The King of Comedy
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The King of Comedy

Year:
Duration:
109 min
Genres:
Comedy | Drama
IMDB rate:
7.8
Director:
Martin Scorsese
Awards:
Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations
Details
Country: USA
Release Date: 1982-12-18
Filming Locations: Paramount Building, 1633 Broadway, New York City, New York, USA
Earnings
Budget: $20,000,000
Gross: $2,500,000 (USA) Admissions 57,780 (Germany)
Cast
Actor
Character
Robert De Niro
Rupert Pupkin
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Langford
Diahnne Abbott
Rita
Sandra Bernhard
Masha
Ed Herlihy
Ed Herlihy
Lou Brown
Band Leader
Loretta Tupper
Stage Door Fan
Peter Potulski
Stage Door Fan
Vinnie Gonzales
Stage Door Fan
Whitey Ryan
Stage Door Guard
Doc Lawless
Chauffeur
Marta Heflin
Young Girl
Charles Kaleina
Autograph Seeker
Richard Baratz
Caricaturist
Catherine Scorsese
Rupert's Mom
Cathy Scorsese
Dolores
Chuck Low
Man in Chinese Restaurant (as Chuck L. Low)
Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Leslie Levinson
Roberta Posner
Alan Potashnick
Man at Telephone
Michael Kolba
Man at Telephone
Robert Colston
Man at Telephone
Ramón Rodríguez
Man at telephone (as Ramon Rodriguez)
Chuck Coop
Man at Telephone
Sel Vitella
Man at Telephone
Margo Winkler
Receptionist
Tony Boschetti
Mr. Gangemi
Shelley Hack
Cathy Long
Mick Jones
Street Scum
Joe Strummer
Street Scum
Paul Simonon
Street Scum (as Paul Simmion)
Kosmo Vinyl
Street Scum
Ellen Foley
Street Scum
Pearl Harbour
Street Scum
Gary Salter
Street Scum
Jerry Baxter-Worman
Street Scum
Don Letts
Street Scum (as Dom Letts)
Matt Russo
Cabbie
Thelma Lee
Woman in Telephone Booth
Joyce Brothers
Dr. Joyce Brothers
George Kapp
Mystery Guest
Victor Borge
Victor Borge
Ralph Monaco
Raymond Wirtz
Rob-Jamere Wess
Security Guard
Kim Chan
Jonno
Audrey Dummett
Cook
June Prud'Homme
Audrey
Frederick De Cordova
Bert Thomas (as Fred De Cordova)
Edgar J. Scherick
Wilson Crockett
Thomas M. Tolan
Gerrity
Ray Dittrich
Giardello
Richard Dioguardi
Captain Burke
Jay Julien
Langford's Lawyer
Harry J. Ufland
Langford's Agent (as Harry Ufland)
Scotty Bloch
Crockett's Secretary
Jim Lyness
Ticket Taker
Bill Minkin
Clarence McCabe
Diane Rachell
McCabe's Wife
Dennis Mulligan
Plainclothesman
Tony Devon
Plainclothesman
Peter Fain
Plainclothesman
Michael F. Stodden
Plainclothesman
Gerard Murphy
Plainclothesman (as Jerry Murphy)
Jimmy Raitt
Stage Manager
Martin Scorsese
TV Director
Tony Randall
Tony Randall
Charles Scorsese
First Man at Bar
Mardik Martin
Second Man at Bar
Bill Jorgensen
Newsman (voice) (as William Jorgensen)
Marvin Scott
Newsman (voice)
Chuck Stevens
Newsman (voice)
William Litauer
Newsman (voice)
Jeff David
Announcer (voice)
Allan Baker
Audience Member (uncredited)
Margaret Briggs Brooks
Girlfriend at Bar (uncredited)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Extra in crowd scene (uncredited)
Mike Tremont
Talk Show Contestant (uncredited)
Did you know?
Trivia
In his monologue on the Jerry Langford show, De Niro's character Rupert Pupkin says that he is from Clifton, New Jersey. This is possibly an allusion to Andy Kaufman's abusive comedian persona, Tony Clifton, whom Pupkin resembles with similar hair, mustache and cheap blue suits.
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Sandra Bernhard was allowed to improvise most of her lines as she had no formal acting training and Scorsese wanted her to be as natural as possible.
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Joyce Brothers:  As herself, a guest on the Jerry Langford Show.
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Goofs
When Jerry is wearing the sweater that Masha knitted him, her reflection is in the mirror behind him and she is talking but her reflection's mouth is not moving.
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In a wideshot Masha takes the tape off Jerry's mouth with her left hand, but in a close-up her right hand is pulling off the tape.
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When Rupert and Rita are in the bar, the level of beer in Rupert's glass varies about half an inch between shots.
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Quotes
Rupert Pupkin: Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.
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Secretary: Is Mr. Langford expecting you?
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Rupert Pupkin: I know, Jerry, that you are as human as the rest of us, if not more so.
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Faq
Q
What is the entire monologue that Rupert Pupkin gives on the Jerry Langford Show?
A
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.Let me introduce myself. My name is Rupert Pupkin. I was born in Clifton, New Jersey... which was not at that time a federal offense.Is there anyone here from Clifton? Oh, good. We can all relax now. I'd like to begin by saying... my parents were too poor to afford me a childhood. But the fact is that... no one is allowed to be too poor in Clifton. Once you fall below a certain level... they exile you to Passaic.My parents did put the first two down payments on my childhood. Don't get me wrong, but they did also return me to the hospital as defective.But, like everyone else I grew up in large part thanks to my mother. If she were only here today... I'd say, "Hey, ma, what are you doing here? You've been dead for nine years!"But seriously, you should've seen my mother. She was wonderful. Blonde, beautiful, intelligent, alcoholic. We used to drink milk together after school. Mine was homogenized. Hers was loaded.Once they picked her up for speeding. They clocked her doing 55. All right, but in our garage?And when they tested her... they found out that her alcohol had 2% blood.Ah, but we used to joke together, mom and me... until the tears would stroll down her face... and she would throw up!Yeah, and who would clean it up? Not dad. He was too busy down at O'Grady's... throwing up on his own.Yeah.In fact, until I was 13 I thought throwing up was a sign of maturity.While the other kids were off in the woods sneaking cigarettes... I was hiding behind the house with my fingers down my throat.The only problem was I never got anywhere... until one day my father caught me. Just as he was giving me a final kick in the stomach for luck... I managed to heave all over his new shoes! "That's it", I thought. "I've made it. I'm finally a man!"But as it turned out, I was wrong. That was the only attention my father ever gave me.Yeah, he was usually too busy out in the park playing ball with my sister Rose.But today, I must say thanks to those many hours of practice my sister Rose has grown into a fine man.Me, I wasn't especially interested in athletics. The only exercise I ever got was when the other kids picked on me.Yeah, they used to beat me up once a week... usually Tuesday.And after a while the school worked it into the curriculum. And if you knocked me out, you got extra credit.There was this one kid, poor kid... he was afraid of me. I used to tell him... "Hit me, hit me. What's the matter with you? Don't you want to graduate?"Hey, I was the youngest kid in the history of the school to graduate in traction.But, you know, my only real interest right from the beginning, was show business. Even as a young man, I began at the very top collecting autographs. Now, a lot of you are probably wondering... why Jerry isn't with us tonight. Well, I'll tell you. The fact is he's tied up. I'm the one who tied him. Well, I know you think I'm joking... but, believe me, that's the only way... I could break into show business... by hijacking Jerry Langford.Right now, Jerry is strapped to a chair... somewhere in the middle of the city.Go ahead, laugh.Thank you. I appreciate it.But the fact is, I'm here. Now, tomorrow you'll know I wasn't kidding... and you'll think I was crazy. But, look, I figure it this way. Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.Thank you. Thank you.
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Photos from cast
Katherine Wallach
animals with feathers clipart Illustration of chicken cute Chicken and the chicks clipart images of chicken