The King of Comedy
Scorsese and De Niro's satire of a would-be comic who will do anything to get on television.
The King of Comedy is a 1982 American satirical black comedy directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Paul D. Zimmerman. Robert De Niro, in his fifth film with Scorsese, plays an aspiring stand-up comedian whose hunger for fame drives him to target a successful late-night television host, with Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhard alongside him.
The film is a study of celebrity culture, media illusion and the pursuit of notoriety.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
- Writer
- Paul D. Zimmerman
- Starring
- Robert De Niro
- Jerry Lewis
- Tony Randall
- Diahnne Abbott
- Sandra Bernhard
- Cinematography
- Fred Schuler
- Editing
- Thelma Schoonmaker
- Music
- Robbie Robertson
- Producer
- Arnon Milchan
- Studio
- Embassy International Pictures
Facts from the source article.
Background
Shooting began in New York City on 1 June 1981, partly to get ahead of a planned Writers Guild of America strike. The film was produced by Embassy International Pictures and was Jerry Lewis's third collaboration with 20th Century-Fox. It premiered internationally in Iceland in December 1982.
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