Editing Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson

{{Short description|1983 American made-for-television drama film}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image              =
| image_size         = 
| image_alt          = 
| caption            = 
| genre              = Comedy<br>Drama
| writer             = Lionel Goldstein
| director           = [[Alvin Rakoff]]
| starring           = [[Laurence Olivier]]<br>[[Jackie Gleason]]
| music              = 
| country            = United Kingdom<br>United States
| language           = English
| producer           = [[Edie Landau]]<br>[[Ely Landau]]
| executive_producer = [[Mort Abrahams]]<br>[[Colin Callender]]<br>Patrick Dromgoole
| location           = [[Bristol, England]]
| editor             = Peter Buchanan
| cinematography     = Gary Penny
| runtime            = 60 minutes
| company            = Ely & Edie Productions
| budget             = 
| network            = [[HBO]]
| released           = {{Start date|1983|08|28}} 
}}

'''''Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson''''' is a 1983 American [[television film|made-for-television]] [[drama (film and television)|drama film]] produced for [[HBO]] starring [[Laurence Olivier]] and [[Jackie Gleason]] and was directed by [[Alvin Rakoff]].

==Plot==
The film is a two-person drama featuring Olivier as Mr. Joseph Halpern, an elderly [[working class]] [[British people|British]] [[Jewish]] widower and Gleason as Mr. Ernest Johnson, a dapper [[United States|American]] retired accountant. At the funeral of his wife, Florence, Mr. Halpern meets Mr. Johnson, who surprises him with the disclosure that he and Florence had maintained a close friendship for the last 40 years. Six weeks later, Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson meet for a drink at a hotel. A long conversation ensues that reveals aspects of himself and one has been in love with the other's wife for 30 years. At the end, Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson agree to meet again.

There are two locations in the movie: a New York hotel and a New Jersey cemetery. The hotel scene was filmed at the [[ITV Wales & West|HTV West Studio]] on Bath Road in [[Bristol]], England and the cemetery scenes were filmed outside Bristol.

==Cast==
*[[Laurence Olivier]] as Joseph "Joe" Halpern
*[[Jackie Gleason]] as Ernest Johnson

==References==
* Corry, John. [https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/28/arts/tv-view-miscast-or-not-olivier-rises-above-the-role.html "TV View; Miscast or Not, Olivier Rises Above the Role"] ''[[The New York Times]]'', retrieved October 30, 2018.
*[https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-mr-halpern-mr-johnson-vol-20-no-9/ Picks and Pans Review: Mr. Halpern & Mr. Johnson] at ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine, retrieved October 30, 2018.
*[https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=jackie+gleason&p=9&item=T88:0041 Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson (TV)] at [[Paley Center for Media|The Paley Center for Media]]

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0085969}}

[[Category:1983 television films]]
[[Category:1983 films]]
[[Category:1983 drama films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Alvin Rakoff]]
[[Category:Films produced by Ely Landau]]
[[Category:HBO network specials]]
[[Category:American drama television films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:English-language drama films]]


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