''On the Nickel'' is a 1980 feature film written, produced by, and starring

Ralph Waite Ralph Waite (June 22, 1928 – February 13, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his lead role as John Walton Sr. on ''The Waltons'' (1972–1981), which he occasionally directed. He also had recurring roles in '' NCIS'' as Jackson Gibb ...

. It features five original songs composed for the movie by

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

. The film presents the story of Sam (

Donald Moffat Donald Moffat (26 December 1930 – 20 December 2018) was a British–American actor with a decades-long career in film and stage in the United States. He began his acting career on- and off-Broadway, which included appearances in ''The Wild D ...

), a recovering alcoholic who feels dissatisfied with his life of sobriety and goes back in search of the good times he enjoyed with his old friends living on

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

skid row A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...

. (This includes a section of Fifth Street, which is sometimes called "the Nickel", after the

five-cent coin A five-cent coin or five-cent piece is a small-value coin minted for various decimal currencies using the cent as their hundredth subdivision. Examples include: * the United States five-cent coin, better known as the US nickel * the Canadian five ...

.) Eventually finding his best friend, "C.G." (Waite), still living on the nickel, the two men reminisce, and Sam gets a fresh look at the lifestyle he had once vigorously abandoned. The film is a multi-level odyssey through the slums of L.A., as well as Sam's personal ruminations as he re-evaluates the nostalgia he had felt for the free and

bohemian lifestyle Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people and with few permanent ties. It involves musical, artistic, literary, or spiritual pursuits. In this context, bohemians may be wanderers, a ...

of a street person. The film also stars

Hal Williams Halroy Candis Williams (born December 14, 1938) is an American actor, best known for his recurring roles as Police Officer Smith ("Smitty") on ''Sanford and Son'' (1972–1976), Harley Foster on ''The Waltons'' (1973-1980), and as the patriarch Le ...

, Penelope Allen, and

Jack Kehoe Jack Kehoe (November 21, 1934 – January 14, 2020) was an American film actor appearing in a wide variety of films, including the crime dramas ''Serpico'' (1973), '' The Pope of Greenwich Village'' (1984) and Brian De Palma's ''The Untouchables' ...

. The original soundtrack was written and performed by

. With its offbeat, comedic depiction of life on the streets, the film has maintained a cult following since its initial release, although it passed out of general availability for 20 years and effectively became a "lost" movie. Despite this, occasional showings on American television have kept viewer interest high and have resulted in Mr. Waite's decision to collaborate with producer Thomas Wise, re-edit and restore the feature for DVD and internet release in late 2009. On the Nickel debuted on Blu Ray disc in 2017. Discs are currently mastered in Germany and imported to the U.S. and North America. They are compatible with players in the U.S., Central and South America, Canada, and most of Asia.

References

External links

Official "On the Nickel" site
* 1980 films American drama films 1980 drama films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films {{1980s-drama-film-stub