Directed by John Cassavetes • 1959 • United States
Starring Lelia Goldoni, Anthony Ray, Hugh Hurd
John Cassavetes’s directorial debut revolves around a romance in New York City between Lelia (Lelia Goldoni), a light- skinned black woman, and Tony (Anthony Ray), a white man. The relationship is put in jeopardy when Tony meets Lelia’s darker-skinned jazz singer brother, Hugh (Hugh Hurd), and discovers that her racial heritage is not what he thought it was. Shot on location in Manhattan with a mostly nonprofessional cast and crew, SHADOWS is a penetrating work that is widely considered the forerunner of the American independent film movement.
Up Next in Starring Gena Rowlands
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Faces
Directed by John Cassavetes • 1968 • United States
Starring John Marley, Lynn Carlin, Gena RowlandsJohn Cassavetes puts a disintegrating marriage under the microscope in the searing FACES. Shot in high-contrast 16 mm black and white, the film follows the futile attempts of the captain of indust...
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A Woman Under the Influence
Directed by John Cassavetes • 1974 • United States
Starring Gena Rowlands, Peter FalkThis uncompromising portrait of domestic turmoil details the emotional breakdown of a suburban housewife and her family’s struggle to save her from herself. Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk give unforgettably harro...
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Opening Night
Directed by John Cassavetes • 1977 • United States
Starring Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, Ben GazzaraWhile in the midst of rehearsals for her latest play, Broadway actor Myrtle Gordon (Gena Rowlands) witnesses the accidental death of an adoring young fan, after which she begins to confront th...
