Joe (1970): Cast, Box Office & Plot
Joe is a 1970 crime thriller directed by John G. Avildsen, starring Peter Boyle as Joe Curran, Reid Cruickshanks and Dennis Patrick. It runs 1 hour 47 minutes and earned $19.3 million worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 47m (107 min)
- Director
- John G. Avildsen
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- The Cannon Group
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Joe About?
The premise of Joe without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After killing his daughter’s drug‑dealing boyfriend, a wealthy advertising executive wanders into a seedy bar and forms a tense partnership with Joe Curran, a volatile, drunken factory worker whose bigoted views and violent tendencies make him a dangerous ally. Their uneasy collaboration unfolds against a grim, decaying American landscape, echoing the slogan “Keep America beautiful.”
Joe Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- pubic hair
- female full frontal nudity
- new york city
- promiscuity
- apartment
- apartment building
- intolerance
- money
- tragedy
- grudge
- homicide
- rage
+38 more Show fewer
- wrath
- weapon
- violence
- hospital
- friendship
- rifle
- factory worker
- murder
- sex with a stranger
- panties
- lust
- female rear nudity
- nudity
- orgy
- marriage
- female frontal nudity
- father daughter relationship
- bathtub
- advertising executive
- adultery
- drug overdose
- hippie
- anger
- male nudity
- independent film
- character name as title
- forename as title
- sex
- female nudity
- male rear nudity
- killing spree
- firearm
- surprise
- infidelity
- sexual promiscuity
- telephone
- drug addiction
- drug use
Joe Cast & Characters
Peter Boyle leads the cast as Joe Curran, with Reid Cruickshanks as American Bartender and Dennis Patrick as Bill Compton. Directed by John G. Avildsen; 30 actors are credited in all.
-
Director John G. Avildsen
-
Peter Boyle as Joe Curran - Reid Cruickshanks as American Bartender
- Dennis Patrick as Bill Compton
- Audrey Caire as Joan Compton
Also Starring in Joe
· 26 more- Susan Sarandon Melissa Compton
- Patrick McDermott Frank Russo
- K Callan May Lou Curran
- Bob O'Connell Man in Bargain Store
- Estelle Omens Woman in Bargain Store
- Marlene Warfield Bellevue Nurse
- Frank Vitale Hippie in Group
- Tim Lewis Kid in Soda Shop
- Perry Gewirtz Hippie on Street
- Michael O'Neal Bartender at Ginger Man
- Gary Weber George
- Mary Case Teeny Bopper
- Bo Enivel Sam in Bowling Alley
- Bruce Rhodewalt Belligerent Drunk (uncredited)
- Jeanne Lange Phyllis
- Al Sentesy Poster Shop Proprietor
Show all 30 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Jenny Paine Teeny Bopper
- Rudy Churney Man in Bar
- Robert Emerick TV Newscaster
- Gloria Hoye Janine
- Frank Moon Gil Richards
- Morty Schlass Waiter in Guitar Joint
- Patti Caton Nancy
- Claude Robert Simon Bob
- Francine Middleton Gail
- Max Couper Ronnie
More from John G. Avildsen
More films directed by John G. Avildsen, best-rated first: Rocky, The Karate Kid, The Karate Kid Part II and Lean on Me.
Joe Plot Summary
What happens in Joe from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Advertising executive Bill Compton Dennis Patrick and his wife Joan Compton Audrey Caire are a wealthy couple living on the Upper East Side of New York City. Their perfect, polished life is shaken when their daughter, Melissa Compton Susan Sarandon, has been living with her drug-dealing boyfriend. The tension between appearances and reality quickly comes to a head when Melissa overdoses and is rushed to a hospital, throwing the family into crisis mode and forcing Bill to confront a brutal truth about his daughter’s life.
Full summary
The whole story of Joe, scene by scene
Joe Box Office
Joe grossed $19.3 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$19.3M
- US & Canada
- $19.3M
Joe Trailers & Videos
4 videos: 2 trailers and 2 featurettes.
- Trailer Official Trailer - JOE (1970, Peter Boyle, Susan Sarandon, Cannon Films)
- Featurette Larry Karaszewski on JOE
- Featurette Quentin Tarantino on Joe
How Well Do You Know Joe?
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
What is Bill Compton's occupation?
Cars in Joe
5 cars on screen, including the 1962 Chevrolet Impala and the 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado.
-
1962 Chevrolet Impala Important role -
1970 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado Minor role -
1964 Chevrolet Bel Air Background role -
1968 Mercury Cougar Background role
Seen Joe?
Movies Like Joe
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Joe the King, My Name Is Joe and Joe’s So Mean to Josephine.
Joe FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of Joe, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Joe?
Joe runs 1 hour 47 minutes (107 minutes).
When was Joe released?
Joe was released on July 15, 1970.
Who directed Joe?
Joe was directed by John G. Avildsen.
More films by John G. Avildsen Who is in the cast of Joe?
Joe stars Peter Boyle as Joe Curran, Reid Cruickshanks as American Bartender and Dennis Patrick as Bill Compton, among 30 credited actors.
How much did Joe make at the box office?
Joe grossed $19.3 million worldwide.
Does Joe have a post-credit scene?
No. Joe has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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