Taglines: The director had a vision. The producers all had girlfriends.
Mistress movie synopsis. Late one night as former filmmaker Marvin Landisman (Robert Wuhl) is watching his own personal 16mm copy of Jean Renoir’s Grand Illusions, he gets a call from film producer Jack Roth (Martin Landau) who believe he may be able to get funding to make the film of the script Marvin had sent him years ago called “The Darkness and the Light”.
Marvin, who is producing instructional videos, is apprehensive as he has gone cold on the film biz after a tragedy occurred on one of his films years ago when lead actor Warren Zell (Christopher Walken) committed suicide on-camera bringing an abrupt halt to Marvin’s career. Roth was formerly an exec at Universal and claims he can get the script made and can attach Marvin as director. Marvin agrees to take a meeting and Roth brings with him a young enthusiastic writer Stuart Stratland (Jace Alexander) to do some script doctoring.
The trio begins meeting with potential backers and discover that each has his own ideas for the movie, and each has a girlfriend’ they want cast in the movie. Marvin attempts to stay true to his story, that of a downtrodden painter who kills himself rather than compromise, but like his own hero character, Marvin begins to realize that his film can get made if he is willing to compromise.
Mistress is a 1992 comedy-drama film starring Robert Wuhl, Martin Landau, Jace Alexander, Danny Aiello, Robert De Niro, Laurie Metcalf, Christopher Walken, Eli Wallach, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jean Smart and Tuesday Knight. The picture was written by Barry Primus and J.F. Lawton and directed by Primus.
About the Story
A down-and-out Hollywood screenwriter and director named Marvin Landisman (Robert Wuhl) is working on cheaply made instructional videos when his years-old script is read by Jack Roth (Martin Landau), a desperate has-been producer who offers to help Marvin find investors for his movie.
Men willing to put up the money are found, including the ruthless businessman Evan (Robert De Niro), the disturbed war veteran Carmine (Danny Aiello) and the eccentric millionaire George (Eli Wallach). But each has a mistress he insists be cast in the film in exchange for his financial backing. The women are the highly talented Beverly (Sheryl Lee Ralph), the alcoholic flight attendant Patricia (Jean Smart) and the perky blonde Peggy (Tuesday Knight).
Marvin repeatedly is asked to compromise his standards and change his script to accommodate these backers until the script becomes almost unrecognizable from its original form. The project also puts a strain on the marriage of Marvin and his long-patient wife Rachel (Laurie Metcalf).
Marvin’s screenplay is a bleak one about a painter who commits suicide, and was inspired by the case of an actor named Warren (Christopher Walken) who abruptly committed suicide by jumping off a building in the midst of the making of a film Marvin was directing years ago. Roth brings in young Stuart Stratland (Jace Alexander) to adapt the script for the investors’ mistresses, but not only does Stuart constantly enrage Marvin with his suggested changes, he falls in love with Peggy and they have an affair.
Mistress (1992)
Directed by: Barry Primus
Starring: Robert Wuhl, Martin Landau, Jace Alexander, Danny Aiello, Robert De Niro, Laurie Metcalf, Christopher Walken, Eli Wallach, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jean Smart, Tuesday Knight
Screenplay by: Barry Primus, J.F. Lawton
Production Design by: Phil Peters
Cinematography by: Sven Kirsten
Film Editing by: Steven Weisberg
Costume Design by: Susan Nininger
Set Decoration by: K.C. Fox
Art Direction by: Randy Eriksen
Music by: Galt MacDermot
MPAA Rating: R for language.
Distributed by: Rainbow Releasing
Release Date: July 24, 1992
Views: 234
