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• Once Upon a Time in America spans four decades to tell the story of a group of Jewish gangsters working their way through the ranks of organized crime in New York City.

  After premiering in its entire length of three hours and forty-nine minutes at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, about ninety minutes were edited out for the U.S release. Director Sergio Leone was unhappy with the cut, since it presented the scenes in chronological order rather than his original version, which told the story through a series of flashbacks. The original director's cut was released on DVD in 2003.

• Fast Facts

  1. Directed by Sergio Leone: It was his last film
  2. Starring: Robert De Niro, James Woods and Joe Pesci
  3. Based on Harry Grey's book The Hoods
  4. Nominated for Best Director and Best Original Score Golden Globes
  5. Release date: June 1, 1984
  6. First film role for actress Jennifer Connelly

• Quotes

  1. "I like the stink of the streets. It cleans out my lungs."—Noodles (Robert De Niro)
  2. "When you've been betrayed by a friend, you hit back."—Max (James Woods)
  3. "I had a friend once. A dear friend. I turned him in to save his life. He died. But he wanted it that way. Things went bad for my friend, and they went bad for me, too."—Noodles (Robert De Niro)

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Sergio Leone | Robert De Niro | James Woods | Joe Pesci | Danny Aiello | Elizabeth McGovern | Treat Williams | William Forsythe | Burt Young | The Hoods | Organized Crime

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