Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989 film)

Bloodhounds of Broadway
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHoward Brookner
Written byHoward Brookner
Colman deKay
Based on"The Bloodhounds of Broadway"
"A Very Honorable Guy"
"The Brain Goes Home"
"Social Error"
by Damon Runyon
Produced byHoward Brookner
Starring
CinematographyElliot Davis
Edited byCamilla Toniolo
Music byJonathan Sheffer
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • November 3, 1989 (1989-11-03)
Running time
93 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million
Box office$43,671

Bloodhounds of Broadway is a 1989 American ensemble period comedy film based on four Damon Runyon stories: "The Bloodhounds of Broadway", "A Very Honorable Guy", "The Brain Goes Home" and "Social Error".[2] Directed by Howard Brookner, it stars Matt Dillon, Jennifer Grey, Anita Morris, Julie Hagerty, Rutger Hauer, Madonna, Esai Morales and Randy Quaid.[3] Madonna and Jennifer Grey perform a duet, "I Surrender Dear", during the film. Madonna earned a nomination for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress for her performance in the film, where she lost to Brooke Shields for Speed Zone at the 10th Golden Raspberry Awards.[4]

Bloodhounds of Broadway was Brookner's only feature-length film; he died shortly before the film opened. The film was recut by the studio and Walter Winchell-esque narration was added.[2] The film received negative reviews. Six months following its theatrical release, the film was televised as a presentation of PBS's American Playhouse on May 23, 1990.

Plot

Broadway, New Year's Eve, 1929. A muckraking reporter, Waldo Winchester, frames four major stories during the wild New Year's Eve of 1929.

The story starts in a diner. The Brain, a gangster with multiple girlfriends, is accompanied by a gambler named Regret (after the only horse he ever placed a winning bet) and an outsider who (with his bloodhounds) is being treated to a meal. Feet Samuels (so named because of his big feet) is in love with a showgirl named Hortense Hathaway, who is tossed out of the diner because of an unsavory reputation. Feet plans to have one wild night before committing suicide, having sold his body in advance to medical doctor Bodeeker to avoid welching on a bet.

Harriet MacKyle, a sheltered but friendly socialite, makes arrangements with smooth-talking fixer Handsome Jack for a big party that night at her estate, where many of the players will later attend. She has an interest in the exciting but dangerous criminal element. Widow Mary, a girl selling flowers, comes in after Feet makes a full payment of a debt to the Brain, so the Brain offers $5 for a 5-cent flower, telling her to keep the change. But before he can leave, Sam the Skate, a hitman for the Brooklyn Mob stabs him. The wounded Brain tells his men to take him "home", but his many girlfriends refuse to allow him in for various reasons.

Feet gets involved in a high-stakes craps game. With considerable luck, he wins a massive payoff of money and jewelry. Regret suggests they find another game, but Feet reveals his plan to kill himself. Regret tries to talk him out of it, but Feet, sworn to see his last promise fulfilled, is adamant. Regret dials up Waldo, who is now at Harriet's party, and asks him to talk to his niece Hortense and get her to realize Feet is smitten with her.

Hortense must try to persuade Feet that she wants to quit her life as a lounge singer, move to New Jersey and raise a family. Regret, meanwhile, continues to be the world's unluckiest gambler, but showgirl Lovey Lou is in love with him anyway.

Cast

Production

Principal photography of the film began on December 24, 1987 and was completed on February 10, 1988.[5] It was filmed in four cities in New Jersey: Union City, Newark, Jersey City and Montclair.[2] Filmmaker Aaron Brookner, director Howard Brookner's nephew,[6] spoke of Madonna's participation in the film with Sundance's Jeremy Kinser. "Madonna worked for scale," he said. "There’s a great line I heard. Madonna’s agent called up furious. “You’ve got Madonna working for nothing! And you’ve got her singing! And you’ve got her dancing!” Rutger Hauer's character The Brain was based on Arnold Rothstein and Josef Sommer's character Waldo Winchester was based on Walter Winchell.

Reception

Bloodhounds of Broadway received negative reviews from critics. Produced on a budget of $4 million, the film grossed less than $44,000 in its limited release.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bloodhounds of Broadway". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Harmetz, Aljean (November 1, 1989). "A Director's Race With AIDS Ends Before His Movie Opens". The New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2008.
  3. ^ "Bloodhounds of Broadway Review". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  4. ^ Wilson, John (2005). The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst. Grand Central Publishing. p. 342. ISBN 0-446-69334-0.
  5. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  6. ^ discussed the film
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