The Lords of Flatbush (stylized on-screen as The Lord's of Flatbush ) is a 1974 American comedy directed by Martin Davidson and Stephen F. Verona . The film stars Sylvester Stallone , Perry King , Paul Mace, Henry Winkler , and Susan Blakely . Stallone was also credited with writing additional dialogue. The plot is about street teenagers in leather jackets from the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The movie, along with American Graffiti , the television hit Happy Days , the musical Grease and its like-named film version, and novelty rock act “ Sha Na Na ’’, was part of a resurgence in popular interest in the '50s greaser culture in the 1970s.
59-528: Richard Tiffany Gere ( / ɡ ɪər / GEER ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began appearing in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and a starring role in Days of Heaven (1978). Gere came to prominence with his role in the film American Gigolo (1980), which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol . Gere's other films include An Officer and
118-509: A Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama . Looking for Mr. Goodbar introduced Richard Gere, LeVar Burton , and Tom Berenger , all as men whom the protagonist Theresa encounters. Theresa Dunn, a young schoolteacher in an unnamed American city, experiences her sexual awakening while searching for excitement outside her ordered life. While in college, she lives with her repressive Polish-Irish Catholic parents and suffers from severe body image issues following
177-503: A Golden Globe Award . Gere was born in Philadelphia on August 31, 1949, the eldest son and second child of homemaker Doris Ann ( née Tiffany; 1924–2016) and NMIC insurance agent Homer George Gere (1922–2023). His father originally intended to become a minister . Gere was raised Methodist in Syracuse, New York . His paternal great-grandfather, George Lane Gere (1848–1932), changed
236-462: A " popper ". Theresa tells him that it is okay if they don't have sex but Gary misinterprets this as questioning his sexuality. In a rage, Gary attacks her, rapes her, and then stabs her repeatedly, killing her. Looking For Mr. Goodbar is the 1977 soundtrack album of the film of the same name. The album includes numerous disco, R&B and rock tracks from the era reflective of the music being played in clubs and discos in that period, as well as
295-433: A 2006 interview Stallone explained: We never hit it off. He would strut around in his oversized motorcycle jacket like he was the baddest knight at the round table. One day, during an improv, he grabbed me (we were simulating a fight scene) and got a little carried away. I told him in a gentle fashion to lighten up, but he was completely in character and impossible to deal with. Then we were rehearsing at Coney Island and it
354-468: A Gentleman (1982), The Cotton Club (1984), No Mercy (1986), Pretty Woman (1990), Sommersby (1993), Intersection (1994), First Knight (1995), Primal Fear (1996), Runaway Bride (1999), Dr. T & the Women (2000), Shall We Dance? (2004), I'm Not There (2007), Arbitrage (2012) and Norman (2016). For portraying Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago (2002), he won
413-609: A bar at night where she meets Tony, a charming but vain Italian-American. She ends up taking Tony to her apartment, taking cocaine with him and sleeping with him. Tony leaves in a hurry and gives her a Quaalude pill to counteract the cocaine. This causes her to oversleep and she arrives very late for work the next day, angering her employer and students. Tony then disappears for a long while, and Theresa initially misses him. Through her job, Theresa also meets and dates an Irish-American welfare caseworker, James. Her parents approve of
472-680: A candy convention, an announcement over the PA system says "Looking for Mr. Goodbar, the front desk is Looking for Mr. Goodbar". The Lords of Flatbush Set in 1958, the coming of age story follows four lower middle-class Brooklyn teenagers known as The Lords of Flatbush. The Lords chase girls, steal cars, shoot pool, get into street fights, and hang out at a local malt shop. Chico attempts to win over hard-to-get, waspy Jane while throwing over easier-to-get Annie. Stanley seemingly impregnates his girlfriend Frannie, who pressures him to marry her. Stanley eventually agrees to marry even after finding out before
531-408: A childhood surgery for scoliosis that left a large scar on her back. Theresa later finds out that her scoliosis is congenital , and that her aunt had the same condition and committed suicide. As a result, Theresa is reluctant to have children of her own. Meanwhile, Theresa's beautiful "perfect" older sister, Katherine, has left her husband and embarked on a wild lifestyle involving multiple affairs,
590-550: A day of dancing for his role as lawyer Billy Flynn in Chicago. He also studied karate for An Officer and a Gentleman . Multiple film critics and media outlets have cited Gere as one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. Gere regularly visits Dharamshala , the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile . He is an advocate for human rights in Tibet and
649-402: A live news conference to promote condom use among truck drivers, he embraced Bollywood superstar Shilpa Shetty , dipped her, and kissed her several times on the cheek. As a result of that gesture, a local court ordered the arrest of Gere and Shetty, finding them in violation of public obscenity laws. Gere has said the controversy was "manufactured by a small hard-line political party". About
SECTION 10
#1732869541671708-564: A month later, a two-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, K. G. Balakrishnan , described the case as "frivolous" and believed that such complaints against celebrities were filed for "cheap publicity" and have brought a bad name to the country. They ruled that Gere would remain free to enter the country. Gere contributed some of his writing for the book We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples , released in October 2009. Gere discussed
767-510: A new release of the film on 4K and standard Blu-ray as part of its annual Black Friday pre-order weekend event, marking its official debut on both formats. The film is referenced in the Frank Zappa song " Dancin' Fool " from the 1979 album Sheik Yerbouti . The film is referenced in the 1985 "Weird Al" Yankovic song " Dare to Be Stupid " in which Yankovic advises the listener in one lyric to "look for Mr. Goodbar." The film inspired
826-529: A secret abortion , recreational drug use , and a short-lived marriage to a Jewish man. Theresa finds first love and loses her virginity to her much older, and married, college professor, Martin. He ends their affair just before her graduation, leaving Theresa feeling used and lonely. Theresa takes a job teaching deaf children and proves to be a gifted and caring teacher. With Katherine's encouragement, she moves into an apartment in Katherine's building. She frequents
885-634: A solid performer that grossed $ 170 million worldwide. His next film, the book-to-screen adaptation Bee Season (2005), was a commercial failure. Gere went on to co-star with Jesse Eisenberg and Terrence Howard in The Hunting Party (2007), a thriller in which he played a journalist in Bosnia . He next appeared with Christian Bale , Heath Ledger and Cate Blanchett in Todd Haynes ' semi-biographical film about Bob Dylan , I'm Not There (2007); Gere
944-789: Is a co-founder of the Tibet House US , creator of the Gere Foundation, and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Campaign for Tibet . Because he supports the Tibetan Independence Movement , Gere is permanently banned from entering China . In 1993, Gere was banned from being an Academy Award presenter after he denounced the Chinese government while announcing the nominees. In September 2007, Gere called for
1003-542: Is absolutely compelling in Looking for Mr. Goodbar , even when the film is not." Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times called Keaton's performance "high among the year's finest" in a demanding role, and declared the film "powerful, sincere and overlong, and if the film raises questions about itself it is also thought-provoking." Variety stated: "Writer-director Brooks manifests his ability to catch accurately both
1062-488: Is made considerably prettier, thus reducing the principal sources of her insecurity", as compared to her portrayal in the novel as somewhat of a " Plain Jane ". Pauline Kael noted, "Richard Brooks [...] has laid a windy jeremiad about our permissive society on top of fractured film syntax. He's lost the erotic, pulpy morbidity that made the novel a compulsive read; the film is splintered, moralistic, tedious." Leonard Maltin rated
1121-641: Is no clear evidence either way. In 1995, Gere was the president of the jury at the 19th Moscow International Film Festival . On May 17, 2012, Albanian President , Bamir Topi awarded the Medal of Gratitude to Gere with the citation: "With gratitude and honor outstanding personality of the world art, great humanist and activist for the protection of human rights, which unmasked and the American public made known, and further, inhuman crimes, ethnic cleansing in Kosovo , in 1999 ,
1180-407: Is with another man and chases him away. Tony becomes controlling and abusive, and Theresa also discovers that he is a street hustler. She breaks up with Tony but he stalks and harasses her, both at home and at her workplace. After imagining what could happen if Tony were to turn her in to the police as revenge, Theresa gathers up all of the drugs in her apartment and flushes them down the toilet. With
1239-692: The 14th Dalai Lama in India and became a practicing Tibetan Buddhist (specifically of the Gelugpa school) and an active supporter of the Dalai Lama. In February 2023, Gere was diagnosed and hospitalized with pneumonia during a family vacation in Nuevo Vallarta in Mexico . It was reported by his wife that he had fully recovered from his illness. Gere has often been included on lists of famous vegetarians; however, there
SECTION 20
#17328695416711298-694: The Hamptons International Film Festival and the Career Achievement Award from the Hollywood Film Awards . Gere had earlier received an award from the 34th Cairo International Film Festival in December 2010. Gere made a notable departure from his traditional screen persona with Joseph Cedar 's political drama Norman (2016). The film saw Gere portray Norman Oppenheimer, a small-time Jewish fixer . Gere himself described
1357-402: The music video for the 1993 Madonna song " Bad Girl ". In the video, Madonna plays a woman who, like Theresa, engages in self-destructive behavior by drinking heavily and sleeping around with random men before she is ultimately murdered by a man she had selected for a one-night stand . The film was referenced in the " Homer Badman " episode of The Simpsons . When Homer and Marge are at
1416-493: The war in Iraq was not supported by the American people and that the Bush administration had "bullied" Americans into the decision. He called George W. Bush a "very poor president". In a press conference held on the sidelines of the 34th Cairo International Film Festival , Gere said, "I'm very sorry about what the U.S. has done in Iraq. This war has been a tragedy for everyone. I hope that
1475-514: The New Year approaching, Theresa resolves to turn over a new leaf and take control of her life. On New Year's Eve, she meets Gary in a bar, and cajoles him into helping her avoid James. Gary has been living with his gay lover but lies to Theresa, telling her that he has a pregnant wife in Florida . When they are in bed together at her apartment, Gary finds himself unable to achieve an erection. He then sniffs
1534-507: The Ritz Theatre and closed after three performances. Following that, he appeared in the original London stage version of Grease , in 1973. Gere was one of the first notable Hollywood actors to play a homosexual character, starring as a gay Holocaust victim in the 1979 Broadway production of Bent , for which he earned a Theatre World Award . Gere began appearing in Hollywood films in
1593-631: The Serbian military machine against the Albanian civilian population living in its land." On February 16, 2012, the George Eastman Museum honored Gere with the George Eastman Award for distinguished contribution to the art of film. Looking for Mr. Goodbar (film) Looking for Mr. Goodbar is a 1977 American crime drama film , based on Judith Rossner 's best-selling 1975 novel of
1652-523: The best reviews of his career. Gere was notably singled out for portraying businessman Robert Miller in Arbitrage (2012), earning his fourth Golden Globe Award nomination. Among many positive reviews, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone cited Gere's performance as "too good to ignore" and "an implosive tour de force". Also in 2012, he received the Golden Starfish Award for Lifetime Achievement from
1711-743: The board of directors for Healing the Divide, an organization that supports global initiatives to promote peace, justice and understanding. Gere helped to establish the AIDS Care Home, a residential facility in India for women and children with AIDS, and also supports campaigns for AIDS awareness and education in that country. In 1999, he created the Gere Foundation India Trust to support a variety of humanitarian programs in India. On April 15, 2007, Gere appeared at an AIDS awareness rally in Jaipur . During
1770-649: The boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to put pressure on China to make Tibet independent. He starred in a Free Tibet-themed Lancia commercial featuring the Lancia Delta . On June 27, 2011, Gere meditated in Borobudur Temple in Indonesia . He actively supports Survival International , an organization dedicated to protecting the rights and lands of tribal peoples throughout the world. Gere campaigns for ecological causes and AIDS awareness. He currently serves on
1829-458: The casting of Diane Keaton as Theresa, Looking for Mr. Goodbar became a then-rarity in Hollywood movies, depicting an everyday woman with an erotic life, rather than a vamp or a whore," rating the film 3 1 ⁄ 2 -stars-out-of-5. Some critics found the film lurid and muddled; a review by Frank Rich for Time magazine criticized Brooks for making "many crude miscalculations" in adapting
Richard Gere - Misplaced Pages Continue
1888-541: The character as an embodiment of the "sides of us we know are annoying and needy". His portrayal of Oppenheimer was called "consistently, completely fascinating" by RogerEbert.com and was singled out as a worthy Academy Award contender by Variety . Gere is an accomplished musician, composing and performing the Pretty Woman piano theme and a guitar solo in Runaway Bride . He studied tap for three months to shoot half
1947-488: The chicken and a small, greasy river of mustard lands on my thigh. I elbowed him in the side of the head and basically pushed him out of the car. The director had to make a choice: one of us had to go, one of us had to stay. Richard was given his walking papers and to this day seriously dislikes me. The film opened in 2 theaters in New York City on May 1, 1974 and grossed $ 56,026 in its opening week. On Rotten Tomatoes ,
2006-436: The film 1 1 ⁄ 2 -stars-out-of-4, writing that the film "begins as an intelligent study of repressed young girl, then wallows endlessly in her new 'liberated' lifestyle", despite praising Keaton's performance. Author Judith Rossner praised Keaton's performance. However, she had nothing to do with the making of the film and "detested" the final product. Robert O. Friedel, MD, has suggested that Theresa's behavior in
2065-419: The film has a score of 64 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Many critics praised Diane Keaton's performance. Roger Ebert gave the film 3-out-of-4 stars, praising Keaton's performance but lamenting the "many loose ends and dead ends," some of which he blamed on significant alterations to the novel's plot. Gene Siskel also awarded 3-out-of-4 stars, writing that "Keaton
2124-545: The film is consistent with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder . Looking for Mr. Goodbar was released on LaserDisc and VHS , with the most recent VHS release being in 1997. During a showing of the film on Turner Classic Movies , it was stated by Ben Mankiewicz that its subsequent unavailability on DVD or Blu-ray was owed to licensing complications surrounding the film's extensive use of popular music. However, on October 31, 2024, independent label Vinegar Syndrome , under license from Paramount, announced
2183-404: The film's theme, "Don't Ask To Stay Until Tomorrow" (written by Carol Connors and Artie Kane ), presented in both vocal and instrumental versions. For the sex scenes, Richard Brooks closed the set to all but essential crew. Diane Keaton still had difficulty the first time she was required to appear naked. When she heard Richard playing a Bach record during lunch, she asked if he could play
2242-452: The latter of which earned Gere his second Golden Globe Award nomination. The 1990s saw Gere star in successful films including Sommersby (1993) (opposite Jodie Foster ), Primal Fear (1996) and Runaway Bride (1999) (which reunited him with his Pretty Woman co-star Julia Roberts ). He also took a leading role in the action thriller The Jackal (1997), playing former IRA militant Declan Mulqueen; Gere affected an Irish accent for
2301-457: The mid-1970s. Originally cast in a starring role in The Lords of Flatbush (1974), he was replaced after fighting with his co-star Sylvester Stallone . Gere played a small but significant part in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and starred in director Terrence Malick 's well-reviewed drama Days of Heaven (1978). The crime drama American Gigolo (1980) significantly boosted his profile and
2360-547: The novel. Vincent Canby of The New York Times stated that Keaton was "virtually the only reason" to see the film, calling her "too good to waste on the sort of material the movie provides, which is artificial without in anyway qualifying as a miracle fabric." John Simon noted that while the novel is set in New York City, the film is said to be located in San Francisco (though identifiably filmed in Chicago's Rush Street neighborhood). He also noted that "the main character
2419-548: The people of Iraq can rebuild their country." In 2016, Gere endorsed Hillary Clinton for president and donated $ 2,700 to her campaign . In 2017, Gere criticized Benjamin Netanyahu 's policies on the Palestinians and Israel 's expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank , stating, "Settlements are such an absurd provocation and, certainly in the international sense, completely illegal—and they are certainly not part of
Richard Gere - Misplaced Pages Continue
2478-469: The persecution and loss of land of the Jumma people as an example of a tragic story that repeats itself in different continents of the world, calling attention to the crime against their peaceful culture and how it reflects on humanity's relationship with nature and capacity to survive. The royalties from the book's sale go to the indigenous rights organization Survival International . In 2010, Gere stated that
2537-582: The program of someone who wants a genuine peace process." In February 2023, Gere was one of the 480 global figures who signed a statement from Freedom House expressing support for Mahsa Amini protesters , urging sanctions on Iranian officials, and calling for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be proscribed as a terror group. Gere had on-again/off-again relationships with actress Penelope Milford from 1971 to 1978, and painter Sylvia Martins from 1978 to 1986. During those years, he
2596-483: The record during her scene. "Diane is so shy," he said later. "She could only do a nude scene if she was playing to the music. She couldn't play to a man. I think Bach would have been pleased." Looking For Mr Goodbar grossed $ 1,540,635 from 110 theaters in its opening weekend. Variety listed the film at number one at the US box office for the week based on their sample of 20-22 cities, however, Star Wars grossed more for
2655-608: The responsible James, seeing him as a potential husband for Theresa. However, the couple do not have sex because James wants a traditional courtship and a monogamous relationship. Theresa sees this as stifling her freedom. Although James initially seems nice, over time he appears to become controlling and disrespectful of Theresa. Moreover, he shows signs of being just as selfish as Tony. Meanwhile, Theresa begins to go out to more marginal places and has sex with complete strangers, often with older men. Tony eventually returns and acts as if nothing had happened. He barges in on Theresa while she
2714-458: The role. Gere was named People magazine's " Sexiest Man Alive " in 1999. Not long thereafter, all in the same year, he appeared in the hit films The Mothman Prophecies (2002), Unfaithful (2002), and the Academy Award -winning musical film adaptation Chicago (2002), for which Gere won his first Golden Globe Award . His ballroom dancing drama Shall We Dance? (2004) was also
2773-471: The romantic drama An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) (co-starring Debra Winger ) cemented Gere's ascent to stardom, grossing almost $ 130 million and winning two Academy Awards out of six nominations; Gere himself received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. For the remainder of the 1980s, Gere appeared in films of varying critical and commercial reception. His career rebounded with the releases of Internal Affairs (1990) and Pretty Woman (1990),
2832-574: The same name , which was inspired by the 1973 murder of New York City schoolteacher Roseann Quinn . The film was written and directed by Richard Brooks , and stars Diane Keaton , Tuesday Weld , William Atherton , Richard Kiley , and Richard Gere . The film was a commercial success, earning $ 22.5 million, and received generally favorable reviews, with much of the praise directed towards Keaton's performance. It garnered two Academy Award nominations, Best Supporting Actress for Weld and Best Cinematography for William A. Fraker , while Keaton earned
2891-589: The spelling of his surname from "Geer". One of his ancestors, also named George, was an Englishman who came from Heavitree , England, and settled in the Connecticut Colony in 1638. Both of Gere's parents were Mayflower descendants; his ancestors include Pilgrims such as John Billington , William Brewster , Francis Eaton , Francis Cooke , Degory Priest , George Soule and Richard Warren . In 1967, Gere graduated from North Syracuse Central High School , where he excelled at gymnastics and music and played
2950-494: The supporting and background performers include co-director Martin Davidson in a cameo as Mr. Birnbaum, future Academy Award –winner and disco superstar Paul Jabara as Crazy Cohen, future Golden Globe –winner Ray Sharkey as a random student and future Emmy Award –winner Armand Assante as an anonymous wedding guest. Richard Gere was originally cast as Chico but was fired due to conflicts with Stallone during rehearsals. In
3009-528: The tone and subtlety of characters in the most repellant environments - in this case the desperate search for personal identity in the dreary and self-defeating world of compulsive sex and dope. Keaton's performance as the good/bad girl is excellent." Newsweek was also enthusiastic: " Looking for Mr. Goodbar could have been just another sensationalist movie version of a shocking best seller. But Richard Brooks has filmed it with power, seriousness and integrity." A retrospective review from AllMovie stated: "With
SECTION 50
#17328695416713068-722: The trumpet. Gere attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a gymnastics scholarship, studying philosophy; after two years, he left and did not graduate. Gere first worked professionally at the Seattle Repertory Theatre and the Provincetown Playhouse on Cape Cod in 1969, where he starred in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead . His first major acting role was in the 1971 rock opera Soon , written by Scott Fagan and Joe Kookoolis, which opened on Broadway at
3127-495: The wedding that Frannie was never pregnant. Butchey Weinstein is highly intelligent but hides his brains behind a clownish front in order to fit in with the gang. Wimpy Murgalo is a loyal follower in awe of Stanley, eventually becoming best man at his wedding. All four boys seem to discover maturity and responsibility at the end of the film as we witness them bonding during the wedding in their dress suits, eschewing their typical leather jackets. In addition, other notable names amongst
3186-450: The weekend. After 16 days, the film expanded into 169 theatres and after 26 days of release it had grossed $ 8,128,345 and had spent another two weeks atop the US box office. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a 61% rating based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 6.40/10. The site's consensus states: "Diane Keaton gives an absolutely fearless performance in a sexual thriller whose ending will leave audiences trembling." On Metacritic
3245-443: Was also sporadically linked with Tuesday Weld , Carole Mallory , Dawn Steel , Loree Rodkin , Barbara Carrera , and Barbra Streisand . It was suggested that Gere had affairs with Priscilla Presley and Kim Basinger in tell-all books written by Presley's ex-boyfriend Michael Edwards and Basinger's ex-husband Ron Snyder. Gere has also reportedly dated models Laura Bailey , Tina Chow , Dalila Di Lazzaro , and Padma Lakshmi . He
3304-429: Was lunchtime, so we decided to take a break, and the only place that was warm was in the backseat of a Toyota . I was eating a hotdog and he climbs in with a half a chicken covered in mustard with grease nearly dripping out of the aluminum wrapper. I said, "That thing is going to drip all over the place." He said, "Don't worry about it." I said, "If it gets on my pants you're gonna know about it." He proceeds to bite into
3363-610: Was married to model Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995. In November 2002, Gere married model and actress Carey Lowell . They have a son, Homer James Jigme Gere, who was born in February 2000 and is named for his grandfathers as well as the Tibetan name "Jigme". In September 2013, the two separated after 11 years of marriage. They spent three years in highly contested divorce proceedings in New York County Supreme Court . The case
3422-689: Was one of six actors to portray a variation of Dylan. He co-starred with Diane Lane in the romantic drama Nights in Rodanthe (2008). The film was widely panned by critics (making #74 on The Times Worst Films of 2008 list), but grossed over $ 84 million worldwide. The film is his most recent to have been produced entirely by a major film studio . Gere has expressed a belief that his politics regarding China, an important financial resource for major Hollywood studios, have made him unwelcome within Hollywood . Gere embraced his apparent exile from Hollywood and instead appeared in independent films that garnered some of
3481-624: Was settled in October 2016. In early April 2018, Gere married Spanish activist Alejandra Silva . In August 2018, they announced that they were expecting their first child. Their son, Alexander, was born in February 2019. In April 2020, the birth of their second son was reported. Gere's interest in Buddhism began when he was in his 20s. Gere first studied Zen Buddhism under Kyozan Joshu Sasaki . After studying Zen for five or six years, he and Brazilian painter Sylvia Martins traveled in 1978 to Nepal , where Gere met many Tibetan monks and lamas. He then met
#670329