixer |
| Victoria Martin | ... | sound editorial staff |
| Dick Vorisek | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Frank E. Warner | ... | supervising sound editor (as Frank Warner) |
| Bill Wylie | ... | sound editorial staff (as William Wylie) |
| Ken Dufva | ... | foley artist (uncredited) |
| Bob Olari | ... | sound recordist (uncredited) |
| Gary Parker | ... | sound recordist (uncredited) |
| Philip Rogers | ... | sound recordist (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Bill Akerlund | ... | camera operator |
| Ricki-Ellen Brooke | ... | second assistant camera (as Ricki Ellen Brooke) |
| Sandy Brooke | ... | first assistant camera |
| Garrett Brown | ... | steadicam operator |
| Norman Buck | ... | key grip |
| Ted Churchill | ... | steadicam operator |
| James Fitzpatrick | ... | best boy |
| Deane Helms | ... | best boy |
| Dick Mingalone | ... | camera operator |
| Lorey Sebastian | ... | still photographer |
| William Ward | ... | gaffer (as Bill Ward) |
| Dennis Degan | ... | tape operator (uncredited) |
| Gábor Kövér | ... | first assistant camera: "b" camera (uncredited) |
Casting Department
| Jack De Palma | ... | principals casting assistant |
| Sylvia Fay | ... | extras casting (as Sylvia Faye) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| William Loger | ... | costume supervisor |
| Mary Ellen Winston | ... | assistant costume designer |
Location Management
| Amy Sayres | ... | location coordinator |
Music Department
| Mark Del Costello | ... | music consultant |
| Robbie Robertson | ... | music producer |
Script and Continuity Department
| Roberta Hodes | ... | script supervisor (as Roberta O. Hodes) |
| Sheila Paige | ... | second script supervisor |
| Hannah Scheel | ... | consulting script supervisor |
Transportation Department
| Harold 'Whitey' McEvoy | ... | transportation captain (as Harold McEvoy) |
Additional Crew
| Jourdan Arenson | ... | production assistant |
| Marion Billings | ... | publicity coordinator: M/S Billings Publicity |
| Dominique Bruballa | ... | production auditor: Kathleen McGill Production Services |
| Sarah Carson | ... | assistant production office coordinator |
| Michael Dulin | ... | production assistant |
| William Goldberg | ... | controller |
| Peter Grossman | ... | production assistant |
| Shelley Houis | ... | production office coordinator |
| Harry Litman | ... | production assistant |
| Loretta Lorden | ... | video consultant |
| Dan Perri | ... | title designer |
| Randee Post | ... | production assistant |
| Alan Potashnick | ... | assistant: Mr. De Niro |
| Sylvia Reed | ... | production assistant |
| Helen Robin | ... | assistant: Mr. Greenhut |
| Susan Rollins | ... | production assistant |
| Gil Rossellini | ... | production assistant (as Gil Rossellini-Dasgupta) |
| Valerie Sancoff | ... | production auditor: Kathleen McGill Production Services |
| Bill Scheffer | ... | production assistant |
| Deborah Schindler | ... | assistant: Mr. Scorsese |
| Jennifer W. Shore | ... | production assistant (as Jennifer Wyckoff) |
| Shawn Slovo | ... | assistant: Mr. De Niro |
| Laurie Spring | ... | production assistant |
| Todd Thaler | ... | production assistant |
| Guy J. Louthan | ... | production assistant (uncredited) |
| Marlene Willoughby | ... | stand-in: Sandra Bernhard (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Dan Johnson | ... | dedicatee |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Twentieth Century Fox (1983) (United States) (theatrical)
- 20th Century Fox Argentina (1983) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Concorde Film (1983) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Europa Film (1983) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Filmes Castello Lopes (1983) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Fox Columbia Film Distributors (1983) (Australia) (theatrical) (through)
- Fram Film (1983) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Globe Films S.A. (1983) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Jugendfilm-Verleih (1983) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- LMD (1983) (France) (theatrical)
- Les Films de la Rochelle (1983) (France) (theatrical)
- Michel Gauchon Distribution (1983) (France) (theatrical)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1983) (United States) (VHS) (pan and scan)
- 20th Century Fox India (1984) (India) (theatrical)
- Adams Filmi (1983) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Thorn EMI Video Australia (1984) (Australia) (VHS)
- VPS Video (1984) (West Germany) (VHS)
- Filmpac Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- TV3 (1991) (Finland) (tv)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (1992) (United States) (VHS)
- TBS Superstation (1992) (United States) (tv)
- Nelonen (1998) (Finland) (tv)
- Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2002) (Finland) (tv)
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2013) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (2013) (Finland) (tv)
- Filmconfect Home Entertainment (2017) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
- Netflix Studios (2020) (Venezuela) (video) (VOD)
- Canal+ (1987) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- Disney+ (2022) (United Kingdom) (video) (VOD) (Star)
- Nordic Video (Finland) (video)
- SBS Movies (2023) (Australia) (tv)
- VTC-Video (Finland) (video)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- ARRI / Camera Service Center (camera equipment provided by)
- Cannes Film Festival (festival)
- Regency Enterprises (in association with: 2013 restoration)
- Sylvia Fay/Lee Genick & Associates Casting (extras casting)
- The Film Foundation (in association with: 2013 restoration)
- Visual Icon (exclusive clip and still licensing)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Rupert Pupkin is obsessed with becoming a comedy great. However, when he confronts his idol, talk show host Jerry Langford, with a plea to perform on the Jerry's show, he is only given the run-around. He does not give up, however, but persists in stalking Jerry until he gets what he wants. Eventually he must team up with his psychotic Langford-obsessed friend Masha to kidnap the talk show host in hopes of finally getting to perform his stand-up routine.
Written by Andrew Hyatt |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | . . and when it's all over one of them won't be laughing See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $20,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Martin Scorsese has said that he thought Robert De Niro's best performance under his direction was in this film. See more » |
| Goofs | The TV sets in the store display window near the end, where Jerry Langford angrily watches the end of Rupert Pupkin's TV appearance, are all tuned to channel 3. There is no TV station in New York City on channel 3 (two major stations, WCBS and WNBC, are on channels 2 and 4 respectively). However, channel 3 was (and is) commonly used for connecting video devices such as home computers and videotape recorders to TV sets. The film crew most likely rigged a videotape player to the TVs to mimic a network broadcast, thus requiring them to be tuned to channel 3--a small detail that most audience members wouldn't have noticed. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Jerry Lewis/Loverboy (1983). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Jerry Langford Theme See more » |
| Quotes |
Rupert Pupkin:
Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime. See more » |