King of Comedy, The

King of Comedy, The, motion picture about a man obsessed with a talk-show host. Released in 1983, this black comedy was directed by Martin Scorsese. Oddball Rupert Pupkin (played by Robert De Niro) loves the false fantasy world of the talk show, where celebrities seem to drop casually just to chat with host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). Pupkin builds his own talk-show set in the basement of his mother’s house and pretends to interview cardboard cutouts of movie stars while telling worn out jokes. His obsession with Langford begins to escalate, and after he fails to befriend the man, Pupkin enlists his equally disturbed friend Masha (Sandra Bernhard) to help him kidnap the host.

Director

• Martin Scorsese

Cast

• Robert De Niro (Rupert Pupkin)
• Jerry Lewis (Jerry Langford)
• Diahnne Abbott (Rita)
• Sandra Bernhard (Masha)
• Ed Herlihy (Himself)
• Louis Brown (Bandleader)
• Whitey Ryan (Stage door guard)
• Doc Lawless (Chauffeur)
• Marta Heflin (Young girl)
• Katherine Wallach (Autograph seeker)
• Charlene Kaleina (Autograph seeker)
• Richard Baratz (Caricaturist)
• Catherine Scorsese (Rupert's mom)
• Cathy Scorsese (Dolores)
• Charles Low (Man in Chinese restaurant)
• Liza Minnelli (Herself)
• Leslie Levinson (Roberta Posner)
• Margo Winkler (Receptionist)
• Tony Boschetti (Mr. Gangemi)
• Shelley Hack (Cathy Long)
• Matt Russo (Cabbie)
• Thelma Lee (Woman in phone booth)
• Dr. Joyce Brothers (Herself)
• George Kapp (Mystery guest)
• Victor Borge (Himself)
• Ralph Monaco (Raymond Wirtz)
• June Prud'Homme (Audrey)
• Fred de Cordova (Bert Thomas)
• Martin Scorsese (TV director)
• Tony Randall (Himself)
• Edgar J. Scherick (Wilson Crockett)
• Thomas M. Tolan (Gerrity)
• Ray Dittrich (Giardello)
• Richard Dioguardi (Captain Burk)
• Jay Julien (Langford's lawyer)
• Harry Ufland (Agent)
• Scotty Block (Crockett's secretary)
• Jeff David (Announcer)
• Bill Minkin (McCabe)
• Diane Rachell (Mrs. McCabe)
• Jimmy Raitt (Stage manager)
• Charles Scorsese (Man at bar)
• Mardik Martin (Man at bar)

Trivia

• Actors Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and real-life talk show host Johnny Carson were all considered for the role of Jerry Langford.
• Director Scorsese plays a television producer in this film. His father appears as a man in a bar.

Quotes

• Secretary: “Is Mr. Langford expecting you?”
• Pupkin: “Yes, I don't think he is.”