The King of Comedy (1983 film)
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The King of Comedy is an American film released in 1981. Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro), a stage-door autograph hound, is an aspiring stand-up comic with obsessive ambition far in excess of any actual talent. Film scholar David Bordwell, writing in Film Viewer's Guide, has mentioned the (un)reality of the ending as a topic for debate. At least one other scene in the film -- Rupert and Jerry in the restaurant -- exists solely in Rupert's deluded imagination, and Bordwell suggests that viewers may want to contemplate if the end sequence is just another fantasy.
Synopsis
Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro), a stage-door autograph hound, is an aspiring stand-up comic with obsessive ambition far in excess of any actual talent. A chance meeting with Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis), a famous comedian and talk show host, leads Rupert to believe that his "big break" has finally come. His attempts to get a place on the show are continually rebuffed by Langford's staff and, finally, by Langford himself. Along the way, Rupert indulges in elaborate and obsessive fantasies where he and Langford are colleagues and friends.
When the straight approach does not work, Rupert hatches a kidnapping plot with the help of Masha (Sandra Bernhard), a stalker familiar with Langford's movements. As ransom, Rupert demands that the kidnapping be kept secret, that he be given the opening spot on that evening's Jerry Langford Show (guest hosted by Tony Randall), and that the show be broadcast in normal fashion. The network brass, lawyers, and the FBI agree, with the understanding that Langford will be released once the show airs nationally. Between the taping of the show and the national broadcast, Masha has her "dream date" with Langford, who is duct-taped to a chair in her parents' Manhattan townhouse.
Rupert's stand-up routine is mediocre, but not terrible. He closes by confessing to the audience that he kidnapped Jerry Langford in order to break into show business. The studio audience laughs, thinking that it's a part of his act. Rupert responds by saying, "Tomorrow you'll know I wasn't kidding and you'll all think I'm crazy. But I figure it this way: better to be king for a night, than schmuck for a lifetime."
The movie closes with a news report of Rupert's release from prison, set to a montage of storefronts stocking his "long awaited" autobiography, King For A Night. The report informs that Rupert still considers Jerry Langford his mentor and friend, and that he and his agent are currently weighing several "attractive offers."
Debate about ending
Film scholar David Bordwell, writing in Film Viewer's Guide, has mentioned the (un)reality of the ending as a topic for debate. At least one other scene in the film -- Rupert and Jerry in the restaurant -- exists solely in Rupert's deluded imagination, and Bordwell suggests that viewers may want to contemplate if the end sequence is just another fantasy.
