The Pawnbroker (film)
Updated: 12/10/2025, 11:04:20 AM Wikipedia source
The Pawnbroker is a 1964 American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Rod Steiger, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Brock Peters, Jaime Sánchez and Morgan Freeman in his feature film debut. The screenplay was an adaptation by Morton S. Fine and David Friedkin of the 1961 novel of the same name by Edward Lewis Wallant. The film was the first produced entirely in the United States to deal with the Holocaust from the viewpoint of a survivor. It earned international acclaim for Steiger, launching his career as an A-list actor. It was among the first American films to feature a homosexual character and nudity during the Production Code, and was the first film featuring a woman's bare breasts to receive Production Code approval. Although it was publicly announced to be a special exception, the controversy proved to be first of similar major challenges to the Code that ultimately led to its abrogation. In 2008, The Pawnbroker was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
Infobox
Directed by
Sidney Lumet
Screenplay by
Morton S. FineDavid Friedkin
Based on
The Pawnbroker1961 novelby Edward Lewis Wallant
Produced by
Philip LangnerRoger LewisEly Landau
Starring
Rod SteigerGeraldine FitzgeraldBrock PetersJaime SánchezThelma Oliver
Cinematography
Boris Kaufman
Edited by
Ralph Rosenblum
Music by
Quincy Jones
Productioncompany
Landau Company
Distributed by
American International Pictures
Release dates
mw- June 1964 (1964-06) (Berlin FF) April 20, 1965 (1965-04-20) (U.S.)
Running time
116 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$930,000
Box office
$2.5 million (US rentals), over $4 million global
Tables
· Critical reaction › Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Category
Best Actor
Nominee(s)
Rod Steiger
Result
Nominated
Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
Award
Berlin International Film Festival
Category
Golden Bear
Nominee(s)
Sidney Lumet
Result
Nominated
Best Actor
Best Actor
Award
Best Actor
Category
Rod Steiger
Nominee(s)
Won
FIPRESCI Award – Honorable Mention
FIPRESCI Award – Honorable Mention
Award
FIPRESCI Award – Honorable Mention
Category
Sidney Lumet
Nominee(s)
Won
Bodil Awards
Bodil Awards
Award
Bodil Awards
Category
Best Non-European Film
Nominee(s)
Won
British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
Award
British Academy Film Awards
Category
Best Foreign Actor
Nominee(s)
Rod Steiger
Result
Won
United Nations Award
United Nations Award
Award
United Nations Award
Category
Sidney Lumet
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards
Directors Guild of America Awards
Award
Directors Guild of America Awards
Category
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Category
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominee(s)
Rod Steiger
Result
Nominated
Laurel Awards
Laurel Awards
Award
Laurel Awards
Category
Top Drama
Nominee(s)
4th Place
Top Male Dramatic Performance
Top Male Dramatic Performance
Award
Top Male Dramatic Performance
Category
Rod Steiger
Nominee(s)
Nominated
National Film Preservation Board
National Film Preservation Board
Award
National Film Preservation Board
Category
National Film Registry
Nominee(s)
Inducted
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Award
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Category
Best Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Actor
Best Actor
Award
Best Actor
Category
Rod Steiger
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards
Writers Guild of America Awards
Award
Writers Guild of America Awards
Category
Best Written American Drama
Nominee(s)
Morton S. Fine and David Friedkin
Result
Won
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | Best Actor | Rod Steiger | Nominated | |
| Berlin International Film Festival | Golden Bear | Sidney Lumet | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Rod Steiger | Won | ||
| FIPRESCI Award – Honorable Mention | Sidney Lumet | Won | ||
| Bodil Awards | Best Non-European Film | Won | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Foreign Actor | Rod Steiger | Won | |
| United Nations Award | Sidney Lumet | Nominated | ||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Rod Steiger | Nominated | |
| Laurel Awards | Top Drama | 4th Place | ||
| Top Male Dramatic Performance | Rod Steiger | Nominated | ||
| National Film Preservation Board | National Film Registry | Inducted | ||
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Film | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Rod Steiger | Nominated | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Written American Drama | Morton S. Fine and David Friedkin | Won | |
Professional ratings · Musical score and soundtrack
Source
Source
Review scores
Source
Review scores
Rating
Allmusic
Allmusic
Review scores
Allmusic
Review scores
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
References
- This figure consists of anticipated rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Top Grossers of 1965", Variety,
- American Jewish Historyhttp://www.cmcdannell.com/HollywoodHolocaustReading.pdf
- The New York Timeshttps://movies.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/arts/television/05gate.html?scp=29&sq=The%20Pawnbroker%20steiger&st=cse
- Turner Classic Movieshttps://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/86397/the-pawnbroker
- American Jewish Historyhttp://www.cmcdannell.com/HollywoodHolocaustReading.pdf
- Library of Congresshttps://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/
- Library of Congresshttps://www.loc.gov/item/prn-08-237/2008-entries-to-national-film-registry-announced/2008-12-30/
- Unbecoming Blackness: The Diaspora Cultures of Afro-Cuban Americahttps://books.google.com/books?id=TVsTCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA107
- Baltimore Sunhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2007-09-28-0709280161-story.html
- The Film Daily
- The New York Timeshttps://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F60617FC345912718DDDAA0894D9415B838AF1D3
- The New York Timeshttps://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF1739E773BC4951DFB266838E679EDE&scp=3&sq=The%20Pawnbroker&st=cse
- Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywoodhttps://books.google.com/books?id=_T9tCvzIFrcC&q=The+PAwnbroker+steiger&pg=PA174
- Variety
- "Release Dates for The Pawnbroker"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059575/releaseinfo
- When the Shooting Stops, the Cutting Begins: A Film Editor's Story
- The Pawnbrokerhttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_pawnbroker
- oscars.orghttp://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1966
- berlinale.dehttp://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1964/03_preistr_ger_1964/03_Preistraeger_1964.html
- Bodilprisenhttp://www.bodilprisen.dk/aar-for-aar/1966-2/
- BAFTAhttp://awards.bafta.org/award/1967/film
- The New York Timeshttps://web.archive.org/web/20140910200448/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/10/obituaries/10STEI.html?ex=1236830400&en=c7fc61a55ef1dd1c&ei=5070
- Directors Guild of America Awardshttps://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1960s/1965.aspx?value=1965
- HFPAhttps://www.goldenglobes.com/film/pawnbroker
- Library of Congresshttps://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/
- New York Film Critics Circlehttps://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?awardyear=1965
- Writers Guild of Americahttps://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551
- Seattle Post-Intelligencerhttps://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/article/IFC-s-chat-show-Dinner-for-Five-worth-booking-1085097.php
- YouTubehttps://web.archive.org/web/20130226001555/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DsQ7owVGSs&gl=US&hl=en
- Cook, Stephen. The Pawnbroker (Original Motion Picture Score) – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved January 17, 2018.https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000914367
- Soundtrack Collector: album entry accessed January 17, 2018http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/title/8825/Pawnbroker%2C+The
- Mercury 20000 Series B (61000-61099) discography, accessed January 17, 2018https://microgroove.jp/mercury/21000-21099.shtml
- Library of Congresshttps://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200018388
- Library of Congresshttps://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200018388/