Blue Collar

""Blue Collar" is the American Dream. If you're rich, you can buy it. If you're anything else, you gotta fight for it."

1978 1h 54m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 216

DramaCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Fed up with mistreatment at the hands of both management and union brass, and coupled with financial hardships on each man's end, three auto assembly line workers hatch a plan to rob a safe at union headquarters.

“"Blue Collar" is the American Dream. If you're rich, you can buy it. If you're anything else, you gotta fight for it.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Richard Pryor
Ezekiel 'Zeke' Brown
Harvey Keitel
Jerry Bartowski
Yaphet Kotto
Sam 'Smokey' James
Ed Begley Jr.
Bobby Joe
Harry Bellaver
Eddie Johnson
George Memmoli
Jenkins
Lucy Saroyan
Arlene Bartowski
Lane Smith
Clarence Hill

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Paul Schrader
Writers: Paul Schrader, Leonard Schrader
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.8× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

48 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Paul Schrader, shot by Bobby Byrne. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jack Nitzsche. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tom Rolf shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Richard Pryor and Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: ""Blue Collar" is the American Dream. If you're rich, you can buy it. If you're anything else, you gotta fight for it.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paul Schrader directs. Bobby Byrne behind the camera. Jack Nitzsche scores. Tom Rolf cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 3.8× over at the box office.
348 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Paul Schrader, shot by Bobby Byrne. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Jack Nitzsche. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Tom Rolf shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Richard Pryor and Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: ""Blue Collar" is the American Dream. If you're rich, you can buy it. If you're anything else, you gotta fight for it.".
9IMDB entry: tt0077248 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 10 themes, including "factory worker", "robbery", "blackmail", "drinking".

The technical file

Cinematography: Bobby Byrne
Original score: Jack Nitzsche
Editing: Tom Rolf
Production design: Lawrence G. Paull
Makeup / hair: Robert L. Stevenson
Sound: Tom Beckert
Stunt coordinator: Glenn R. Wilder
Runtime: 114 min · 1h 54m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,700,000
Box office: $6,521,083
Return: 384% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Blue Collar (1978)

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Paul Schrader

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What people are saying

tmdb912428752018-02-10
★ 7/10
A serious role for Pryor with a good cast and a message that should hit home for any ordinary working man. Well worth the watch.

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