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Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

R | | Crime, Drama | 1 June 1984 (USA)
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.

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(novel), (screenplay) | 6 more credits »
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Top Rated Movies #67 | Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 7 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Joe
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James Hayden ...
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Eve (as Darlanne Fleugel)
Larry Rapp ...
Richard Foronjy ...
Officer 'Fartface' Whitey (as Richard Foronji)
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Storyline

Epic tale of a group of Jewish gangsters in New York, from childhood, through their glory years during prohibition, and their meeting again 35 years later. Written by Andrew Welsh <andreww@bnr.ca>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

As boys, they made a pact to share their fortunes, their loves, their lives. As men, they shared a dream to rise from poverty to power. Their story is now a "once upon a time" motion picture experience. [Australia Theatrical] See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, language and some drug use | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

|

Language:

| |

Release Date:

1 June 1984 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Once Upon a Time in America  »

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$5,300,000 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (re-cut) | (extended director's cut) | (original)

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The script was written in Italian by Leonardo Benvenuti; in 1981 writing partners Piero De Bernardi and Enrico Medioli, and Stuart Kaminsky were brought in to appropriately translate it into English. According to Kaminsky, Benvenuti was primarily responsible for devising the visual scenes, Medioli maintained the epic nature of the film, and Kaminsky wrote all the dialogue (Kaminsky also collaborated with Robert De Niro to ensure the characterization between Max and Noodles was both similar and distinct). See more »

Goofs

In 1968, Noodles rents a 1962 Pontiac, which is far too old to be in a rental fleet. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
[In 1933, two goons rudely question a young woman]
Beefy: Where is he? Where's he hiding?
Eve: I don't know... I've been looking for him since yesterday.
[second goon slaps her harshly; she falls onto the bed]
Beefy: I'm gonna ask you for the last time: Where is he?
Eve: I don't know... What are you gonna do to him?
[Two shots are heard]
Beefy: [to his partner] Stay here in case that rat shows up...
See more »

Crazy Credits

Joey Faye is credited as the "adorable old man." See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: Once Upon a Time in Springfield (2010) See more »

Soundtracks

God Bless America
Music by Irving Berlin
Music by Irving Berlin Music Corporation
Performed by Kate Smith
Courtesy of RCA Record
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Almost 4 hours of my life I won't get back
26 December 2016 | by (Scotland) – See all my reviews

My only merits for this film are for the principles of camera work, general acting and basic cinematics, besides that, this is almost 4 hours of my life I won't get back, this film drags on so much that by the first hour I felt like I'd spent a full day watching it and on top of that I still had very little connection to the characters and their story hadn't even started. Second hour hit, still nothing, I was almost asleep. Third hour, I might as well have been asleep, the story was still stagnant. As a cinematic story, yes, this is amazing. But as a film, it's like watching paint dry, it just doesn't get going. If you have the time to spare and have nothing better to do or watch then by all means, watch this film, but if you have something better do with your time then please, avoid this film. The length of the film doesn't justify the lack of story or the cinematic prowess, this could very easily have been an hour and a half film.


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