New York, New York

film by Scorsese [1977]

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July 1, 2026

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New York, New York (1977) is a musical film directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro. The movie is a stylized reimagining of 1950s Hollywood musicals, featuring elaborate sets and non-naturalistic lighting. It tells the story of a saxophone player, Jimmy Doyle (De Niro), who falls for a talented singer, Francine Evans (Minnelli). Their passionate but ultimately unsustainable love affair unfolds against the backdrop of post-war New York City.1

The film was a commercial failure upon its release, though it later developed a cult following due to its affectionate homage to classic Hollywood cinema. It was released during a period when New York City was struggling financially, but its music scene was experiencing a resurgence driven by new wave and disco.12

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Martin Scorsese
Films of the 1970s: Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, and New York, New York
…only until the release of New York, New York (1977), a rethinking of the 1950s Hollywood musical, marked by nonnaturalistic lighting and elaborate sets. Deliberately stylized to evoke past screen triumphs by Vincente Minnelli and George Cukor, it featured De Niro as the cocky Jimmy Doyle, a novice saxophone player…
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…only until the release of New York, New York (1977), a rethinking of the 1950s Hollywood musical, marked by nonnaturalistic lighting and elaborate sets. Deliberately stylized to evoke past screen triumphs by Vincente Minnelli and George Cukor, it featured De Niro as the cocky Jimmy Doyle, a novice saxophone player…
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Liza Minnelli
…band music of the 1940s, New York, New York (1977). Although it lost money at the box office, the film did provide Minnelli with two trademark songs, “Theme from New York, New York” and “But the World Goes ’Round.” Though her following films were mostly less than memorable, Minnelli scored…
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…band music of the 1940s, New York, New York (1977). Although it lost money at the box office, the film did provide Minnelli with two trademark songs, “Theme from New York, New York” and “But the World Goes ’Round.” Though her following films were mostly less than memorable, Minnelli scored…
Read More