Are you a fan of Robert De Niro? Do you like watching gripping mob dramas? Then I’m sure you’ve at least seen Goodfellas a couple of times. But do you know where was Goodfellas filmed? Read this article to find out the actual filming location of this epic film.
The American crime drama film Goodfellas was released in the third week of September 1990. This Oscar-winning movie was inspired by Nicholas Pileggi’s non-fictional crime novel, Wiseguy, published in 1985.
Scorsese was at the helm of affairs, while Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, and Robert De Niro played the lead roles. The basic premise of Goodfellas revolves around the characters of Henry, Jimmy, and Tommy. Three American wiseguys who indulge in all sorts of illicit activities. Although, the plot thickens when these characters turn against each other to gain absolute control.
Apart from winning an Oscar, Goodfellas bagged 40 other major awards and collected numerous prestigious nominations. This spectacular film went on to gross over $47 million in worldwide collections against the production budget of $25 million.
But before I share other details of this award-winning film, let’s first find out where was Goodfellas filmed.
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Where Was Goodfellas Filmed? Let’s Know This Crime Drama Film Closely!
The story of Goodfellas begins in the notorious neighborhood of Brooklyn. However, a number of other locations, like Tampa and Pittsburgh, are also depicted in the movie. But, the actual filming of this movie took place entirely in and around the state of New York.
As per reports, Scorsese and his team wanted to showcase real and authentic locations in America which were actually inhabited by Italian Americans. Plus, the location cost of these specific locations in New York was much lesser as compared to the filming locations in California.
So after this project was announced, Martin and his team started scouting for ideal shooting locations in and around the state of New York. The director decided to shoot most of the outdoor sequences in and around New York.
Whereas some minor sequences of the movie were also filmed in Long Island. These handfuls of scenes were mainly captured to depict the background of Tampa and other locations shown in this film.
The principal photography commenced in the first week of May 1989 and continued till the end of August of the same year. Special pieces of equipment were used to capture the long tracking shots. In fact, Martin also brought in high-definition cameras mounted with wide-angle lenses to capture unique unbroken shots.
During the course of the shooting, the production members faced some difficulties while acquiring shooting permission from the owners of some posh properties. However, after Martin intervened and exerted political pressure, the owners eventually gave the permission.
Let us now take a closer look at where was Goodfellas filmed.
New York | USA
The movie’s opening sequence, where we see the character of Henry for the first time, was filmed in New York City. The production members used a small-sized house located at 2409 32nd Street, Astoria, Queens, to capture the interior sequences depicting Henry’s family home.
Other important sequences depicting Henry’s life as a young adult were also filmed around the same property in Queens. The scene where the character of Henry takes out Karen for a date was filmed inside Salerno’s Restaurant located at 1711 Hillside Avenue, Richmond Hill.
But in order to capture the shots of Karen’s parent’s home, the production members traveled to Long Island. A small-sized house at 49th Street Lawrence was then used to capture this scene.
Additional sequences of the movie were all filmed in and around East Side Manhattan. The infamous scene of Joe Pesci inside the nightclub was filmed in Copacabana Nightclub, located at 10 East 60th St., East Side Manhattan.
Other Filming Locations | USA
A couple of other important shots were captured on George Washington Bridge and near Foley Square in the Lower Manhattan area. Then finally, the production members moved to New Jersey to film the movie’s final sequence.
The ending sequence, where we see Henry confessing about all his past crimes, sitting inside a small house, was filmed in New Jersey.
The shooting of Goodfellas ended in the second week of August 1989, after which the production members began working on the promotion of this incredible film.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the plot of Goodfellas. In the meantime, you can also read Shameless, The Consultant, and American Psycho.
Plot Of Goodfellas | What’s It About
The basic premise of Goodfellas revolves around the character of Henry Hill, an Irish-American man, and his journey in the world of crime. At the very beginning of the film, the lead character appears to take a huge interest in the lives of gangsters who live in his neighborhood in Brooklyn.
As the story progresses further, Henry eventually finds a way into the world of crime and befriends other upcoming mobsters like him. With each passing day, Henry rose to power after completing specific assignments the mob bosses gave. However, after a certain point, other close friends of Henry start to turn against him, to cease full control.
Watch Goodfellas to witness the unconventional life of Henry Hill and other famed mob bosses of New York.
Final Words
Ok, friends! So now that we’ve reached the end, I hope you were able to note all the filming locations of Goodfellas. If you’re interested in reading other articles, like where was Goodfellas filmed, then let us know in the comments section below.
Who Is The Cinematographer Of The Film Goodfellas?
Michael Ballhaus is the cinematographer of the film Goodfellas.
What Is The Rating Of The Film Goodfellas?
The film Goodfellas has an R rating.
Who Is The Producer Of The Film Goodfellas?
Irwin Winkler was the producer of the film Goodfellas Amongst a few others.
What Is The Runtime Of The Film Goodfellas?
2h 25m is the runtime of the film Goodfellas
