The Pawnbroker (1964)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Morton S. Fine (screenplay) &
David Friedkin (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 April 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Most Talked About Picture!

Plot:

A Jewish pawnbroker, victim of Nazi persecution, loses all faith in his fellow man until he realizes too late the tragedy of his actions.

Plot Keywords:

Concentration Camp | Flashback | Nazi | Pawnbroker | Jewish

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Rod Steiger	...	Sol Nazerman
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Marilyn Birchfield
Brock Peters	...	Rodriguez
Jaime Sánchez	...	Jesus Ortiz (as Jaime Sanchez)
Thelma Oliver	...	Ortiz' Girl
Marketa Kimbrell	...	Tessie
Baruch Lumet	...	Mendel
Juano Hernandez	...	Mr. Smith
Linda Geiser	...	Ruth
Nancy R. Pollock	...	Bertha
Raymond St. Jacques	...	Tangee
John McCurry	...	Buck
Ed Morehouse	...	Robinson
Eusebia Cosme	...	Mrs. Ortiz
Warren Finnerty	...	Savarese
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Ader	...	Morton (uncredited)
Marc Alexander	...	Rubin (uncredited)
Charles Dierkop	...	Robinson (uncredited)
Morgan Freeman	...	Man on Street (uncredited)
Hilda Haynes	...	Woman (uncredited)
Marianne Kanter	...	Joan (uncredited)
E.M. Margolese	...	Papa (uncredited)
Donnie Melvin	...	Nazerman's Son (uncredited)
Reni Santoni	...	Junkie selling radio (uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney Lumet

Writing credits
Morton S. Fine		(screenplay) (as Morton Fine) &
David Friedkin		(screenplay)
Edward Lewis Wallant		(novel)

Produced by
Philip Langner	....	producer
Roger Lewis	....	producer
Joseph Manduke	....	associate producer
Worthington Miner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Quincy Jones

Cinematography by
Boris Kaufman

Film Editing by
Ralph Rosenblum

Casting by
Jessica Levy

Production Design by
Richard Sylbert

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Ed Callaghan	....	hair stylist
Bill Herman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ulu Grosbard	....	unit manager
Mel Howard	....	assistant production manager
Al Markim	....	executive in charge of production (as Alfred Markim)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dan Eriksen	....	assistant director

Art Department
Albert Brenner	....	assistant art director (as Al Brenner)
Jack Flaherty	....	set dresser
Ken Thompson	....	construction chief
Thomas Wright	....	chief props (as Tom Wright)

Sound Department
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor
James A. Gleason	....	sound mixer (as James Gleason)
Alan Heim	....	sound editor
Dennis Maitland	....	sound
James Perdue	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Fortune	....	chief electrician (as Buddy Fortune)
Edward Knott	....	chief grip (as Eddie Knott)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
George Newman	....	wardrobe
Marilyn Putnam	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Sheila Bakerman	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Billy Byers	....	orchestrator (as William Byers)
Quincy Jones	....	orchestrator
Jack Sheldon	....	musician: trumpet (uncredited)

Other crew
Belle Iacobellis	....	production secretary
Maggie James	....	script supervisor
Ely A. Landau	....	presenter (as Ely Landau)
Dana Steadley	....	production secretary
Herbert R. Steinmann	....	presenter
Harold Reidman	....	location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Landau Company

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Wivefilm (1966) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Artisan Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Planet (UK)

Special Effects

• Film Opticals (optical effects)

Other Companies

• Recording Studios  sound recording
• F. Hillsberg  titles

Also Known As:

Der Pfandleiher (West Germany) [de]
El prestamista (Spain) [es]
L'uomo del banco dei pegni (Italy) [it]
Le prêteur sur gages (France) [fr]
Lichwiarz (Poland) [pl]
O Agiota (Portugal) [pt]
O Homem do Prego (Brazil) [pt]
O enehyrodaneistis (Greece) [el]
Pantelåneren (Denmark) [da]
Pantlånaren (Sweden) [sv]
Panttilainaaja (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:R (Ontario) | Norway:16 | UK:12 (1998) | UK:X (1965) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 (bw) | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Landau Company

Trivia:

In a 1999 interview with Robert Osborne, Rod Steiger said he based the silent scream at the end of the film on the faces in Pablo Picasso's masterpiece "Guernica".

Goofs:

Continuity: In the very last scene of the film, Sol pierces his left hand on a receipt spindle. When he wants out of the pawn shop, he is looking in pain at his right hand.

Quotes:

Marilyn Birchfield: What makes you so bitter?
Sol Nazerman: Bitter?
[chuckles]
Sol Nazerman: No, no, Miss Birchfield, I am not *bitter*. No, that passed me by a million years ago. I'm a man of no anger. I have no desire for vengeance for what was done to me. I have escaped from the emotions. I am safe within myself. All I ask and want is peace and quiet.
Marilyn Birchfield: Why haven't you found them?
Sol Nazerman: Because people like you will not let me. Miss Birchfield, you have made the afternoon very tedious with your constant search for an answer. And one more thing: please, stay out of my life.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Indie Sex: Censored (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Soul Bossa Nova

Classic, one of my all-time favorites

It's strange to say that this very grim movie is one of my all-time favorites. "The Pawnbroker" might make you suicidal in it's deep cynicism of the human condition, but I think there is a positive side to the film. The main character, a deeply-wounded Holocaust survivor, initial has no feelings for anyone or anything--he's just going through the motions of life. But by the end of the film he learns that people are not all bad--and maybe that's the most shocking revelation of them all!

Certainly Rod Steiger's greatest role. Do see it.