The Late Shift

"Two heads fighting for the late night crown - One head's gotta roll."

1996 1h 35m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 67

ComedyDramaTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

David Letterman vies with Jay Leno and his manager to succeed Johnny Carson, retiring from "The Tonight Show."

“Two heads fighting for the late night crown - One head's gotta roll.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

John Michael Higgins
David Letterman
Daniel Roebuck
Jay Leno
Kathy Bates
Helen Kushnick
Bob Balaban
Warren Littlefield
Ed Begley Jr.
Rod Perth
Peter Jurasik
Howard Stringer
Reni Santoni
John Agoglia
John Kapelos
Robert Morton

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Betty Thomas
Writers: George Armitage, Bill Carter
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

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Betty Thomas, shot by Mac Ahlberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Michael Higgins and Daniel Roebuck and Kathy Bates carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Two heads fighting for the late night crown - One head's gotta roll.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0116835 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 67 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Betty Thomas directs. Mac Ahlberg behind the camera. Ira Newborn scores. Peter Teschner cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

130 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Betty Thomas, shot by Mac Ahlberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Ira Newborn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Peter Teschner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5John Michael Higgins and Daniel Roebuck and Kathy Bates carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Two heads fighting for the late night crown - One head's gotta roll.".
7IMDB entry: tt0116835 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 67 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.