11 Movies Starring Ben Gazzara

Anatomy of a Murder

Anatomy of a Murder

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1959-09-01

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

160 min

Rated:

UNRATED

IMDB Ratings:

8.1 (41594 Reviews)

Director:

Otto Preminger

Cast:

Writer:

Wendell Mayes (screenplay)

John D. Voelker (based on the novel by)

Fullplot:

Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara), a lieutenant in the army, is arrested for the murder of a bartender, Barney Quill. He claims, in his defense, that the victim had raped and beaten up his wife Laura (Lee Remick). Although Laura supports her husband's story, the police surgeon can find no evidence that she has been raped. Manion is defended by Paul Biegler (James Stewart), a rather humble small-town lawyer. During the course of interviews, Biegler discovers that Manion is violently possessive and jealous, and also that his wife has a reputation for giving her favors to other men. Biegler realizes that the prosecution will try to make the court believe that Laura was the lover of the bartender and than Manion killed him and beat her up when he discovered them together. Manion pleads "not guilty" and Biegler, who knows that his case is weak, sets his assistants to try to find a witness who will save Manion.

Opening Night

Opening Night

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1978-04-17

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

144 min

Rated:

PG-13

IMDB Ratings:

(5217 Reviews)

Director:

John Cassavetes

Genres:

Drama

Fullplot:

A young woman gets killed in an accident trying to meet her favorite actress Myrtle Gordon after a play. Then Myrtle Gordon felt responsible for the killing leading her down to an emotional crisis that interferes with her professional work as an actress.

Saint Jack

Saint Jack

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1979-12-05

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

112 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.1 (862 Reviews)

Genres:

Drama

Cast:

Writer:

Howard Sackler (screenplay)

Paul Theroux (screenplay)

Peter Bogdanovich (screenplay)

Paul Theroux (based on the novel by)

Fullplot:

Compelling character study, revolving around Jack Flowers (Ben Gazzara), an American hustler trying to make his fortune in 1970s Singapore in small time pimping. He dreams of building a fortune by running a brothel himself and returning to the States to lead a life of luxury. Savvy but not unsavory he strikes up a friendship with William Leigh (Denholm Elliot), a genial and decent auditor who travels to Singapore every year. Ultimately, the background of the Vietnam War comes into the picture as Jack is offered the opportunity by the CIA to run a brothel for the R&R activities of U.S. soldiers on leave in Singapore.

They All Laughed

They All Laughed

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1981-08-14

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

115 min

Rated:

PG

IMDB Ratings:

6.4 (1455 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

Peter Bogdanovich

Blaine Novak

Fullplot:

New York's Odyssey Detective Agency is hired by two different clients to follow two women suspected of infidelity. Ladies' man John Russo trails Angela Niotes, the elegant wife of a wealthy Italian industrialist, while Charles Rutledge and Arthur Brodsky follow Dolores Martin, the beautiful young wife of a jealous husband. Their respective cases are complicated when John falls for Angela, and Charles falls for Dolores.

Tales of Ordinary Madness

Tales of Ordinary Madness

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1981-09-11

Languages:

English

Countries:

Italy, France

Runtime:

101 min

IMDB Ratings:

6.9 (1624 Reviews)

Director:

Marco Ferreri

Genres:

Drama

Cast:

Writer:

Marco Ferreri (scenario)

Sergio Amidei (scenario)

Charles Bukowski (book)

Sergio Amidei (adaptation)

Marco Ferreri (adaptation)

Anthony Foutz (adaptation)

Fullplot:

After a lecture where a poem is read out to a group of bored students, the alcoholic and sex addicted poet, Charles Serking, meets a young girl backstage. Then he travels to Los Angeles, and has sex with bizarre women. When Charles meets the gorgeous self-destructive prostitute Cass in a bar, he finds his soul mate and falls in love for her.

Quicker Than the Eye

Quicker Than the Eye

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1990-06-13

Languages:

French

Countries:

Switzerland, West Germany, Austria

Runtime:

94 min

Rated:

PG

IMDB Ratings:

4.5 (45 Reviews)

Director:

Nicolas Gessner

Cast:

Writer:

Claude Cueni (novel)

Joe Morheim

Nicolas Gessner

Brian Strasman (additional dialogue)

Fullplot:

Road House

Road House

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1989-05-19

Languages:

English, Portuguese

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

114 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

6.4 (38883 Reviews)

Cast:

Writer:

David Lee Henry (story)

David Lee Henry (screenplay)

Hilary Henkin (screenplay)

Fullplot:

Dalton is the Cooler in bars; He backs up and directs the bouncers. He takes a job in a Road House that has gotten far too rough. His attempts to clean things up put him in conflict with Brad Wesley, the town bully and rich person. Things heat up.

Buffalo '66

Buffalo '66

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1998-06-26

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

110 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

7.5 (34328 Reviews)

Director:

Vincent Gallo

Genres:

ComedyDrama

Cast:

Writer:

Vincent Gallo (story)

Vincent Gallo (screenplay)

Alison Bagnall (screenplay)

Fullplot:

Billy is released after five years in prison. In the next moment, he kidnaps teenage student Layla and visits his parents with her, pretending she is his girlfriend and they will soon marry (and forcing her to say the same).

The Spanish Prisoner

The Spanish Prisoner

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1998-01-07

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

110 min

Rated:

PG

IMDB Ratings:

7.3 (18023 Reviews)

Director:

David Mamet

Fullplot:

Joe Ross is a rising star. He's designed a process that will make his company millions. He wants a bonus for this work, but fears his boss will stiff him. He meets a wealthy stranger, Jimmy Dell, and they strike up an off-kilter friendship. When the boss seems to set Ross up to get nothing, he seeks Dell's help. Then he learns Dell is not what he seems, so he contacts an FBI agent through his tightly-wound assistant, Susan Ricci. The FBI asks him to help entrap Dell. He accepts, a sting is arranged, but suddenly it's he who's been conned out of the process and framed for murder. Bewildered and desperate, he enlists Susan's aid to prove his innocence.

The Thomas Crown Affair

The Thomas Crown Affair

Basic Info:

Released Date:

1999-08-06

Languages:

English, German, Polish, French

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

113 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

6.8 (69412 Reviews)

Director:

John McTiernan

Cast:

Writer:

Alan Trustman (story)

Leslie Dixon (screenplay)

Kurt Wimmer (screenplay)

Fullplot:

Self-made billionaire Thomas Crown is bored of being able to buy everything he desires. Being irresistible to women, he also does not feel any challenge in that area. But there are a few things even he can't get, therefore Thomas Crown has a seldom hobby: He steals priceless masterpieces of Art. After the theft of a famous painting from Claude Monet, the only person suspecting Thomas Crown is Catherine Banning. Her job is to get the picture back, no matter how she accomplishes her mission. Unfortunately, Catherine gets involved too deeply with Thomas to keep a professional distance to the case. Fortunately, Thomas seems to fall for her, too.

Looking for Palladin

Looking for Palladin

Basic Info:

Released Date:

2009-10-30

Languages:

English

Countries:

USA

Runtime:

115 min

Rated:

R

IMDB Ratings:

5.6 (122 Reviews)

Genres:

Comedy

Fullplot:

Description: Arrogant Hollywood talent agent, Josh Ross (David Moscow) is sent to Guatemala to find Oscar-winning actor Jack Palladin (Ben Gazzara). Having never met, the search is emotionally complicated as the long-time retired star was once married to Josh's late mother. Josh's contempt for the 'old' actor mirrors his comedic distaste for the local community whose help he desperately needs to find him. What he hopes will be a quick and lucrative deal turns into a humorous yet soul-searching journey for both.

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