I Call First (1967)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Betzi Manoogian (additional dialogue)
Martin Scorsese (writer)

Release Date:

20 January 1978 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Mean Streets was just around the corner.

Plot:

J.R. is a typical Italian-American on the streets of New York. When he gets involved with a local girl...

Plot Keywords:

Catholic Guilt | Italian American | Ethnic Identity | Religion | Bar

Cast

Zina Bethune	...	Girl
Harvey Keitel	...	J.R.
Anne Collette	...	Young girl in dream (as Ann Collette)
Lennard Kuras	...	Joey
Michael Scala	...	Sally Gaga
Harry Northup	...	Harry
Tsuai Yu-Lan	...	Girl in dream fantasy
Saskia Holleman	...	Girl in dream fantasy
Bill Minkin	...	Iggy at Party
Philip Carlson	...	Boy in Copake (as Phil Carlson)
Wendy Russell	...	Gaga's Girl
Robert Uricola	...	Boy with Gun
Susan Wood	...	Girl at Party
Marissa Mathes	...	Girl at Party (as Marrisa Joffrey)
Catherine Scorsese	...	Mother

Also Known As:

Bring on the Dancing Girls (USA) (working title)
J.R. (USA) (reissue title)
Who's That Knocking at My Door (USA) (new title (longer version))
¿Quién llama a mi puerta? (Spain) [es]
Chi sta bussando alla mia porta? (Italy) [it]
Kuka kolkuttaa ovelleni? (Finland) [fi]
Qui truca a la meva porta? (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Wer klopft denn da an meine Tür? (West Germany) [de]

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18A | Brazil:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:M18 | USA:R | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Trimod Films

Trivia:

In order to get distribution for his film, Scorsese was told to add nude scenes so it could be promoted as a sexploitation film. So he shot the fantasy scene showing J.R. imagining encounters with prostitutes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Soundtrack:

The End

"Love Story" Meets "Heart of Darkness"

I am an unabashed admirer of Martin Scorsese's work, and his first feature did not disappoint. Filmed on practically no budget, this movie uses a nonlinear approach to storytelling that predates "Pulp Fiction" by some 25 years. One can also see a precursor of Scorsese's later cinematic technique, and just a hint of his nightmare-world view of New York that is so apparent in his later works "Taxi Driver," "After Hours" and "Bringing Out the Dead." Scorsese's trademark—finding the perfect piece of contemporary music for each scene—is also quite apparent here.

As the traditionally-minded J.R., the young Keitel turns in a riveting performance in his first film appearance, as a working-class New Yorker torn between his cultural norms and his love for an intelligent, independent woman. Bethune is today better known as a dancer and humanitarian, but as "The Girl" she is utterly convincing and nothing short of ravishing, with a presence both ethereal and self-assuredly erotic. The meeting of the two characters is really a meeting of the traditional with the modern--something much on people's minds in 1968 when this film was made. It's interesting that in some places this movie was retitled "I Call First"—the gist of the conflict between the lovers. J.R. receives a piece of information about The Girl's past, one that he cannot put into perspective given his macho set of social norms. Scorsese throws in a dash of the Catholic morality and male-centeredness current at the time, and we have a memorable exploration of the place of culture and religion in determining who and how much we love.

If you're a Scorsese fan, this film is a must-rent. If you're uninitiated, see a couple of his later films first, then go back to this one for a look at two future giants—Scorsese and Keitel—on their first project, as well as an excellent performance by Bethune, who should certainly have had more featured roles following this one.