Play It as It Lays
Maria's life was a search for the ultimate answer even after she found there was none.
1972 | 99m | English
Popularity: 0.5 (history)
| Director: | Frank Perry |
|---|---|
| Writer: | John Gregory Dunne, Joan Didion |
| Staring: |
| Burned-out B-movie actress Maria, depressed and frustrated with her loveless marriage to an ambitious film director, Carter Lang, who would rather work on his career than on his relationship with her, numbs herself with drugs and sex with strangers. Only her friendship with a sensitive gay movie producer, B.Z., offers a semblance of solace. But even that relationship proves to be fleeting amidst the empty decadence of Hollywood. | |
| Release Date: | Oct 19, 1972 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Frank Perry |
| Writer: | John Gregory Dunne, Joan Didion |
| Genres: | Drama |
| Keywords | drug abuse, mental breakdown, alienation, film in film, fame, mental institution, mental illness, lgbt, forced abortion, marital tensions, parental alienation, lavender marriage |
| Production Companies | Universal Pictures, F.P. Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $1,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 31, 2026 Entered: Apr 28, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Tuesday Weld | Maria Wyeth Lang |
| Anthony Perkins | B.Z. |
| Adam Roarke | Carter Lang |
| Tammy Grimes | Helene |
| Ruth Ford | Carlotta |
| Eddie Firestone | Benny Austin |
| Diana Ewing | Susannah |
| Paul Lambert | Larry Kulik |
| Chuck McCann | Abortionist's Assistant |
| Severn Darden | Hypnotist |
| Tony Young | Johnny Waters |
| Richard Anderson | Les Goodwin |
| Tyne Daly | Journalist |
| Norman Foster | Abortionist |
| Elizabeth Claman | The Chickie |
| Mitzi Hoag | Patsy |
| Roger Ewing | Nelson |
| Dick Ryal | Apartment Manager |
| John Finnegan | Frank |
| Tracy Morgan | Jeanelle |
| Darlene Conley | Kate's Nurse |
| Allan Warnick | T.V. Panelist |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| John Gregory Dunne | Screenplay |
| Joan Didion | Screenplay, Novel |
| Frank Perry | Director |
| Pato Guzman | Production Design, Production Designer |
| Roger M. Rothstein | Production Manager |
| Edward Teets | First Assistant Director |
| Joe Scully | Casting |
| Jordan Cronenweth | Director of Photography |
| Sidney Katz | Editor |
| Joel Schumacher | Costume Design |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Frank Perry | Producer |
| Dominick Dunne | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 2 |
| 2024 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| 2024 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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