Born to Win (1971) on Netflix
J, a former hairdresser who has split from his wife, drifts through Times Square as an addict, dealing drugs for the drug dealer Vivian. Trying to steal a car, he meets Parm.
- Netflix2.2/5
- IMDb5.8/102,538 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes29%
Trailer
Plot summary
J once worked as a hairdresser, but he has separated from his wife and now spends his days in Times Square, an addict chasing one more dose and picking up money by running drugs for Vivian, a dealer whose reach makes him wary. His friend Billy Dynamite shares the habit. An attempt the two make on a cashier's safe collapses and they scatter. When J tries to take a car, the owner, Parm, catches him, takes an interest, and brings him to her apartment, where his intention to steal from her turns into the two falling for each other. She notices the tattoo on his arm reading Born to Win.
Cast
- Ed Madsenas Detective
- Irving Selbstas Stanley
- Tim Peltas Little Davey
- Jack Hollanderas Harry
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Born to Win (1971)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- According to Passer, Robert De Niro was nearly fired many times throughout shooting. A devoted Stella Adler student, he did things to define his secondary character in order to draw attention away from the leads.
- David Scott Milton based the film's characters on the addicts who frequented the Manhattan diner that he owned. He first adapted those observations into a play titled Scraping Bottom, and the resulting screenplay carried the same title.
- Paula Prentiss receives top billing despite appearing onscreen for about three minutes. Asked about this at the New York Film Festival press screening, Passer said her agent had demanded it, adding, "After all, what difference does it make?"
- When Ed Madsen chases George Segal down the hallway, he slips and falls. That was not written in the screenplay, but Passer thought it looked so real that he decided to leave it in the movie.
- To develop the story, Ivan Passer and David Scott Milton interviewed ex-addicts at the Phoenix House, which stood near where the two were putting on a play titled Duet for Solo Voice.
