The Purple Rose of Cairo main backdrop
The Purple Rose of Cairo main poster

The Purple Rose of Cairo

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7.4/10 • 1.1K

1985-03-011h 22m

FantasyComedyRomance

She's finally met the man of her dreams. He's not real but you can't have everything.

Cecilia is a waitress in New Jersey, living a dreary life during the Great Depression. Her only escape from her mundane reality is the movie theatre. After losing her job, Cecilia goes to see 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' in hopes of raising her spirits, where she watches dashing archaeologist Tom Baxter time and again.

Directors
Woody Allen
Editors
Susan E. Morse

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Mia Farrow

    Mia Farrow

    Cecilia

  2. Jeff Daniels

    Jeff Daniels

    Tom Baxter / Gil Shepherd

  3. Danny Aiello

    Danny Aiello

    Monk

  4. Irving Metzman

    Irving Metzman

    Theater Manager

  5. Stephanie Farrow

    Stephanie Farrow

    Cecilia's Sister

  6. Edward Herrmann

    Edward Herrmann

    Henry

  7. John Wood

    John Wood

    Jason

  8. Deborah Rush

    Deborah Rush

    Rita

  9. Van Johnson

    Van Johnson

    Larry

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

May 30, 2025

7/10

Initially, this reminded me a little of the scenario for “King Kong” as the impressionable young “Cecilia” (Mia Farrow) manages, not unreasonably it has to be said, to get fired from her waitressing job in 1930s New York. Despondent, she heads to the cinema to see the “The Purple Rose of Cairo” only for it’s star “Tom” (Jeff Daniels) to quite literally leap off the screen at her and soon her world is in turmoil. It’s not just her, neither. The studio is complaining that he is doing exactly the same in cinemas all over the shop. That gives “Cecilia” quite a quandary as she knows this man of her dreams cannot be real, whilst the rest of the nation wants to know what happens at the end of the movie - and without it’s star, well we can never find out! What is “Tom” going to decide, too? He is quite taken by his time amongst us non-celluloid types, but… I am not really much of a fan of Daniels, but he works well here as this comedy works on quite a few different levels. On one, it’s an out and out romantic comedy but on others it looks at the effects of the aftermath of the Great Depression, the crucial role of cinema in the lives of so many people and at just how repetitious and dreary life can be as that big screen allures! Meantime, “Tom” is given a rather too realistic glimpse of life on the other side of the reel as he encounters some of the less savoury characters from the time. It’s monochrome photography, Dick Hyman’s quirky score and a charming chemistry between an on form, flighty, Farrow and Daniels all contributes to another piece of gentle nostalgia from a Woody Allen who is very much at the top of his game and from a Stuart Wurtzel whose production design is engaging and sympathetic to the era and to the gently poignant and often quite witty dialogue. I wonder if anyone might make a real archaeological movie called “The Purple Rose of Cairo”?

Media

  • The Purple Rose of Cairo poster
  • The Purple Rose of Cairo poster
  • The Purple Rose of Cairo poster
  • The Purple Rose of Cairo poster
  • The Purple Rose of Cairo poster
  • The Purple Rose of Cairo poster
  • The Purple Rose of Cairo poster
  • The Purple Rose of Cairo poster
  • The Purple Rose of Cairo poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$15,000,000.00
Revenue
$10,631,333.00
Keywords
new york citygreat depressionfalling in lovemovie star