The Out of Towners

1970
G
1h 41m

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

9.5K

YOUR RATING

Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis in The Out of Towners (1970)

Play trailer1:32

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65 Photos

Farce Comedy

Ohio sales executive George Kellerman accepts a higher position within the company and travels to New York City with his wife Gwen for his job interview. But things start badly and only grow... Read allOhio sales executive George Kellerman accepts a higher position within the company and travels to New York City with his wife Gwen for his job interview. But things start badly and only grow worse in Neil Simon's dark urban comedy.Ohio sales executive George Kellerman accepts a higher position within the company and travels to New York City with his wife Gwen for his job interview. But things start badly and only grow worse in Neil Simon's dark urban comedy.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

9.5K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 3 nominations

Trivia
Jack Lemmon was almost killed in the manhole explosion scene. The blast was much stronger than anticipated, and instead of only lifting the manhole cover a few inches up and away from the hole, it threw it several feet into the air. A few seconds later, it falls hard in the ground, very close to Jack Lemmon's head. The actor was then hit in his left leg when the cover bounced, and although startled and in pain, he stayed in character. That shot was used in the final film.

Goofs
Two characters on foot would not be able outrun an officer on horseback.

Quotes
Gwen Kellerman: [after hearing George had been offered the Vice-President position] What did you say, George?
George Kellerman: What did I say? What do you think I said?
Gwen Kellerman: I don't know, George. I was hoping you would say no. I was hoping you would say that you and your wife don't really belong in New York. That you wanted to live the rest of your life in Ohio. That you never wanted to see a big city again as long as you live. That you didn't want to live here or in, uh, Chicago, or San Francisco, or New Orleans or Paris or any other place where people have to live on top of each other, and they don't have enough room to walk or to breathe or to smile at each other. That you don't want to step on garbage in the streets, or be attacked by dogs or have to give away watches in the middle of your sleep to men in black capes. That you were through traveling on trains that had no place to sit & no food to eat. And you didn't want to fly in airplanes that have no place to land, and no luggage for you when you land there. That you wish you never came here, and the only thing in the world you really wanted was to pick up your wife and carry her to the airport and fly home... and live happily ever after. That's what I was hoping you would say, George.
George Kellerman: That's funny... that's what I told him, word for word.

Alternate versions
There are two different available versions of this film. One which is shown on television (American Movie Classics), features music in certain spots of the movie, and the title song is the theme used in the night driving scenes in the picture. The other version, on home video, features slighly different songs through the picture and a title song which is used at the end in all versions.

Connections
Featured in America at the Movies (1976)

User reviews113

Review

Featured review

Making The Unfunny Funny

Hilarious Neil Simon comedy, that is, if you can tune into 80-minutes of what-else-can-go-wrong laughs. Seems upscale Lemmon and wife Dennis have to get from Ohio to NYC to accept his big time new job. Okay, no problem; except, the flight is detoured to Boston; there's a wrong train to NY; they're mugged in the city; then there's no room at their hotel, and a rain half-drowns them, etc., etc., etc. Like a string of slippery pearls, it's one adversity after another, and a real tribute to both performers that the frustrations are made amusing rather than off-putting. One thing for sure-- the flick's no valentine to NYC.

Happily, no one could do jangled nerves better than the comedic Lemmon, while Dennis offers perfectly measured support. Together, they bring off the challenge with artful flair. The rest of the cast appear only momentarily as our benighted twosome move from one frustration to the next. In many years of movie viewing, I've seen nothing like this daring storyline. All in all, it's tricky material done slickly and to the proverbial T. Meanwhile, I won't be going to NY any time soon, and if I do, I'll take a fat paper pad for all the names I'll have to sue to get there. Many thanks, Jack and Sandy.