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Martin Scorsese’s 1977 musical “New York, New York” could easily be the director’s worst film. It’s too big, too ambitious and way too long. Scorsese had hoped to create an old-world musical reminiscent of his 1940s favorites, but infused with his own naturalistic, almost documentary style. It’s an interesting concept, but ill-advised upon reflection. How can something be glitzy and brilliant like an old world musical and still be realistic? It didn’t make any sense. Scorsese also loved Robert Altman-style improvisation, and he let his actors chatter and make up dialogue on the spot. This was a dangerous approach when shooting on giant, expensive and often unnecessary sets. The scenes go on and on, without form or, well, direction. The initial cut of “New York, New York” was over four hours long. Eventually, Scorsese whittled it down to a still-bloated 163 minutes.
As he admitted in Peter Biskind’s seminal film history book, “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls,” Scorsese was addicted to cocaine while filming “New York, New York” and took lithium to manage his moods. All the while – and this is a Hollywood open secret – Scorsese was having an affair with his star, Liza Minnelli, much to the dismay of his then-wife. Even Scorsese considers it a miracle that anything good came out of “New York, New York.”
Many of the disasters related to the making of “New York, New York” were cataloged in a 2023 Telegraph article. The production was a disaster, the film was a disaster, and it exploded at the box office. Made for the then-large sum of $14 million, it grossed only $16.4 million in theaters. It’s a good thing United Artists also made “Rocky” a year before, because that film put him back in the black.
Scorsese’s New York, New York, it’s a bit rubbish
It should be remembered that Scorsese’s cocaine addiction was quite serious. The filmmaker found himself in hospital at the age of 34, probably the victim of a brain hemorrhage. It was in this state that he felt he could produce a huge musical spectacle. Watching the movie…well, cocaine is a hell of a drug.
“New York, New York” is ostensibly a love story, but it’s closer to a portrait of an abusive relationship. It begins in 1945 at a USO show, where crude and bullying saxophonist Jimmy Doyle (Robert De Niro) sets his sights on a singer named Francine Evans (Minnelli). He doesn’t so much charm her as force his way into her life. He also forces her to join him at an audition, during which an angry Jimmy yells at everyone. When Francine sings to quiet the room, the couple gets a job as a traveling musical duo. This leads to a rushed marriage proposal, an unplanned pregnancy, and ultimately Jimmy leaving Francine behind. They both become successful musicians and the film ends with both planning to reunite. It’s not romantic at all, largely because Jimmy is such a temperamental valet.
One can understand, however, why Scorsese might have wanted to make something like “New York, New York.” Until then, it had become synonymous with mean street films like “Mean Streets,” as well as the controversial but widely celebrated “Taxi Driver.” He was a filmmaker famous for his courage and violence. What better way to diversify this career than with a musical? Scorsese wanted to prove he could do anything. Maybe he had a great musical in him, but “New York, New York” wasn’t one of them.
Scorsese was inspired by A Star is Born
According to the Telegraph article, Scorsese took the original screenplay for “New York, New York” (credited to Earl Mac Rauch and Mardik Martin) and completely rewrote it to emphasize the romance between the two leads. It was reportedly inspired by the 1954 version of “A Star is Born,” perhaps in part because that film starred Minnelli’s mother, Judy Garland. “A Star is Born” is an alcoholism tragedy about two artists who find solace in each other, despite their depression and/or addiction. “New York, New York” doesn’t have an addiction story at its center, so the drama isn’t as moving.
The only addiction within reach was Scorsese’s. His drug problems influenced every decision regarding “New York, New York.” Scorsese was torn between old Hollywood and new Hollywood, and he failed to reconcile them stylistically on camera. It allowed De Niro to improvise wildly, really diving into method acting. However, Minnelli is visibly uncomfortable in front of the camera and is clearly not well trained for improvisation. The two leads have such different acting styles that it basically kills any trace of romantic chemistry between them. Scorsese also went too far with many musical numbers and films. One of them alone would have cost $350,000.
During the press tour, Scorsese did not give any interviews because, according to his own recollection, he was out of cocaine. Without medication it would not be able to function. When “New York, New York” bombed, Scorsese withdrew from Hollywood for a few years. He wouldn’t come back until De Niro convinced him to do “Raging Bull”… and quit drugs. Scorsese did both and made what is often considered one of the best films of the 1980s. After “New York, New York”, this could only be a step forward.
