Get Shorty **** (1995, John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, David Paymer, Bette Midler) – Classic Movie Review 368

Gene Hackman has a scene-stealing field day as sleazeball Hollywood producer Harry Zimm, in the highly amusing 1995 black comedy thriller film Get Shorty.

Director Barry Sonnenfeld’s highly amusing 1995 black comedy thriller film Get Shorty is based on one of Elmore Leonard’s lowlife crime novels. It takes its honourable place among the good movies about the movies.

John Travolta stars on finest post-Pulp Fiction form as cool, streetwise mob operator Chili Palmer, a Miami-based loan shark and movie buff. He goes to Tinseltown to pick up a debt and turns movie producer when he finds the film business is much the same as the gangster business. The thriller plot is not quite one of Leonard’s best but it makes a good peg to hang Scott Frank’s amusing satirical screenplay on.

And it offers great opportunities for a bunch of showy actors. The excellent cast (including Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, David Paymer, and Bette Midler) step up to the mark and invest the small-time Hollywood and Miami lowlife atmosphere with great conviction and brio. Scene-stealing Gene Hackman, in particular, has a field day as sleazeball Hollywood producer Harry Zimm.

Also notably, Rene Russo plays Harry’s girlfriend Karen Flores, Danny DeVito as Martin Weir, Dennis Farina plays Chili’s rival mobster Ray ‘Bones’ Barboni, and Bette Midler plays writer’s widow as Doris Saphron.

Also in the cast are Jon Gries, Renee Props, Martin Ferrero, Miguel Sandoval, Jacon Vargas, Bobby Slayton, Linda Hart, Ron Karabatsos, Alison Waddell, Amber Waddell, John Cothran Jr, Jack Conley, Bernard Hocke, Jay Montalvo, Carlease Burke, Vito Scotti, Harry Victor, Barry Sonnenfeld, Alex Rocco, Penny Marshall, Harvey Keitel and David Groh.

Plus there’s an appearance from the real Ernest ‘Chili’ Palmer, the Miami loan shark who inspired the film character.

It was a big hit. Costing $30 million, it took $115.1 million at the box office.

It is made by Jersey Films, founded by DeVito and Michael Shamberg.

Travolta returned as Chili Palmer for the 2005 sequel Be Cool.

Busy character actor Vito Scotti (1918–1996) plays his last film role, as the manager at Vesuvio’s. Having spent much of his early years in Naples, he was typecast as Italian waiters, policemen and barbers etc, though his first role was as a Mexican youth in Illegal Entry in 1949. He got to share a scene with Ingrid Bergman in Cactus Flower (1969).

The cast

The cast are John Travolta as Chili Palmer, Gene Hackman as Harry Zimm. Rene Russo as Karen Flores, Danny DeVito as Martin Weir, Dennis Farina as Ray ‘Bones’ Barboni, Delroy Lindo as Bo Catlett, James Gandolfini as Bear, David Paymer as Leo Devoe, Martin Ferrero as Tommy Carlo, Miguel Sandoval as Mr Escobar, Jon Gries as Ronnie Wingate, Linda Hart as Faye Devoe, Jacob Vargas as Yayo Portillo, Bette Midler as Doris Saphron, Renee Props as Nicki, Bobby Slayton as Dick Allen, Ron Karabatsos as Momo, Jack Conley as Agent Dunbar, Bernard Hocke as Agent Morgan, Rino Piccolo as Waiter at Vesuvio’s, Alfred Dennis as Ed the Barber, Ralph Manza as Fred the Barber, Patrick Breen as Assistant Doctor. Barry Sonnenfeld as Doorman, Rebeca Arthur as Las Vegas Waitress, Leslie Bega as Vikki Vespa, David Groh as Buddy Lipton, Harvey Keitel as Harvey Keitel (uncredited), Penny Marshall as Penny Marshall (uncredited), and Alex Rocco as Jimmy Capp.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 368

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