''Bloodhounds of Broadway'' is a 1989 American

ensemble Ensemble may refer to: Art * Architectural ensemble * Ensemble (album), ''Ensemble'' (album), Kendji Girac 2015 album * Ensemble (band), a project of Olivier Alary * Ensemble cast (drama, comedy) * Ensemble (musical theatre), also known as the ...

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

based on four

Damon Runyon Alfred Damon Runyon (October 4, 1880 – December 10, 1946) was an American newspaperman and short-story writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To N ...

stories: "The Bloodhounds of Broadway", "A Very Honorable Guy", "The Brain Goes Home" and "Social Error". Directed by

Howard Brookner Howard Brookner (April 30, 1954 – April 27, 1989) was an American film director. He produced and directed the documentary '' Burroughs: the Movie'' about William S. Burroughs (1983), '' Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars'' on theatre director R ...

, it stars Matt Dillon,

Jennifer Grey Jennifer Grey (born March 26, 1960) is an American actress. She made her acting debut with the film ''Reckless'' (1984), and had her breakthrough with the teen comedy film '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986). She subsequently earned worldwide ...

Anita Morris Anita Rose Morris (March 14, 1943 – March 2, 1994) was an American actress, singer and dancer. She began her career performing in Broadway musicals, including ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', ''Seesaw'' and ''Nine'', for which she received a Tony Awa ...

Julie Hagerty Julie Beth Hagerty (born June 15, 1955) is an American actress. She starred as Elaine in the films ''Airplane!'' (1980) and '' Airplane II: The Sequel'' (1982). Her other film roles include ''A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy'' (1982), ''Lost in Am ...

Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...

, Madonna,

Esai Morales Esai Manuel Morales Jr. (born October 1, 1962) is an American actor. He has had notable roles in the films '' Bad Boys'' with Sean Penn and '' La Bamba'' with Lou Diamond Phillips (1987). His television roles include the PBS 2002 drama series '' ...

and

Randy Quaid Randy Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor known for his roles in both serious drama and light comedy. He was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in '' The Last Detail'' ...

. Madonna and Jennifer Grey perform a duet, " I Surrender Dear", during the film. Madonna earned a

Golden Raspberry Award The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...

nomination for Worst Supporting Actress for her performance in the film, where she lost to Brooke Shields for ''

Speed Zone ''Speed Zone'' (also known as ''Cannonball Fever'' and ''Cannonball Run III'') is a 1989 American action comedy film set around an illegal cross-country race (inspired by the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash). The plot fo ...

''. ''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 Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...

-esque narration was added. The film received negative reviews. Six months following its theatrical release, the film was televised as a presentation of

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

's ''

American Playhouse ''American Playhouse'' is an American anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Overview It premiered on January 12, 1982, with ''The Shady Hill Kidnapping'', written and narrated by John Cheever an ...

'' on May 23, 1990.

Plot

Broadway, New Year's Eve, 1928. A muckraking reporter, Waldo Winchester, frames four major stories during the wild New Year's Eve of 1928. 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 a medical doctor to avoid welching on a bet. Harriet MacKyle, a sheltered but friendly socialite, makes arrangements with a smooth-talking fixer 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. 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, 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 the reporter, who is now at MacKyle's party, and asks him to talk to Hortense (his niece) 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

* Matt Dillon as Regret *

as Louise "Lovey Lou" *

as Harriet MacKyle *

as "The Brain" (based on Arnold "The Brain" Rothstein) * Madonna as Hortense Hathaway *

as Jack "Handsome Jack" *

as Miss Missouri Martin *

as "Feet" Samuels *

Josef Sommer Maximilian Josef Sommer (born June 26, 1934) is a retired German-American stage, television, and film actor. Early life He was born in Greifswald, Germany, and raised in North Carolina, the son of Elisabeth and Clemens Sommer, a professor of Art ...

as Waldo Winchester (based on Walter Winchell) * Steve Buscemi as Willie "Whining Willie" *

Fisher Stevens Fisher Stevens (born Steven Fisher; November 27, 1963) is an American actor, director, producer and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Ben in ''Short Circuit'' and '' Short Circuit 2'', Chuck Fishman on the 1990s televi ...

as Harry "Hotfoot Harry" *

Alan Ruck Alan Douglas Ruck (born July 1, 1956) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller's best friend, in John Hughes's film ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986); Stuart Bondek, a lecherous, power-hungry member of ...

as John Wangle *

Dinah Manoff Dinah Beth Manoff (born January 25, 1956) is an American stage, film, and television actress and television director. She is best known for her roles as Elaine Lefkowitz on ''Soap'', Marty Maraschino in the film '' Grease'', Libby Tucker in both ...

as Maud Milligan *

Ethan Phillips Ethan Phillips (born John Ethan Phillips February 8, 1955) is an American actor and playwright. He is best known for his television roles as Neelix on '' Star Trek: Voyager'' and PR man Pete Downey on '' Benson''. Personal life Phillips was raise ...

as Basil Valentine * Robert Donley as Doc Bodeeker * Veryle Rupp as "Whitey"

Production

Principal photography of the film began on December 24, 1987 and completed on February 10, 1988.''Bloodhounds of Broadway'' production details
at afi.com. It was filmed in four cities in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

: Union City, Newark, Jersey City and Montclair.

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.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bloodhounds Of Broadway (1989 Film) 1989 films 1989 comedy films Films set in the 1920s Films set in 1928 American comedy films Columbia Pictures films American Playhouse Films set around New Year Films set in New Jersey Films shot in New Jersey Films based on short fiction Films based on multiple works Films directed by Howard Brookner 1980s English-language films 1980s American films