The Prisoner of Second Avenue

1975

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

Critics Consensus

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66%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 1,079

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The Prisoner of Second Avenue Photos

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Movie Info

A lesser but still entertaining Neil Simon work, +The Prisoner of Second Avenue was adapted to film in 1974. Jack Lemmon takes over the role played on Broadway by Peter Falk: Mel is a New York-based advertising man who goes through hell when he loses his job. The gods seem to conspire against him as he tries to cope with his unemployed status; he is particularly depressed over the fact that he must now subsist on the income of his wife (Anne Bancroft). There are laughs in The Prisoner of Second Avenue, but it's the laughter of desperation and despair; it might not be advisable to watch this film after a bad day at the office. Watch for Sylvester Stallone as the "human punch line" of an old urban legend about a pickpocket.

Rating:

PG
Genre:

Classics, Comedy
Directed By:

Melvin Frank
Written By:

Neil Simon
In Theaters:

Mar 14, 1975 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Mar 30, 2004
Runtime:

98 minutes
Studio:

Warner Home Video

Cast

Jack Lemmon
as Mel Edison

Anne Bancroft
as Edna Edison

Gene Saks
as Harry Edison

Elizabeth Wilson
as Pauline

Florence Stanley
as Pearl

F. Murray Abraham

Maxine Stuart
as Belle

Ed Peck
as Man Upstairs

Gene Blakely
as Charlie

M. Emmet Walsh

Ivor Francis
as Psychiatrist

Stack Pierce
as Detective

Sylvester Stallone
as Youth in Park

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Critic Reviews for The Prisoner of Second Avenue

All Critics (7) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (3)

It has one admirable asset in Anne Bancroft, who is quite simply wonderful.

Dec 4, 2019 | Full Review…

Jacoba Atlas
Los Angeles Free Press
If running up and down the emotional spectrum sounds ideal, allow 'The Prisoner of Second Avenue' to lock you behind its bars for 100 minutes and free you a changed person.

Jun 10, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Preston Barta
Denton Record-Chronicle
There's relatable, universal material in this property, but it often gets buried beneath a template that teeters uneasily between awkward pathos and obvious one-liners.

Jun 1, 2019 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
At its best, it's a second rate Death of a Salesman.

Jan 30, 2009 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
sharp and intriguing

Sep 30, 2005 | Rating: 3/5

Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

View All Critic Reviews (7)

Audience Reviews for The Prisoner of Second Avenue

Apr 27, 2007

Jack Lemmon is one consummate actor when it comes to falling apart on screen. Although this masquerades as a "comedy," there are flashes of his extraordinarily painful performance in <i>Days of Wine and Roses.</i> I'm not Neil Simon's greatest fan, but I give him credit here for blending the tragedy of Lemmon's mental breakdown with some very good humor. <p> I wonder if any marriage in the real world could withstand this kind of relationship intensity? I don't know.

Lanning : Super Reviewer