On the Nickel is a 1980 feature film written, produced by, and starring Ralph Waite, as well as Donald Moffat.
[3] The film presents the story of Sam (Donald Moffat), a recovering alcoholic who feels dissatisfied with his life of sobriety and goes back in search of the good times he enjoyed with his old friends living on Los Angeles' skid row.
(Waite), still living on the nickel, the two men reminisce, and Sam gets a fresh look at the lifestyle he had once vigorously abandoned.
With its offbeat, comedic depiction of life on the streets, the film has maintained a cult following since its initial release, although it passed out of general availability for 20 years and effectively became a "lost" movie.
Despite this, occasional showings on American television have kept viewer interest high and have resulted in Mr. Waite's decision to collaborate with producer Thomas Wise, re-edit and restore the feature for DVD and internet release in late 2009.