The Bell Jar (1979)

Director:

Larry Peerce

Writers:

Marjorie Kellogg (writer)
Sylvia Plath (novel)

Release Date:

26 October 1981 (Sweden)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes just being a woman is an act of courage.

Plot:

Details a young woman's summer in New York working for a Mademoiselle-like magazine, return home to New England...

Plot Keywords:

Disc Jockey | Autobiographical | Magazine Editor | 1950s | Overdose

Cast

Marilyn Hassett	...	Esther Greenwood
Julie Harris	...	Mrs. Greenwood
Jameson Parker	...	Buddy Willard
Anne Jackson	...	Dr. Nolan
Barbara Barrie	...	Jay Cee
Robert Klein	...	Lenny
Donna Mitchell	...	Joan
Mary Louise Weller	...	Doreen
Thaao Penghlis	...	Marco
Scott McKay	...	Mr. Gilling
Meg Mundy	...	Bea Ramsey
Carole Monferdini	...	Hilda
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ruth Antonofsky	...	Singer
Dick Carballo	...	Frankie
Allan Eisenman	...	Cab driver
Christine Estabrook	...	Student editor
David Faulkner	...	Professor Edwards
Annie Gagen	...	Student Editor (as Ruth Van Poons)
Michael Gordon	...	Cab driver
Nicholas Guest	...	Young man
Margaret Hall	...	Jane McLode
Dan Hannafin	...	Doorman
Roxanne Hart
Karen Howard	...	Toni LaBouchere
Elizabeth Hubbard	...	Vikki St. John
Carolyn Hurlburt	...	Jody
Beth McDonald	...	Student editor
Debbie McLeod	...	Betsy
Bonnie Sue Parker	...	Nurse
Gil Rogers	...	Dr. Richards
Shelley Rogers	...	Student editor
Boomer Tibbs	...	Waiter
Peggy E. Turnley	...	Nurse
Ruth Van Poons	...	Student editor

Directed by
Larry Peerce

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Marjorie Kellogg		writer
Sylvia Plath		novel

Produced by
Monroe Arnold	....	associate producer
Monroe Arnold	....	executive producer
Andrew Bonime	....	co-producer
Jerrold T. Brandt Jr.	....	producer
Milt Felsen	....	associate producer
Robert A. Goldston	....	executive producer
Tony LaMarca	....	co-producer
Michael Todd Jr.	....	producer

Original Music by
Gerald Fried

Cinematography by
Gerald Hirschfeld

Film Editing by
Marvin Walowitz

Production Design by
John Robert Lloyd

Set Decoration by
Paul Hefferan		(as Paul Heffernan)
Don Holtzman

Costume Design by
Donald Brooks

Production Management
George Manasse	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Barnett	....	first assistant director
Frank Simpson	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Richard Gramaglia	....	sound mixer
Robert Gramaglia	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Gil Geller	....	camera operator
Edward Gold	....	camera operator
Sal Martorano	....	electrician

Music Department
Janis Ian	....	composer: theme song "Here Comes the Night"

Other crew
Harold Adler	....	title designer

Production Companies

• AVCO Embassy Pictures

Distributors

• AVCO Embassy Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television Network (1983) (USA) (TV)
• Vestron Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Filmways Australasian Distributors (Australia) (theatrical)

Runtime:

107 min | Australia:113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Company:

AVCO Embassy Pictures

Goofs:

Errors in geography: New York taxis, (unlike L.A. cabs) do not now nor did they ever have their telephone numbers on them.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Bell Jar (2011)

Soundtrack:

Here Comes The Night

What could they possibly have been thinking?

Jameson Parker And Marilyn Hassett are the screen's most unbelievable couple since John Travolta and Lily Tomlin. Larry Peerce's direction wavers uncontrollably between black farce and Roman tragedy. Robert Klein certainly think it's the former and his self-centered performance in a minor role underscores the total lack of balance and chemistry between the players in the film. Normally, I don't like to let myself get so ascerbic, but The Bell Jar is one of my all-time favorite books, and to watch what they did with it makes me literally crazy.