A Safe Place (1971)
A Safe Place (1971), directed by Henry Jaglom, starring Tuesday Weld and Orson Welles.
score
Synopsis
Noah, a young woman who lives alone in New York, is dating two very different men, Fred and Mitch, at the same time. However, she realises that neither man can totally fulfil her needs.
- Richard C. KratinaCinematography
- Henry JaglomDirector, Writer
- Pieter BergemaEditing
About the film
A Safe Place is a 1971 American drama film written and directed by Henry Jaglom and starring Tuesday Weld, Orson Welles and Jack Nicholson.
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A Safe Place is a 1971 American drama film written and directed by Henry Jaglom and starring Tuesday Weld, Orson Welles and Jack Nicholson.
Plot
A young woman, named Noah, lives alone in a small apartment in New York City. She is a mentally disturbed flower child, who retreats into her past, yearning for lost innocence. She recalls her childhood, searching for a "safe place." As a child (whose real name was Susan), she met a charismatic magician in Central Park who presented her with magical objects: a levitating silver ball, a star ring, and a Noah's ark.
In the present day, Noah is romantically involved with two different men: Fred, who is practical but dull, and Mitch, who is more dynamic and closer to her ideal fantasy partner. Neither man is able to fulfill her needs totally.
Cast
The cast includes:
Tuesday Weld as Susan/Noah
Orson Welles as The Magician
Jack Nicholson as Mitch
Philip Proctor as Fred
Gwen Welles as Bari
Roger Garrett as Noah's friend
Francesca Hilton as Noah's friend
Rachel Finocchio as Noah's friend
Production
The film was "culled from 50 hours of footage."
The work was a product of BBS Productions, a company formed by Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider, and Steve Blauner, financed by their work on the TV pop group the Monkees. Other BBS films of the era include Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, The King of Marvin Gardens, Head, and Drive, He Said. All seven of these films have been restored and released in DVD versions by The Criterion Collection in a set called America Lost and Found: The BBS Story.
Reception
TV Guide called the film a "critical and box-office disaster."
Time magazine called the film "pretentious and confusing", a film that "suggests that the rumors of his expertise [in editing the film Easy Rider] were greatly exaggerated, or at least that it does not extend to directing."
Vincent Canby described the film as a "superficial case history of a suicide" whose "narrative pretends to be a lot more complex"; Canby noted that the film "reveals the director's apparent adoration of his star [Weld], whom he studies in every possible light and color combination, and in every possible camera setup, often orchestrated with fine, corny songs out of the 1940s and 1950s on the order of Charles Trenet's 'La Mer' and 'Vous Qui Passez Sans Me Voir.'"
Variety said the film's "deliberate experimentation puts a heavy burden upon the viewer." Its writer-director "has plunged in over his own depth."
See also
List of American films of 1971
References
External links
A Safe Place at IMDb
Text from A Safe Place on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Safe_Place
Trivia
- It premiered on October 1, 1971, a Friday.
- It runs 1h34 — a typical feature length.
- This film's quiz has 11 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosColumbia Pictures, BBS Productions, The Rainbow Film Company
- CountriesUnited States
- LanguagesEnglish
- StatusReleased
Videos
Cast
-
Tuesday Weld
Susan / Noah -
Orson Welles
The Magician -
Jack Nicholson
Mitch -
Phil Proctor
Fred -
Gwen Welles
Bari - Dov Lawrence Larry
- Fanny Birkenmier The Maid
- Rhonda Alfaro Little Girl in Rowboat
- Sylvia Zapp 7-year-old Susan
-
Rachel Harlow
Noah's Friend - Barbara Flood Noah's Friend
- Roger Garrett Noah's Friend
- Jordon Hahn Noah's Friend
- Francesca Hilton Noah's Friend
- Julie Robinson Noah's Friend
- Jennifer Walker Noah's Friend
- Sheila Oaks Sister in Law (Uncredited)
- Wendy Girard Girl at a Party (Uncredited)
Quiz about this movie
Questions from the whole catalogue.
Play nowIf you liked this one
-
Anorexia: A Ilusão da Beleza
6.5
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Perigos da Rede
6.3
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Pelos Olhos de Maisie
7.1
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Jonathan
5.9
-
Crescei e Multiplicai-vos
6.7
-
O Som do Silêncio
5.8
-
Céu
6.2
-
Quase uma Rockstar
6.7
-
O Resgate de um Campeão
6.3
-
O Rio do Desespero
6.4
-
O Sonho da Liberdade
6.8
-
Eu Acredito
7.8
Crew
- Richard C. Kratina Cinematography
- Henry Jaglom Director
- Pieter Bergema Editing
- Henry Jaglom Writer
Questions about this film
What is A Safe Place about?
A Safe Place: Noah, a young woman who lives alone in New York, is dating two very different men, Fred and Mitch, at the same time. However, she realises that neither man can totally fulfil her needs.
Who directed A Safe Place?
A Safe Place was directed by Henry Jaglom in 1971.
Who stars in A Safe Place?
The cast of A Safe Place includes Tuesday Weld, Orson Welles, Jack Nicholson, Phil Proctor and Gwen Welles.
How long is A Safe Place?
A Safe Place runs for 94 minutes, or 1h34.
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Page updated on 09/15/2026.
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