Desperate Characters

1971 1h 37m EN

😐

5.1

MID

★5.1TMDB · 8

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Sophie and Otto Bentwood are a middle-aged, middle class, childless Brooklyn Heights couple trapped in a loveless marriage. He is an attorney, she a translator of books. Their existence is affected not only by their disintegrating relationship but by the threats of urban crime and vandalism that surround them everywhere they turn, leaving them feeling paranoid, scared, and desperately helpless.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Shirley MacLaine
Sophie Bentwood
Kenneth Mars
Otto Bentwood
Sada Thompson
Claire
Jack Somack
Leon
Gerald S. O'Loughlin
Charlie
Chris Gampel
Mike Holstein
Mary Alan Hokanson
Flo Holstein
Robert Bauer
Young Man

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Frank D. Gilroy
Writers: Frank D. Gilroy
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 / 7

ERA

Did you know

55 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Frank D. Gilroy, shot by Urs Furrer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Shirley MacLaine and Kenneth Mars and Sada Thompson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0066986 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 8 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Frank D. Gilroy directs. Urs Furrer behind the camera. Ron Carter scores. Robert Q. Lovett cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

155 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Frank D. Gilroy, shot by Urs Furrer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Ron Carter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Robert Q. Lovett shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Shirley MacLaine and Kenneth Mars and Sada Thompson carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0066986 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 8 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
8Classified under 14 themes, including "depression", "new york city", "husband wife relationship", "based on novel or book".