Dog Day Afternoon is a 1975 American crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, written by Frank Pierson, and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Penelope Allen, James Broderick, Lance Henriksen, and Carol Kane.
The film was inspired by P.F. Kluge's article "The Boys in the Bank", which tells a similar story of the robbery of a Brooklyn bank by John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturale on August 22, 1972. This article was published in Life in 1972.
Plot[]
When inexperienced criminal Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) leads a bank robbery in Brooklyn, things quickly go wrong, and a hostage situation develops. As Sonny and his accomplice, Sal Naturale (John Cazale), try desperately to remain in control, a media circus develops and the FBI arrives, creating even more tension. Gradually, Sonny's surprising motivations behind the robbery are revealed, and his standoff with law enforcement moves toward its inevitable end.
Cast[]
- Al Pacino as Sonny Wortzik
- John Cazale as Salvatore "Sal" Naturale
- Charles Durning as Sergeant Eugene Moretti
- James Broderick as Agent Sheldon
- Lance Henriksen as Agent Murphy
- Chris Sarandon as Leon Shermer
- Penelope Allen as Sylvia "Mouth"
- Sully Boyar as Mulvaney
- Susan Peretz as Angela "Angie" Wortzik
- Carol Kane as Jenny "The Squirrel"