Nickelodeon (1976)
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14% of critics liked it
(7 reviews) -
58% of users liked it
(325 ratings)
Peter Bogdanovich's early career as a film writer stood him in good stead for this comedy drama about the early days of the motion-picture industry, based in part on his interviews with pioneering directors Raoul Walsh and Allan Dwan. Leo Harrigan (Ryan O'Neal) is a lawyer and Buck Greenway (Burt… More Peter Bogdanovich's early career as a film writer stood him in good stead for this comedy drama about the early days of the motion-picture industry, based in part on his interviews with pioneering directors Raoul Walsh and Allan Dwan. Leo Harrigan (Ryan O'Neal) is a lawyer and Buck Greenway (Burt Reynolds) is a cowboy and gunman. Both are sent to California to shut down a renegade group of silent-movie makers -- financed by blustery H.H. Cobb (Brian Keith) -- who are in violation of the Motion Picture Patents Co. Trust. Harrigan and Greenway somehow find themselves working with the movie crew instead of shutting them down; they join forces with cameraman Franklin Frank (John Ritter), leading lady Kathleen Cooke (Jane Hitchcock), and precocious prop girl Alice Forsyte (Tatum O'Neal). Greenway becomes a star and Harrigan a respected director, but both battle over the affections of Cooke. Incidentally, Cobb's big speech near the end is taken almost verbatim from a quote given to Bogdanovich in an interview with actor James Stewart. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- PG, 2 hr. 2 min.
- Directed By
- Peter Bogdanovich
- Genres
- Comedy
- In Theaters
- Dec 21, 1976 Wide
- On DVD
- Apr 21, 2009
Critic Reviews
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Variety Staff, Variety
Peter Bogdanovich's film is an okay comedy-drama about the early days of motion pictures.
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Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Bogdanovich is trying to do an interesting and commendable thing in dramatizing aesthetic passion; his failure is as noble as it is conspicuous.
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Richard Eder, New York Times
Peter Bogdanovich knows a great deal about movies, including how they are made. Perhaps he doesn't know why they are made. In any case, knowing how something is made isn't the same as making it.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
We're reminded that Orson Welles described a movie studio as the biggest electric train a kid could ever get. Bogdanovich doesn't let us play with his train. Instead, he keeps us on the outside of a curiously flat movie.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
As an homage to the start of the film industry, this extravaganza is quite a tribute, but as a motion picture it's sadly lacking.
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Cast
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Ryan O'Nealas Leo Harrigan -
Burt Reynoldsas Buck Greenway -
Tatum O'Nealas Alice Forsyte
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Brian Keithas H.H. Cobb -
Stella Stevensas Marty Reeves -
John Ritteras Franklin Frank
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