Blue Collar (1978): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Blue Collar is a 1978 crime drama directed by Paul Schrader, starring Harvey Keitel, Ed Begley Jr. and Richard Pryor. It runs 1 hour 54 minutes and earned $6.5 million worldwide. Critics gave it 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 77 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 54m (114 min)
- Director
- Paul Schrader
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Universal Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Blue Collar About?
The premise of Blue Collar without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Three friends working at a car plant find solace in their nightly routines. A seemingly harmless heist of their union's safe unexpectedly uncovers damaging evidence. Driven by a desire for retribution, they decide to blackmail the union, exposing a web of corruption and deceit within their own working-class community. The scheme quickly spirals into a dangerous game with far-reaching consequences.
Blue Collar Themes & Keywords
· 45 tags- union
- detroit michigan
- blue collar worker
- motor car industry
- automobile manufacturing
- car paint cabin
- money
- reference to stevie wonder
- robbery
- female nudity
- heist
- cocaine
+33 more Show fewer
- reference to the pink panther
- motor city
- neo noir
- 1970s
- car crash
- death
- drinking
- family relationships
- friendship
- male protagonist
- paranoia
- police
- sex scene
- telephone call
- two word title
- worker
- nudity
- real tv show shown in fictional situation
- color in title
- working man
- vulgarity
- racial slur
- freeze frame
- betrayal
- industry
- murder
- work
- city
- car factory
- factory
- independent film
- dark comedy
- female frontal nudity
Blue Collar Cast
Harvey Keitel leads the cast, with Ed Begley Jr. and Richard Pryor. Directed by Paul Schrader; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Paul Schrader
Also Starring in Blue Collar
· 6 moreMore from Paul Schrader
More films directed by Paul Schrader, best-rated first: Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Affliction, Light Sleeper and Master Gardener.
Blue Collar Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Blue Collar 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 77 on Metacritic.
-
Rotten Tomatoes 96% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 88%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 77 Metascore
User score 7.3
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 74% User score
See on TMDB
Blue Collar Plot Summary
What happens in Blue Collar from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
A trio of Wayne County, Michigan auto workers—two Black men, 32-year-old Zeke Brown from Detroit, and 35-year-old Smokey James from Mississippi, a two-time ex-convict who spent time in Michigan State Prison—and one 33-year-old white, Polish-American from Hamtramck, Jerry Bartowski—are fed up with mistreatment by both management and the union brass. The trio’s mounting pressures—Smokey’s crushing debt to a loan shark over a numbers game, Jerry’s second job at a gas station to cover bills including his daughter’s orthodontics, and Zeke’s trouble with the IRS over filing fictitious dependents to reduce their tax burden—push them toward a risky plan.
Full summary
The whole story of Blue Collar, scene by scene
Blue Collar Box Office
Blue Collar grossed $6.5 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$6.5M
- US & Canada
- $6.5M
Blue Collar Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Blue Collar.
How Well Do You Know Blue Collar?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which comedian-turned-actor plays Smokey James, the two-time ex-convict from Mississippi?
Cars in Blue Collar
30 cars on screen, including the Baker FGD and the 1971 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.
-
Baker FGD Important role -
1971 Cadillac Sedan DeVille Important role -
1974 Checker Taxicab Important role -
1972 Chevrolet Brookwood Important role
Blue Collar Also Known As
16 alternative titles, including “Akkord am Fließband” and “Detroit - Avdeling 291”.
- Also known as
-
- Akkord am Fließband
- Detroit - Avdeling 291
- Vivendo na Corda Bamba
- Blue Collar - Kampf am Fließband
- Tuta blu
- Jóbarátok(1978)
- 蓝领阶级
- Niebieskie kołnierzyki
- Θανάσιμη απειλή
- Blue Collar (Sed de Poder)
- Конвейер
- אנשי הצווארון הכחול
+4 more Show fewer
- 블루 칼라
- Mavi Tasma
- 藍領階級
- Avdelning 291 - Detroit
Seen Blue Collar?
Movies Like Blue Collar
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Blue City, Blue Hill Avenue and Blue Steel.
Blue Collar FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Blue Collar, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Blue Collar?
Blue Collar runs 1 hour 54 minutes (114 minutes).
When was Blue Collar released?
Blue Collar was released on February 10, 1978.
Who directed Blue Collar?
Blue Collar was directed by Paul Schrader.
More films by Paul Schrader Who is in the cast of Blue Collar?
Blue Collar stars Harvey Keitel, Ed Begley Jr. and Richard Pryor, among 10 credited actors.
How much did Blue Collar make at the box office?
Blue Collar grossed $6.5 million worldwide.
How is Blue Collar rated?
Blue Collar has 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 77 on Metacritic and 74% on TMDB.
Does Blue Collar have a post-credit scene?
No. Blue Collar has no extra scene during or after the credits.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
