USA,
1981, 108 min
Directed by:
Herbert RossScreenplay:
Dennis PotterCinematography:
Gordon WillisCast:
Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Walken, Jessica Harper, John McMartin, John Karlen, M.C. Gainey, Twink Caplan, Nancy Parsons (more)Plots(1)
Steve Martin stars as Arthur, who sells sheet music--and the dreams promised in their lyrics--in 1930s depression-era Chicago. He's not always the most pleasant of fellows: He cheats on his wife, lies to his lovers, and seduces an innocent schoolteacher, Eileen (Bernadette Peters). But his spirit still has a sweetness and innocence--the sweetness of the Tin Pan Alley tunes he hawks and the innocence of the fantasy-filled Hollywood musicals he sees. When Arthur and Eileen set out on a series of misadventures, their bleak world turns to song and dance in a series of lavish Busby Berkeley-style musical numbers. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Awards
- Winner
- Nominations
Academy Awards
- 1982 - Dennis Potter (Best Adapted Screenplay)
- 1982 - Best Achievement in Costume Design
- 1982 - Best Sound Mixing
Golden Globes
- 1982 - Bernadette Peters (Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy)
- 1982 - Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
- 1982 - Steve Martin (Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy)
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
- 1981 - Dennis Potter (Best Screenplay)
- 1981 - Gordon Willis (Best Cinematographer)