The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1974)
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65% of users liked it
(1,028 ratings)
A lesser but still entertaining Neil Simon work, The Prisoner of Second Avenue was adapted to film in 1974. Jack Lemmon takes over the role played on Broadway by Peter Falk: Mel is a New York-based advertising man who goes through hell when he loses his job. The gods seem to conspire against him as… More A lesser but still entertaining Neil Simon work, The Prisoner of Second Avenue was adapted to film in 1974. Jack Lemmon takes over the role played on Broadway by Peter Falk: Mel is a New York-based advertising man who goes through hell when he loses his job. The gods seem to conspire against him as he tries to cope with his unemployed status; he is particularly depressed over the fact that he must now subsist on the income of his wife (Anne Bancroft). There are laughs in The Prisoner of Second Avenue, but it's the laughter of desperation and despair; it might not be advisable to watch this film after a bad day at the office. Watch for Sylvester Stallone as the "human punch line" of an old urban legend about a pickpocket. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Melvin Frank
- Genres
- Classics, Comedy
PG,
- In Theaters
- Mar 14, 1975 Wide
- Studio
- Warner Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
At its best, it's a second rate Death of a Salesman.
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Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
sharp and intriguing
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Jack Lemmon
as Mel
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Anne Bancroft
as Edna
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Gene Saks
as Harry
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Elizabeth Wilson
as Pauline
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Florence Stanley
as Pearl
- F Murray Abraham
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Gene Blakely
as Charlie
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Ivor Francis
as Psychiatrist
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Ed Peck
as Man Upstairs
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Stack Pierce
as Detective
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Maxine Stuart
as Belle
- M. Emmet Walsh
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Sylvester Stallone
as Youth in Park
