MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for The Entertainer

The Entertainer

1976 · 105 min

A bittersweet, stage-bound character study that lingers on disappointment and the ache of a career that never quite arrived.

Directed by
Donald Wrye
Genres
Tv movie, Drama, Comedy
Starring
Jack Lemmon, Ray Bolger, Sada Thompson
Overview
A vaudeville entertainer approaches middle age still not having attained success or stardom.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Donald Wrye
Genres
Tv movie, Drama, Comedy
Starring
Jack Lemmon, Ray Bolger, Sada Thompson
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
    Pacing
    measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
    Attention
    engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
    Themes
    • ambition
    • family
    • identity
    • obsession
    • betrayal
    Places
    • big city
    Era
    period
    Audience
    adult
    Form
    • single location
    Content intensity
    • Gore none
    • Language mild
    • Violence none
    • Sex mild
    All scales, 0 to 10
    Scales, 0 to 10
    ScaleValue0 to 10
    Action1
    Horror0
    Humour4
    Realism7
    Romance3
    Tension4
    Darkness6
    Complexity5
    Emotional weight7

    More like this

    Titles like The Entertainer

    Movie

    The Entertainer

    1993

    A slow, melancholy character study of a fading performer, heavy with regret and family tension, demanding emotional engagement.

    About ambition and family · single location

    Via
    • ambition
    • family
    • single location
    Pacing
    slow-burn
    Attention
    demanding
    Runtime
    120 min
    Details
    The EntertainerHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Lights and Shadows

    2011–2012

    A long, nostalgic period drama that moves at a steady pace through decades of a performer's life.

    About ambition and family

    Via
    • ambition
    • family
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    Lights and ShadowsHidden from your suggestions.
    Movie

    The Long Distance Piano Player

    1970

    A quiet, claustrophobic character study of fixation, with a wry edge and a slow, uneasy pull toward exhaustion.

    About ambition and family · single location

    Via
    • ambition
    • family
    • single location
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Runtime
    80 min
    Details
    The Long Distance Piano PlayerHidden from your suggestions.
    Movie

    All About Eve

    1950

    A glittering, talky backstage drama where wit and ambition cut like knives, leaving a lingering chill about what people will do to be adored.

    About ambition and identity

    Via
    • ambition
    • identity
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Runtime
    139 min
    Details
    All About EveHidden from your suggestions.
    Movie

    The First Night of 'Pygmalion'

    1975

    A talky, backstage chamber piece where theatrical egos clash and opening-night nerves simmer under polite conversation.

    About ambition and identity · single location

    Via
    • ambition
    • identity
    • single location
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Runtime
    70 min
    Details
    The First Night of 'Pygmalion'Hidden from your suggestions.
    Movie

    Teatermakaren

    1991

    A talky, theatrical chamber piece that lets a magnetic actor dominate while the family tension simmers under the staging.

    About ambition and family · single location

    Via
    • ambition
    • family
    • single location
    Pacing
    slow-burn
    Attention
    demanding
    Runtime
    120 min
    Details
    TeatermakarenHidden from your suggestions.
    Movie

    Misty Green

    2026

    A wry, bittersweet showbiz character study that lingers on reinvention and regret with a sharp comic edge.

    About ambition and identity

    Via
    • ambition
    • identity
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Runtime
    103 min
    Details
    Misty GreenHidden from your suggestions.
    Movie

    The Adversary

    1970

    A downbeat, low-budget character study that drifts through disappointment and quiet frustration, feeling more like a slow, sad observation than a story.

    About ambition and identity

    Via
    • ambition
    • identity
    Pacing
    slow-burn
    Attention
    engaged
    Runtime
    75 min
    Details
    The AdversaryHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Water Under the Bridge

    1980

    A slow, serious period drama about family wounds and tangled relationships, played with restraint and quiet emotional weight.

    About ambition and family

    Via
    • ambition
    • family
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    Water Under the BridgeHidden from your suggestions.
    Movie

    Broken Years

    2026

    A bittersweet, gently comic period piece about dignity and compromise, watching a proud man squirm with quiet warmth.

    About ambition and family

    Via
    • ambition
    • family
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Runtime
    131 min
    Details
    Broken YearsHidden from your suggestions.
    Movie

    James Dean

    2001

    A somber, intimate portrait of a restless talent, heavy with father-son ache and the quiet tragedy of fleeting fame.

    About ambition and family

    Via
    • ambition
    • family
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Runtime
    96 min
    Details
    James DeanHidden from your suggestions.
    Movie

    Keep the Aspidistra Flying

    1965

    A quiet, talky British drama about pride and principle, more thoughtful than eventful, best for viewers who enjoy character studies.

    About ambition and identity

    Via
    • ambition
    • identity
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Runtime
    90 min
    Details
    Keep the Aspidistra FlyingHidden from your suggestions.

    Where to watch in the UK

    No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

    Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

    Details

    Genres
    tv movie, drama, comedy
    Directed by
    Donald Wrye
    Written by
    Elliott Baker
    Starring
    Jack Lemmon, Ray Bolger, Sada Thompson, Tyne Daly, Michael Cristofer, Annette O'Toole, Mitchell Ryan, Allyn Ann McLerie
    Runtime
    105 min
    Languages
    English

    TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata