Down by Law
“It's not where you start - It's where you start again.”
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.
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Cast
22 people
Tom Waits
Zack
Known for
The Book of Eli
Licorice Pizza
John Lurie
Jack
Known for
Stranger Than Paradise
Paris, Texas
Roberto Benigni
Roberto
Known for
Life Is Beautiful
To Rome with Love
Nicoletta Braschi
Nicoletta
Known for
Life Is Beautiful
Johnny Stecchino
Ellen Barkin
Laurette
Known for
Animal Kingdom
Ocean's Thirteen
Billie Neal
Bobbie
Known for
Mortal Thoughts
Consenting Adults
Rockets Redglare
Gig
Known for
Stranger Than Paradise
Desperately Seeking Susan
Vernel Bagneris
Preston
Known for
Pennies from Heaven
The Way of War
Timothea
Julie
No other roles listed
L.C. Drane
L.C.
No other roles listed
Joy N. Houck Jr.
Detective Mandino
Known for
Tightrope
Carrie Lindsoe
Young Girl
No other roles listed
Jim Jarmusch Director · John Lurie Composer Robby Müller Cinematographer
Worldwide gross $1.5M · Budget $1.1M · United States release September 20, 1986
Box office
Budget
$1,100,000
Worldwide gross
$1,529,206
Gross vs. budget
1.4×
Production
Island Pictures
Production
Black Snake
Production
Grokenberger Film Produktion
Production
United States · Germany
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · Italian
Release dates
France · May 17, 1986
Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
United States · September 20, 1986
Limited theatrical
United States
September 19, 1986 · Premiere · New York Film Festival
October 3, 1986 · Theatrical · Los Angeles, California
Canada
September 7, 1986 · Premiere · Toronto International Film Festival
September 25, 1986 · Theatrical
Czechia
May 1, 1993 · Limited theatrical · Film clubs only
France
November 12, 1986 · Theatrical
September 20, 2000 · Physical · DVD
July 3, 2019 · Theatrical · Re-release (Restored Version)
May 11, 2020 · Digital · VOD
July 27, 2022 · Digital · Prime Video
Germany
October 30, 1986 · Theatrical · West Germany
Greece
February 14, 2005 · Physical · DVD
October 21, 2010 · Premiere · Panorama of European Cinema
May 25, 2017 · Digital
Hong Kong SAR China
June 20, 2026 · Limited theatrical · Dead Time: Early Jarmusch
Italy
October 18, 1986 · Premiere · Festival Internazionale Cinema Giovani (Turin)
December 5, 1986 · Theatrical
November 8, 2002 · Theatrical · Re-release
September 12, 2010 · Premiere · Milano Film Festival
Japan
November 22, 1986 · Theatrical
Netherlands
November 20, 1986 · Theatrical
January 1, 2010 · Physical · DVD
February 9, 2017 · Theatrical · Re-release
Russia
April 14, 2022 · Theatrical
South Korea
April 20, 2017 · Limited theatrical
Spain
March 12, 1999 · Theatrical
Sweden
December 25, 1986 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.