THE LANDLORD (1970)
What begins as an oddball farce — a privileged young man buys a tenement building, intending to convert it into a psychedelic bachelor pad — evolves into something much more complex as the naïve Elgar (Beau Bridges) spends time getting to know the African American tenants he had planned to evict. Oscar®-winning editor Hal Ashby’s directorial debut boasts bold visuals, with Elgar’s overlit, whiter-than-white family estate contrasting with the shadowy, well-worn apartment building in the pre-gentrified neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn. The cinematography is by Gordon Willis, who would soon become a legend for THE GODFATHER, while the detailed production design is by Robert Boyle, master of stage-bound illusion for Alfred Hitchcock, here transitioning to more location-based work. Lee Grant was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actress for her hilarious, booze-filled turn as Elgar’s well-to-do mother. DIR Hal Ashby; SCR Bill Gunn, from the novel by Kristin Hunter; PROD Norman Jewison. U.S., 1970, color, 112 min. RATED PG
Run Time: 112 Minutes
Opening Date: Friday, November 14, 2025
Genre: Comedy, drama
