Review of Dog Day Afternoon (1975) by Stuart K — 04 Jan 2015

WOW......WOW.....WOW....WOW....WOW......WHAT A THRILLING MOVIE 2 WATCH...... HAVE JUST SEEN THIS MOVIE 4 THE 1ST TIME N THINK THAT THIS IS SUCH A GREAT MOVIE 2 WATCH......ITS GOT A GOOD CAST OF ACTORS/ACTRESSESS THROUGHOUT THIS MOVIE.......I think that al pacino, john cazale (.R.I.P.), Charles durning (.R.I.P.), james Broderick (.R.I.P.), play good roles/parts throughout this movie......

The Life article described Wojtowicz as "a dark, thin fellow with the broken-faced good looks of an Al Pacino or Dustin Hoffman". Hoffman would later be offered the role when Pacino briefly quit the production. An 18-year-old actor was originally to be cast in the role of Sal to match the age of the actual Salvatore. The table below summarizes the main cast of Dog Day Afternoon.

The film was based on the story of John Wojtowicz and adheres to the basic facts of what happened, according to the Life article "The Boys in the Bank". According to the article, Wojtowicz, along with Sal Naturale, held up a Chase Manhattan Bank branch in Brooklyn, New York on August 22, 1972.

After being apprehended, Wojtowicz was convicted in court and sentenced to twenty years in prison, of which he served six.

Wojtowicz wrote a letter to The New York Times in 1975 out of concern that people would believe the version of the events portrayed in the film, which he said was "only 30% true". Some of Wojtowicz's objections included the portrayal of his wife Carmen Bifulco, the conversation with his mother that Wojtowicz claimed never happened, and the refusal of police to let him speak to his wife Carmen (unlike what was portrayed in the film). He did, however, praise Al Pacino and Chris Sarandon's portrayals of him and his wife Elizabeth Eden as accurate. Also, Sal was 18 years old, yet is portrayed in the film by then 39-year-old John Cazale.

The film shows Sonny making out a will to give Leon his life insurance so that even if Sonny should be killed, Leon might still be able to pay for the operation. The real-life Wojtowicz was paid $7500, plus 1% of the film's net profits for the rights to his story, from which he gave to Eden enough to pay for her sexual reassignment surgery. Aron became Elizabeth Debbie Eden and lived out the rest of her days in New York.[citation needed] She died of complications from AIDS in Rochester in 1987. Wojtowicz died of cancer in January 2006.

The robbery took place at a branch of the Chase Manhattan Bank, at 450 Avenue P in Brooklyn on the cross street of East 3rd Street, in Gravesend. As of 2012 the building still stands, though it has been through various retail uses since 1972.

The original inspiration for the film was an article written by P. F. Kluge and Thomas Moore for Life in September 1972. The article included many of the details later used in the film and noted the relationship which Wojtowicz and Naturale developed with hostages and the police. Bank manager Robert Barrett said, "I'm supposed to hate you guys [Wojtowicz/Naturale], but I've had more laughs tonight than I've had in weeks. We had a kind of camaraderie." Teller Shirley Bell said,"[I]f they had been my houseguests on a Saturday night, it would have been hilarious." The novelization of the film was penned by organized crime writer Leslie Waller.

The film has no musical score other than two songs, which are both diegetic-"Amoreena" by Elton John (which first appeared on his 1970 album Tumbleweed Connection), which Sonny, Sal, and Stevie are listening to in their car in the opening credits-and the Faces song "Stay With Me", which briefly plays on the radio during a scene inside the bank. Although many scenes within the bank establish that it was quite hot during the robbery, some outdoor sequences were shot in weather so cold that actors had to put ice in their mouths to stop their breath from showing on camera. Exterior shots were filmed on location on Prospect Park West between 17th and 18th Street in Windsor Terrace of Brooklyn. The interior shots of the bank were filmed in a set created in a warehouse.

Though the actors kept to the basic text of the script as written by Frank Pierson, director Lumet encouraged them to improvise and workshop scenes to create more natural dialogue. Changes made through this process included Cazale's memorable reply when asked what country he'd like to go to ("Wyoming"), and Durning and Pacino's aggressive dialogue after shots are fired within the bank.

Man this is such a thrilling, gripping, movie 2 watch, I think that this is such a fantastic movie 2 watch, its got a great cast throughout this movie......I think that this is such a really sad movie 2 watch, but it is such a gripping movie 2 watch......I think that chris Sarandon was absolutely brilliant throughout this movie....I think that Agent Murphy Lance Henriksen FBI agent/driver, was absolutely brilliant throughout this movie.....I think that this is such a gripping movie 2 watch, its got a great cast throughout this movie.....I think that this is such a really powerful drama movie 2 watch, its got a great cast throughout this movie, man this is such a gripping movie 2 watch, it is such a powerful drama movie 2 watch but it is such a fantastic movie 2 watch with a great cast throughout this movie.....