The King of Comedy (1983 lm)

The King of Comedy (1983) is an American black comedy lm[3] starring Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis. Directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul D. Zimmerman, the lm focuses on themes including celebrity
worship and American media culture. 20th Century Fox
released The King of Comedy on February 18, 1983 in
the United States,[4] though the lm was released two
months earlier in Iceland.[5] The lm began shooting in
New York on June 1, 1981 to avoid clashing with a forthcoming writers strike,[6] and opened the Cannes Film
Festival in 1983.[7][8]

long awaited autobiography, King For a Night. The report informs that Rupert still considers Jerry Langford his
mentor and friend and that he and his agent are currently
weighing several attractive oers.
The nal scene shows Rupert taking the stage for an apparent TV special with a live audience and an announcer
enthusiastically introducing and praising him.

2 Cast
Robert De Niro as Rupert Pupkin

Plot

Jerry Lewis as Jerry Langford

Diahnne Abbott as Rita Keane

Rupert Pupkin (De Niro), a stage-door autograph hound,

is an aspiring stand-up comedian whose ambition far exceeds his talent. After meeting Jerry Langford (Lewis), a
successful comedian and talk show host, Rupert believes
his big break has nally come. He attempts to get a
place on the show but is continually rebued by Langfords sta and, nally, by Langford himself.

Sandra Bernhard as Masha

Shelley Hack as Cathy Long
Tony Randall as himself
Ed Herlihy as himself

Along the way, Rupert indulges in elaborate and obses Margo Winkler as the receptionist
sive fantasies where he and Langford are colleagues and
friends. He even takes a date, Rita, to Langfords home,
uninvited, trying to impress her.
2.1 Cameos
When the straight approach does not work, Rupert
hatches a kidnapping plot with the help of Masha (Sandra
Bernhard), a stalker who is also obsessed with Langford.
As ransom, Rupert demands that he be given the opening spot on that evenings Jerry Langford Show (guest
hosted by Tony Randall), and that the show be broadcast in normal fashion. The network brass, lawyers, and
the FBI agree, with the understanding that Langford will
be released once the show airs. Between the taping of
the show and the broadcast, Masha has her dream date
with Langford, who is duct-taped to a chair in her parents Manhattan townhouse. Jerry convinces her to untie
him and escapes.

Scorsese has a cameo as Man in Van. He later appears as The Jerry Langford Show director, assuring
Tony Randall that his cue cards are funny.
Scorseses mother Catherine Scorsese plays Pupkins (unseen) mother.[9]
Real-life lm and television producers Edgar Scherick and Frederick de Cordova have cameo roles as
a network president and producer of the Langford
show, respectively.
A gang of punks is seen on a street corner in the
lm. Billed in the credits as Street Scum, they
are played by Mick Jones, Joe Strummer, and Paul
Simonon of The Clash, actress-singer Ellen Foley
("Paradise by the Dashboard Light", Night Court),
Don Letts, Kosmo Vinyl, and singer Pearl Harbor.

Ruperts stand-up routine is well received. He closes by

confessing to the audience that he kidnapped Jerry Langford in order to break into show business. The studio audience laughs, thinking that it is a part of his act. Rupert
responds by saying, Tomorrow you'll know I wasn't kidding and you'll all think I'm crazy. But I gure it this way:
better to be king for a night, than schmuck for a lifetime.

Tony Randall as emergency guest host of The Jerry

Langford Show.
Victor Borge and Dr. Joyce Brothers as guests on
The Jerry Langford Show.

The movie closes with a news report of Ruperts release

from prison, set to a montage of storefronts stocking his
1

PRODUCTION

Lou Brown and Ed Herlihy as band leader and an- the brief scene where Jerry Langford is accosted by an
nouncer, respectively, of The Jerry Langford Show. old lady for autographs, who screams you should only
get cancer!" when Lewis politely rebus her, was based
Scorseses father, Charles Scorsese, plays one of the on a real-life incident that happened to Lewis. Scorsese
men at the bar where Pupkin is watching his own said Lewis directed the actress playing the old lady to get
performance on TV.
the timing right.
Scorseses friend, Mardik Martin, plays a second
man at the bar.

3.1 Screenplay

Scorseses daughter, Cathy Scorsese, plays Dolores.

Scorsese rst became aware of Paul D. Zimmerman's

Scorseses lawyer at the time, Jay Julien, plays Jerry script after it was brought to him by Robert De Niro in
Langfords lawyer.
1974, but declined the project citing that he felt no personal connection with it.[15] Michael Cimino was attached
to direct, however Ciminos involvement with the script
fell through, when he left the project to instead direct
3 Production
Heavens Gate. Prompted by the alienation he felt from
[16]
After Raging Bull was completed, Scorsese was keen to his growing celebrity status, and De Niros claims that
real fast, and that it would be
do a pet project of his, The Last Temptation of Christ, and the lm could be made
[17]
a
New
York
movie
Scorseses interest in the project
wanted De Niro to play Jesus Christ. De Niro was not
was
rekindled.
interested and preferred their next collaboration to be a
comedy. He had purchased the rights of a script by a
lm critic, Paul D. Zimmerman.[10] Scorsese pondered
whether he could face shooting another lm, particularly
with a looming strike by the Writers Guild of America.
Producer Arnon Milchan knew he could do the project
away from Hollywood interference by lming entirely on
location in New York and deliver it on time with the involvement of a smaller lm company.[10]

3.2 Casting

Scorseses rst choice for talk show host Jerry Langford

was Johnny Carson. Carson refused the role, claiming
you know that one take is enough for me.[18] The entire
Rat Pack was also consideredspecically Frank Sinatra
and Dean Martinbefore a decision was made to select
In the biography/overview of his work, Scorsese on Scors- Martins old partner, Jerry Lewis.[18][19]
ese, the director had high praise for Jerry Lewis, stating that during their rst conversation before shooting,
Lewis was extremely professional and assured him before 3.3 Principle photography
shooting that there would be no ego clashes or diculties.
Scorsese said he felt Lewis performance in the lm was Arnon Milchan suggested shooting began a month earlier
vastly underrated and deserved more acclaim.[11]
than scheduled in order to avoid possible work stoppage
After such a strong critical appreciation for the way in from the DGA strike. Furthermore, Scorsese was not in
which Scorsese had shot Raging Bull, the director felt that good health. The lm was shot over a twenty week period,
[20]
The King of Comedy needed more of a raw cinematic with Scorsese shooting from 4pm to 7pm everyday.
style, one of which would take its cues from early silent
cinema, using more static camera shots, and less dramatic
3.4 Scorseses health
close-ups. Scorsese has noted that Edwin S. Porters 1903
lm, Life of an American Fireman, had greatly inuenced
Scorsese had suered from poor health both before and
The King of Comedys visual style.[12]
during the lms production. He had previously worked
According to an interview with Lewis in the February 7, on three lms close together and not long after, found
1983 edition of People magazine, he claimed that Scors- himself hospitalised due to exhaustion and pneumonia.
ese and De Niro employed method acting tricks, includ- He had not recovered when shooting began.[21] The ining making a slew of anti-Semitic epithets during the tensive lming schedule meant Scorsese could spend the
lming in order to pump up Lewiss anger.[13] Lewis de- remainder of his time recuperating.[20]
scribed making the lm as a pleasurable experience and
noted that he got along well with both Scorsese and De
Niro. Lewis said he was invited to collaborate on certain 3.5 Music
aspects of the script dealing with celebrity life. He suggested an ending in which Rupert Pupkin kills Jerry, but Robbie Robertson produced the music for the lms
was turned down. As a result, Lewis thought that the lm, soundtrack and contributed his rst original work afwhile good, did not have a nish.[14] In an interview for ter leaving The Band entitled Between Trains.[22] This
the DVD, Scorsese stated that Jerry Lewis suggested that song, a tribute to a member of the production sta who

3
had suddenly passed away, is on the soundtrack album
but not in the movie itself. The King of Comedy soundtrack is a mix of popular music and thematic orchestral
scoring by composer Bob James.[23] The soundtack includes songs from artist such as B.B. King, Van Morrison
and Ray Charles. This kind of hybridization of pop and
scored music will later be use in Gangs of New York, The
Aviator and The Departed.

Distribution

The King of Comedy was released on DVD on December

12, 2002 (Region 1) and 19 April 2004 (Region 2).
A digital restoration of the movie was presented on April
27, 2013 as the closing lm of De Niros Tribeca Film
Festival. This latest version was produced from the
lms original camera negatives and features a restored
soundtrack.[24] While the restored lm was scheduled to
be released onto Blu-ray on October 29, 2013,[25] the
30th Anniversary home media release was ultimately delayed for a release date of March 25, 2014.[26]

5
5.1

Reception
Critical reception

Rotten Tomatoes reported that 91% of 43 critics gave

the lm positive reviews. Its critical consensus states:
Largely misunderstood upon its release, The King of
Comedy today looks eerily prescient, and features a ne
performance by Robert De Niro as a strangely sympathetic psychopath.[27] Although the lm was well received by critics, it bombed at the box oce. De Niro
said that the lm "...maybe wasn't so well received because it gave o an aura of something that people didn't
want to look at or know.[28]
Timeout called it Creepiest movie of the year in every sense, and one of the best.[29] Roger Ebert of the
Chicago Sun-Times gave the lm three out of four stars,
writing, "The King of Comedy is one of the most arid,
painful, wounded movies I've ever seen. Its hard to believe Scorsese made it... He also wrote, Scorsese doesn't
want laughs in this movie, and he also doesn't want release. The whole movie is about the inability of the characters to get any kind of a positive response to their bids
for recognition. He concluded the lm, is not, you may
already have guessed, a fun movie. It is also not a bad
movie. It is frustrating to watch, unpleasant to remember,
and, in its own way, quite eective.[30] Dave Kehr of the
Chicago Reader gave the lm a favorable review, calling
the lm, clearly an extension of Taxi Driver" and the uncenteredness of the lm is irritating, though its irritating
in an ambitious, risk-taking way.[31] Joyce Millman of
Salon called it, Martin Scorseses second least popular

movie, after The Last Temptation of Christ. Which is a

shame, because its Scorseses second greatest lm, after
Taxi Driver.[32] However, not all critics gave the lm positive reviews. Adam Smith of Empire Magazine called
it Neither funny enough to be an eective black comedy nor scary enough to capitalise on its thriller/horror
elements.[33]
David Ehrenstein, author of The Scorsese Picture noted
the mixed response of the lm in his 1983 review. He
stated that The King of Comedy cuts too close to the bone
for either large-scale mass audience approval or unanimous mainstream critical acclaim. He noted how far
apart the lm stood to other lms made in the early years
of Reagans America which the lm presented a very
critical portrayal of (although the script was written well
before Reagans election, and shooting began less than
ve months after Reagan took oce). At a time when
the lm world piles on simple-minded sentiment in thick
gooey gobs, a picture like The King of Comedy appears
a frontal assault. The triumph of the 'little guy' is revealed to be nothing more than lumpen neo-Fascist blood
lust.[34]
Pauline Kael of The New Yorker was one of the critics
who disliked the lm, describing the character of Rupert Pupkin as "Jake LaMotta without sts. She went
on to write that De Niro in disguise denies his characters a soul. De Niros 'bravura' acting in Mean Streets,
Taxi Driver and New York, New York collapsed into 'antiacting' after he started turning himself into repugnant
esh eggies of soulless characters.....Pupkin is a nothing.
Scorsese says that people were confused with King of
Comedy and saw Bob as some sort of mannequin. Scorsese has called De Niros role as Rupert Pupkin his favorite
of all their collaborations.[35]

6 Legacy
Sandra Bernhard, who plays Masha in the lm, indicated
in a 2013 interview that Jack Black was interested by a remake, however she dismissed the idea, saying it was too
late to do it.[36] Actor Steve Carell and director Bennett
Miller, both black comedy fans, cited The King of Comedy as a personal favorite[37] and inspiration to shape the
sociopath character of John E. du Pont in Foxcatcher.[38]

6.1 Parody
The confrontation scene at Jerrys house between Pupkin
and Langford was parodied on Saturday Night Live soon
after the lms release, when Lewis hosted the show. The
sketch, featuring Tim Kazurinsky and Mary Gross, features Lewis visiting a studio in Paris, France and meeting
a voice actor who performs the French-language dubs for
Lewis characters in all his movies. However, Jerry is dismayed when he learns that the actor reads it all in the

nine-year-old boy style that was part of Lewis comedy

routines during his days with Dean Martin. The actor
tries to kill himself out of shame when Lewis rebukes
him, but Lewis stops it.

6.2

Debate about ending

Film scholar David Bordwell, writing in Film Viewers

Guide, mentioned the (un)reality of the ending as a topic
for debate, as there is no denitive answer as to whether
the ending is reality or fantasy.[39] By the end of the lm
the line between fantasy and reality is blurred for the audience as well as the character. Scorsese doesn't oer a
clear answer but forces the audience to make their own
minds up from how they individually read the lm.

REFERENCES

[4] http://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/18/movies/
scorsese-s-king-of-comedy.html
[5] http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1567189&
lang=0
[6] Thompson, David and Christie, Ian. Scorsese on Scorsese,
p.87.
[7] http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/09/movies/
jerry-lewis-is-the-king-at-cannes-film-festival.html
[8] http://www.empireonline.com/features/
cannes-great-opening-films/3.asp
[9] Noted by Scorsese in The King of Comedy DVD making
of feature.
[10] Baxter, John De Niro A Biography pp. 219/20.

In his commentary on The Criterion Collection DVD of

Black Narcissus, Scorsese stated that Michael Powell's [11] Thompson, ed. by David Thompson (1991). Scorsese on
lms inuenced The King of Comedy in its conception
Scorsese (Repr. ed.). London u.a.: Faber and Faber. p.
90. ISBN 0-571-15243-0.
of fantasy. Scorsese said that Powell always treated fantasy as no dierent than reality, and so made fantasy sequences as realistic as possible. Scorsese suggests that [12] Thompson, ed. by David Thompson (1991). Scorsese on
Scorsese (Repr. ed.). London u.a.: Faber and Faber. p.
Rupert Pupkins character fails to dierentiate between
88. ISBN 0-571-15243-0.
his fantasies and reality in much the same way. Scorsese
sought to achieve the same with the lm so that, in his [13] People, February 7, 1983, page 44.
words, the fantasy is more real than reality.
[14] Bogdanovinch, Peter. Who The Hells In It, p.196.

6.3

Critics lists

Halliwells Top 1000 #180[40]

1001 Movies You Must See Before you Die
Jonathan Rosenbaum: 1000 Essential Films[41]
The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies
Ever Made[42]
Empire's list of 500 greatest lms (no. 87)[43]

See also
Cecil B. Dementeda 2000 lm directed by John
Waters with a similar plot

8
8.1

References
Notes

[15] LoBrutto, Vincent (2008). Martin Scorsese : a biography.

Westport, Conn.: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-275-98705-3.
[16] Rausch, Andrew J. (2010). The lms of Martin Scorsese
and Robert De Niro ([Online-Ausg.]. ed.). Lanham, Md.:
Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-7414-5.
[17] UK, Leighton Grist, University of Winchester, (2013).
The lms of Martin Scorsese, 1978-99 : authorship and
context II (1. publ. ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-403-92035-5.
[18] Christie and Thompson, Ian and David. Scorsese on Scorsese, p.89.
[19] Schoell, William. Martini Man: The Life of Dean Martin.
Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing 1999. ISBN 0-87833231-6.
[20] Vincent LoBrutto (2008). Martin Scorsese: A Biography.
USA: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 256.
[21] Andrew J. Rausch (2010). The Films of Martin Scorsese
and Robert De Niro. USA: Scarecrow Press. p. 98.
[22] Biography | Robbie Robertson

[2] The King of Comedy (1983) - Box Oce Mojo

[23] Ashby, edited by Arved (2013). Popular music and the

new auteur : visionary lmmakers after MTV. New York:
Oxford University Press. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-19-9827336.

[3] The Jerry Lewis Films by James L. Neibaur and Ted

Okuda. Jeerson, SC: McFarland, 1994, ISBN 0-89950961-4.

[24] Itzko, Dave (28 March 2013). A Restored King of

Comedy Will Close Tribeca Film Festival. The New
York Times. Arts Beat (blog). Retrieved 28 March 2013.

[1] Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate

and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p260

[25] Martin Scorseses The King of Comedy Heading to Bluray. Blu-ray.com. April 25, 2013. Retrieved September
6, 2013.

9 External links
The King of Comedy at the Internet Movie Database

[26] The King of Comedy 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition.

Blu-ray.com. February 5, 2014. Retrieved February 5,
2014.

The King of Comedy at Rotten Tomatoes

[27] The King of Comedy - Rotten Tomatoes

Jon Dambacher, The Imitation of A Dream, 2010

[28] Friedman Lawrence S. The Films of Martin Scorsese 1997,

p.133.
[29] The King of Comedy Review. Movie Reviews - Film Time Out London
[30] The King of Comedy. rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
[31] The King of Comedy. Chicago Reader. Retrieved April
22, 2011.
[32] Millman, Joyce (21 March 1997). The King of Comedy. Salon. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
[33] Empires The King of Comedy Movie Review
[34] The King of Comedy. Ehrensteinland.com. Retrieved
2014-05-20.
[35] Friedman Lawrence S. The Films of Martin Scorsese 1997,
p.127.
[36] Frank DiGiacomo (April 19, 2013). Sandra Bernhard
Says 'Its Too Late' To Remake 'The King of Comedy'".
Movieline. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
[37] Toma Clarac (January 21, 2015). Steve Carell : 52 ans.
Toujours plus haut (French)". GQ. Retrieved January 21,
2015.
[38] Tim Robey (January 9, 2015). Bennett Miller interview:
'Foxcatcher is a lm about fathers". The Daily Telegraph.
Retrieved January 21, 2015.
[39] Bordwell (2003). The McGraw-Hill lm viewers guide.
Boston: McGraw-Hill. p. 30.
[40] Halliwells Top 1000. Harper Collins Entertainmentlocation=USA. 2005.
[41] Jonathan Rosenbaums 1000 Essential Films. Mubi.
[42] The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made. New York Times.
[43] The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time. Empire Online.

8.2

Bibliography

Baxter, John (2006). De Niro: A Biography.

Christie and Thompson, Ian and David (2004).
Scorsese on Scorsese.

The King of Comedy at AllMovie

10

10
10.1

TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

Text

The King of Comedy (1983 lm) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20King%20of%20Comedy%20(1983%20film)?oldid=

648247720 Contributors: Kingturtle, Gavri, RedWolf, Postdlf, Neckro, DocWatson42, Varlaam, Dunks58, Gaul, Discospinster, JPX7,
Bender235, NetBot, Philip Cross, Barte, Patmtz, Alai, The JPS, Woohookitty, Tabletop, Stefanomione, Mandarax, SteveCrook, Rjwilmsi,
FlaBot, Jeman52001, Its-is-not-a-genitive, YurikBot, Quentin X, Hede2000, GusF, C777, B. Phillips, B0sh, UDScott, Mikeysh,
Whobot, Mrblondnyc, Katieh5584, SmackBot, Artihcus022, WACGuy, McGeddon, Eskimbot, Adjameson, Bluebot, Steinninn, Uncle
Bubba, Derek R Bullamore, JackO'Lantern, Guroadrunner, Count Ringworm, Brennan Milligan, Nehrams2020, Plateofshrimp, Iridescent, GrandpaPap, RattleandHum, RCS, Donaldd23, WeggeBot, Cydebot, Radiohawk, Treybien, Jainituos, Lugnuts, Matt-san, JamesAM,
Thijs!bot, Ackatsis, QuasyBoy, TFunk, The Person Who Is Strange, Baville, Dr. Blofeld, Handicapper, Mwprods, Andrzejbanas, Dcooper,
Arno Matthias, Ashadeofgrey, Alleborgo, Rettetast, Sleepyjuly, J.delanoy, Bigjt, Shawn in Montreal, Balthazarduju, STBotD, Donmike10,
Shakesphere17, Na1122, Dpodoll68, Tkondaks, Pjoef, Traxinet, SieBot, PolarBot, Tacomandave, Aspects, Onopearls, Thomjakobsen,
Angel caboodle, Martarius, All Hallows Wraith, TheOldJacobite, Niceguyedc, PixelBot, Sun Creator, Dutzi, DumZiBoT, XLinkBot,
Leia, Cli1911, Kilnburn, Addbot, DutchDevil, Zokapi, Jim10701, TheFreeloader, DinoBot2, Lightbot, OlEnglish, Luckas-bot, Yobot,
J Milburn Bot, Pattonjerey, AnomieBOT, ArthurBot, Xqbot, Edmundj, Cyphoidbomb, Hartenhof, Freshh, Spidey104, RedBot, Fulldate unlinking bot, Mrophelia, Ashley612, EmausBot, John of Reading, Exok, JDDJS, Robotpotato, ZroBot, Jordancelticsfan, SporkBot,
Guck hunter, Jkta97, Cntras, Chisme, Helpful Pixie Bot, JessicaCouch, BG19bot, Dutchy85, Dobie80, ExclusiveAgent, Runjcutta, Jjjakegittes, Zjbranson, OhHeyBro, Dancedom, Matheus6666, EoRdE6, Darrell Tus, Rox.dom, Marisamcgill, Calums94, Lchamp548 and
Anonymous: 106

10.2

Images

File:Wikiquote-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg License: Public domain

Contributors: ? Original artist: ?

10.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0