The House of Blue Leaves (film)
The House of Blue Leaves | |
---|---|
Written by | John Guare |
Directed by | Kirk Browning Jerry Zaks |
Starring | Swoosie Kurtz John Mahoney Christine Baranski Julie Hagerty Ben Stiller Richard Portnow |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Editor | Alfred Müller |
Running time | 113 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | PBS |
Release | 25 May 1987 |
The House of Blue Leaves is a 1987 television play adapted from the John Guare play of the same title.
Summary
[edit]The telefilm is set in Sunnyside, Queens in 1965, the day of Pope Paul VI's visit to New York City. The black comedy focuses on Artie Shaughnessy, a zookeeper who dreams of making it big in Hollywood as a songwriter, and his wife Bananas, a schizophrenic destined for the institution that provides the play's title. Artie wants to take his girlfriend Bunny with him to Hollywood. The story features nuns eager to see the Pope, a political bombing, and Ronnie, Artie's son, a GI headed for Vietnam who goes AWOL.
Cast and characters
[edit]- Swoosie Kurtz – Bananas Shaughnessy
- John Mahoney – Artie
- Christine Baranski – Bunny Flingus
- Julie Hagerty – Corrinna Stroller
- Ben Stiller – Ronnie Shaughnessy
- Richard Portnow – Billy Einhorn
- Debra Cole – Little Nun
- Patricia Falkenhain – Head Nun
- Jane Cecil – Second Nun
- Ian Blackman – MP / El Dorado bartender
- Brian Evers – The White Man / El Dorado bartender
Production
[edit]The telefilm was directed by Kirk Browning and Jerry Zaks, and was filmed on-stage before a live audience at the Plymouth Theatre. The telefilm was broadcast in May 1987 on the PBS series American Playhouse.[1][2][3][4][5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b The House of Blue Leaves IMDb, accessed 14 November 2015
- ^ a b "The House of Blue Leaves Cast and Crew" tv.com, accessed 14 November 2015
- ^ Drake, Silvie. "Tv Review : The Force Is Still With 'House Of Blue Leaves'" Los Angeles Times, 25 May 1987
- ^ Roberts, Jerry. "Jerry Zaks", Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors, Scarecrow Press, 2009, ISBN 9780810861381, p. 640
- ^ '"The House of Blue Leaves' Film" tcm.com, accessed 14 November 2015
External links
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