Directed by:
Herbert RossScreenplay:
Dennis PotterCinematography:
Gordon WillisCast:
Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Walken, Jessica Harper, John McMartin, John Karlen, M.C. Gainey, Twink Caplan, Nancy Parsons (more)Plots(1)
Steve Martin stars as Arthur, who sells sheet music--and the dreams promised in their lyrics--in 1930s depression-era Chicago. He's not always the most pleasant of fellows: He cheats on his wife, lies to his lovers, and seduces an innocent schoolteacher, Eileen (Bernadette Peters). But his spirit still has a sweetness and innocence--the sweetness of the Tin Pan Alley tunes he hawks and the innocence of the fantasy-filled Hollywood musicals he sees. When Arthur and Eileen set out on a series of misadventures, their bleak world turns to song and dance in a series of lavish Busby Berkeley-style musical numbers. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Steve Martin
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John Karlen
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