Mack the Knife (1989 film)

Mack the Knife
Mack the Knife
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Menahem Golan
Screenplay by	Menahem Golan
Based on	The Threepenny Opera; by Bertolt Brecht; Kurt Weill;
Produced by	Stanley Chase
Starring	Raúl Juliá; Richard Harris; Julia Migenes; Roger Daltrey; Julie Walters; Clive Revill; Erin Donovan; Rachel Robertson
Cinematography	Elemér Ragályi
Edited by	Alain Jakubowicz; Henry Richardson
Music by	Kurt Weill; Dov Seltzer (adaptation)
Production; company	Golan-Globus Productions
Distributed by	21st Century Film Corporation
Release dates	17 November 1989 (Chicago); 2 February 1990 (United States);
Running time	120 minutes
Countries	Netherlands; Hungary; United States
Language	English
Budget	USD$9 million

Mack the Knife is a 1989 romantic comedy musical film written and directed by Menahem Golan, a film adaptation of the 1928 Brecht/Weill musical The Threepenny Opera.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] The film stars Raúl Juliá as Captain Macheath (reprising his Tony-nominated role from Richard Foreman 1974 revival of Opera), Richard Harris as Mr. Peachum, Julia Migenes as Jenny Diver, Julie Walters as Mrs. Peachum, and Roger Daltrey as the Street Singer. Brecht and Weill's score and libretto was adapted by Golan, Marc Blitzstein, and Dov Seltzer.

Plot

In 19th century London, young Polly Peachum falls for the famous womanizing criminal Macheath and they decide to get married, but because of her family's disapproval, her father ("the king of thieves") has Macheath arrested.

Cast

Raúl Juliá as Macheath
Richard Harris as Mr. Peachum
Julia Migenes as Jenny Diver
Roger Daltrey as The Street Singer
Julie Walters as Mrs. Peachum
Bill Nighy as "Tiger" Brown
Rachel Robertson as Polly Peachum
Clive Revill as Matthew "Money Matthew"
Erin Donovan as Lucy Brown
Louise Plowright as Dolly
Elizabeth Seal as Molly
Chrissie Kendall as Betty
Mark Northover as Jimmy "Jewels"
Iain Rogerson as Filch

Production

Juliá reprises the role of Macheath which won him a Tony nomination for a 1976 revival on Broadway. The film shows obvious signs of last minute editing, including several musical numbers that appear on the soundtrack album but are not in the final cut.^{[original research?]}