Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
-winning films. He began his career writing material for television in the 1950s, mainly ''
Your Show of Shows'' (1950–1954) working alongside
Mel Brooks,
Carl Reiner,
Larry Gelbart, and
Neil Simon. He also published several books featuring short stories and wrote humor pieces for ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...
''. In the early 1960s, he performed as a stand-up comedian in
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
alongside
Lenny Bruce,
Elaine May,
Mike Nichols, and
Joan Rivers. There he developed a
monologue
In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...
style (rather than traditional jokes) and the persona of an insecure, intellectual, fretful
nebbish. He released three comedy albums during the mid to late 1960s, earning a
Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album nomination for his 1964 comedy album entitled simply ''
Woody Allen''. In 2004,
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy program ...
ranked Allen fourth on a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians, while a UK survey ranked Allen the third-greatest comedian.
By the mid-1960s, Allen was writing and directing films, first specializing in
slapstick comedies such as ''
Take the Money and Run'' (1969), ''
Bananas'' (1971), ''
Sleeper
A sleeper is a person who is sleeping.
Sleeper may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Sleeper (Marvel Comics), a Nazi German robot utilized by the Red Skull in Marvel Comics
* The Sleeper (Wild Cards), a character in the Wild Ca ...
'' (1973), and ''
Love and Death'' (1975), before moving into dramatic material influenced by
European art cinema during the late 1970s with ''
Interiors'' (1978), ''
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
'' (1979), and ''
Stardust Memories'' (1980), and alternating between comedies and dramas to the present. Allen is often identified as part of the
New Hollywood wave of filmmakers of the mid-1960s to late 1970s such as
Martin Scorsese,
Robert Altman, and
Sidney Lumet. He often stars in his films, typically in the persona he developed as a standup. His film ''
Annie Hall'' (1977), a romantic comedy featuring Allen and his frequent collaborator
Diane Keaton, won four Academy Awards, including
Best Picture,
Best Director,
Best Original Screenplay, and
Best Actress for Keaton. Critics have called his work from the 1980s his most developed period with films such as ''
Zelig'' (1983), ''
Broadway Danny Rose'' (1984), ''
The Purple Rose of Cairo'' (1985), ''
Hannah and Her Sisters
''Hannah and Her Sisters'' is a 1986 American comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begins and ends with a family Thanksgiving dinner. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen, ...
'' (1986), ''
Radio Days'' (1987), and ''
Crimes and Misdemeanors'' (1989). In the 21st century, many of Allen's films were shot in Europe, including ''
Match Point'' (2005), ''
Vicky Cristina Barcelona'' (2008), ''
Midnight in Paris'' (2011), and ''
To Rome with Love'' (2012), returning to America with ''
Blue Jasmine'' (2013), ''
Cafe Society'' (2016), and ''
A Rainy Day in New York'' (2018).
In 1979, Allen began a professional and personal relationship with actress
Mia Farrow
Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequen ...
. Over a decade-long period, they collaborated on 13 films and conceived one child, the journalist
Ronan Farrow
Satchel Ronan O'Sullivan Farrow (born December 19, 1987) is an American journalist. The son of actress Mia Farrow and filmmaker Woody Allen, he is best known for his investigative reporting of allegations of sexual abuse against film producer H ...
, who was born in 1987. The couple separated after Allen began a relationship in 1991 with Mia's and
Andre Previn's adopted daughter
Soon-Yi Previn. In 1992, Farrow
publicly accused Allen of sexually abusing their adopted daughter, the seven-year-old Dylan Farrow. The allegation gained substantial media attention, but Allen was never charged or prosecuted, and he vehemently denied the allegation. Allen married Previn in 1997, and they adopted two children.
Allen has received many
accolades and honors, including the most nominations for the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with th ...
, with 16. He has won four
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, one for
Best Director, and three for
Best Original Screenplay. He also garnered nine
British Academy Film Awards. In 1997, Allen was awarded the
BAFTA Fellowship by the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
. In 2014, he received the
Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement and a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
nomination for
Best Book of a Musical for ''
Bullets over Broadway''. In 2015, the
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers:
* The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO
* The Writers G ...
named his screenplay for ''Annie Hall'' first on its list of the "101 Funniest Screenplays". In 2011,
PBS televised the film biography ''
Woody Allen: A Documentary'' on its series ''
American Masters''.
Early life
Allen was born Allan Stewart Konigsberg in New York City on November 30, 1935. Though his family lived in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...
, the birth took place at
Mount Eden Hospital in
the Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...
.
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
: He is Jewish. Allen's parents were Nettie (''née'' Cherry; 1906–2002), a bookkeeper at her family's delicatessen, and Martin Konigsberg (1900–2001),
a jewelry engraver and waiter.
His grandparents were immigrants to the U.S. from Austria and the Lithuanian city of
Panevėžys. They spoke German,
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
and
Yiddish. He and his younger sister, film producer
Letty, were raised in Brooklyn's
Midwood neighborhood. Both their parents were born and raised on the
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets.
Traditionally ...
of
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
.
Allen's parents did not get along, and he had an
estranged relationship with his authoritarian, ill-tempered mother.
He spoke German in his early years. He later joked that he was often sent to interfaith
summer camp
A summer camp or sleepaway camp is a supervised program for children conducted during the summer summer vacation, months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as ''campers''. Summer school is usually a part ...
s when he was young. While attending Hebrew school for eight years, he went to Public School 99 (now the Isaac Asimov School for Science and Literature) and
Midwood High School, graduating in 1953. Unlike his comic persona, he was more interested in baseball than school and his strong arm ensured he was picked first for teams.
He impressed students with his talent for
cards and
magic tricks.
Allen wrote jokes (or "gags") for agent David O. Alber to make money, and Alber sold them to newspaper columnists. At age 17, he legally changed his name to Heywood Allen and later began to call himself Woody. According to Allen, his first published joke read: "Woody Allen says he ate at a restaurant that had O.P.S. prices—over people's salaries."
He was soon earning more than both of his parents combined.
[ After high school, he attended ]New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, ...
, studying communication and film in 1953, before dropping out after failing the course "Motion Picture Production". He studied film at City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
in 1954, but left during the first semester. He taught himself rather than studying in the classroom. He later taught at The New School and studied with writing teacher Lajos Egri.
Career
Comedy writer
Allen began writing short jokes when he was 15,[ and the following year began sending them to various Broadway writers to see if they'd be interested in buying any. One of those writers was Abe Burrows, coauthor of '' Guys and Dolls'', who wrote, "Wow! His stuff was dazzling." Burrows then wrote Allen letters of introduction to Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, and Peter Lind Hayes, who immediately sent Allen a check for just the jokes Burrows included as samples.
As a result of the jokes Allen mailed to various writers, he was invited, then age 19, to join the NBC Writer's Development Program in 1955, followed by a job on ''The NBC Comedy Hour'' in Los Angeles. He was later hired as a full-time writer for humorist ]Herb Shriner
Herbert Arthur "Herb" Shriner (May 29, 1918 – April 23, 1970) was an American humorist, radio personality, actor, and television host. Shriner was known for his homespun monologues, usually about his home state of Indiana. He was frequently ...
, initially earning $25 a week.[ He began writing scripts for '' The Ed Sullivan Show'', '' The Tonight Show'', specials for Sid Caesar post-'']Caesar's Hour
''Caesar's Hour'' is a live, hour-long American sketch-comedy television program that aired on NBC from 1954 until 1957. The program starred, among others, Sid Caesar, Nanette Fabray, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, Janet Blair, and Milt Kamen, and f ...
'' (1954–1957), and other television shows. By the time he was working for Caesar, he was earning $1,500 a week. He worked alongside Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, and Neil Simon. He also worked with Danny Simon, whom Allen credits for helping form his writing style.[ In 1962 alone, he estimated that he wrote twenty thousand jokes for various comics. Allen also wrote for the '' Candid Camera'' television show, and appeared in some episodes.]
He wrote jokes for the Buddy Hackett sitcom '' Stanley'' and for '' The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom,'' and in 1958 he co-wrote a few Sid Caesar specials with Larry Gelbart. After writing for many of television's leading comedians and comedy shows, Allen was gaining a reputation as a "genius", composer Mary Rodgers said. When given an assignment for a show he would leave and come back the next day with "reams of paper", according to producer Max Liebman. Similarly, after he wrote for Bob Hope, Hope called him "half a genius".
His daily writing routine could last as long as 15 hours, and he could focus and write anywhere necessary. Dick Cavett was amazed at Allen's capacity to write: "He can go to a typewriter after breakfast and sit there until the sun sets and his head is pounding, interrupting work only for coffee and a brief walk, and then spend the whole evening working." When Allen wrote for other comedians, they would use eight out of ten of his jokes. When he began performing as a stand-up, he was much more selective, typically using only one out of ten jokes. He estimated that to prepare for a 30-minute show, he spent six months of intensive writing. He enjoyed writing, however, despite the work: "Nothing makes me happier than to tear open a ream of paper. And I can't wait to fill it! I love to do it."
Allen started writing short stories and cartoon captions for magazines such as ''The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...
''; he was inspired by the tradition of ''New Yorker'' humorists S. J. Perelman, George S. Kaufman, Robert Benchley, and Max Shulman, whose material he modernized. His collections of short pieces includes '' Getting Even'', '' Without Feathers'', '' Side Effects'', and ''Mere Anarchy
''Mere Anarchy'' is an anthology of essays by Woody Allen. First published on July 5, 2007, by Ebury Press, the book is a collection of 18 tales, 10 of which previously ran in ''The New Yorker''. It was Allen's first collection in 25 years.
Rece ...
''. His early comic fiction was influenced by the zany, pun-ridden humor of S.J. Perelman. In 2010 Allen released audio versions of his books in which he read 73 selections entitled, ''The Woody Allen Collection''. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.
Stand-up comedian
From 1960 to 1969 Allen performed as a comedian to supplement his comedy writing. He worked in various places around Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
, including The Bitter End and Cafe Au Go Go, alongside such contemporaries as Lenny Bruce, the team of Mike Nichols and Elaine May, Joan Rivers, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Dick Cavett, Bill Cosby and Mort Sahl (his personal favorite), as well as such other artists of the day as Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
and Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
. Comedian Milton Berle claims to have suggested to Allen to go into standup comedy and even introduced him at the Village Vanguard. Comedy historian Gerald Nachman
Gerald Weil Nachman (January 13, 1938 – April 14, 2018) was an American journalist and author from San Francisco.
Biography
Nachman was born January 13, 1938, to Leonard Calvert Nachman, a salesman and actor in the Little Theater movement, ...
writes that Allen, while not the first to do standup, eventually had greater impact than all the others in the 1960s, and redefined standup comedy: "He helped turn it into biting, brutally honest satirical commentary on the cultural and psychological tenor of the times."
After Allen was taken under the wing of his new manager, Jack Rollins, who had recently discovered Nichols and May, Rollins suggested he perform his written jokes as a stand-up. Allen was resistant at first, but after seeing Mort Sahl on stage, he felt safer to give it a try: "I'd never had the nerve to talk about it before. Then Mort Sahl came along with a whole new style of humor, opening up vistas for people like me." Allen made his professional stage debut at the Blue Angel nightclub in Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
in October 1960, where comedian Shelley Berman
Sheldon Leonard Berman (February 3, 1925 – September 1, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, writer, teacher, and lecturer.
In his comedic career, he was awarded three gold records and he won the first Grammy Award for a spoken comedy reco ...
introduced him as a young television writer who would perform his own material.
His early stand-up shows with his different style of humor were not always well received or understood by his audiences. Unlike other comedians, Allen spoke to his audiences in a gentle and conversational style, often appearing to be searching for words, although he was well rehearsed. He acted "normal", dressed casually, and made no attempt to project a stage "personality". And he did not improvise: "I put very little premium on improvisation," he told Studs Terkel. His jokes were created from life experiences, and typically presented with a dead serious demeanor that made them funnier: "I don't think my family liked me. They put a live teddy bear in my crib."
The subjects of his jokes were rarely topical, political or socially relevant. Unlike Bruce and Sahl, he did not discuss current events such as civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...
, women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countr ...
, the Cold War, or Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...
. And although he was described as a "classic nebbish", he did not tell the standard Jewish jokes of the period. Comedy screenwriter Larry Gelbart compared Allen's style to Elaine May's: "He just styled himself completely after her". Like Nichols and May, he often made fun of intellectuals.
Cavett, who was among the minority to quickly appreciate Allen's style, recalls seeing the Blue Angel audience mostly ignore Allen's monologue
In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...
: "I recognized immediately that there was no young comedian in the country in the same class with him for sheer brilliance of jokes, and I resented the fact that the audience was too dumb to realize what they were getting." It was his subdued stage presence that eventually became one of Allen's strongest traits, Nachman argues: "The utter absence of showbiz veneer and shtick was the best shtick any comedian had ever devised. This uneasy onstage naturalness became a trademark." When the media finally noticed, writers like ''The New York Times''s Arthur Gelb
Arthur Gelb (February 3, 1924 – May 20, 2014) was an American editor, author and executive and was the managing editor of ''The New York Times'' from 1986 to 1989.
Career
Gelb began working the night shift at ''The Times'' as a c ...
described Allen's nebbish quality as "Chaplinesque
''White Buildings'' was the first collection (1926) of poetry by Hart Crane, an American modernist poet, critical to both lyrical and language poetic traditions.
The book features well-known pieces like "For the Marriage of Faustus and Helen," t ...
" and "refreshing".
Allen developed an anxious, nervous, and intellectual persona for his stand-up act, a successful move that secured regular gigs for him in nightclubs and on television. He brought innovation to the comedy monologue genre and his stand-up comedy is considered influential. Allen first appeared on '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' on November 1, 1963, and over nine years his guest appearances included 17 in the host's chair. He subsequently released three LP albums of live nightclub recordings: the self-titled '' Woody Allen'' (1964), ''Volume 2'' (1965), and ''The Third Woody Allen Album'' (1968), recorded at a fund-raiser for Senator Eugene McCarthy
Eugene Joseph McCarthy (March 29, 1916December 10, 2005) was an American politician, writer, and academic from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. ...
's presidential run.
In 1965, Allen filmed a half-hour standup special in England for Granada Television
ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...
, titled '' The Woody Allen Show'' in the U.K. and ''Woody Allen: Standup Comic'' in the U.S.[Benedictus, Leo (October 24, 2013).]
"Comedy Gold: The Woody Allen Show"
''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
''. Retrieved April 5, 2020. It is the only complete standup show of Allen's on film.[ The same year, Allen along with Nichols and May, Barbra Streisand, Carol Channing, ]Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an internat ...
, Julie Andrews, Carol Burnett, and Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
took part in Lyndon B. Johnson’s inaugural gala in Washington, D.C., on January 18, 1965. First Lady Lady Bird Johnson
Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson ('' née'' Taylor; December 22, 1912 – July 11, 2007) was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 as the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She previously served as Second Lady from 1961 to 1963 w ...
described Allen and the event in her published diary, ''A White House Diary
''A White House Diary'' is a 1970 memoir by Lady Bird Johnson.
Writing and publication
Lady Bird Johnson regularly made tape-recorded notes of her daily activities while her husband was president. The diary totaled 1.75 million words of voice ...
'', writing in part, "Woody Allen, that forlorn, undernourished little comedian, stopped shooting a movie in Paris and flew across the Atlantic for about five minutes of jokes".
In 1966, Allen wrote an hourlong musical comedy television special for CBS, ''Gene Kelly in New York City''. It focused on Gene Kelly in a musical tour around Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
, dancing along such landmarks as Rockefeller Center, the Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue ...
and the Museum of Modern Art, which serve as backdrops for the show's production numbers. Allen appeared in the special alongside Kelly. Guest stars included choreographer Gower Champion, British musical comedy star Tommy Steele, and songstress Damita Jo DeBlanc
Damita Jo DeBlanc (August 5, 1930 – December 25, 1998), known professionally as Damita Jo, was an American actress, comedian, and singer. Her second marriage was to her manager James "Biddy" Wood in 1961.
Biography
DeBlanc was born in Austi ...
.
In 1967, Allen hosted a TV special for NBC, '' Woody Allen Looks at 1967''. It featured Liza Minnelli, who acted alongside Allen in some skits; Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
, the musical guest; and conservative writer William F. Buckley, the featured guest. In 1969, Allen hosted his first American special for CBS television, ''The Woody Allen Special,'' which included skits with Candice Bergen, a musical performance from the 5th Dimension, and an interview between Allen and Billy Graham
William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
.
Allen also performed standup comedy on other series, including ''The Andy Williams Show'' and ''The Perry Como Show'', where he interacted with other guests and occasionally sang. In 1971, he hosted one of his final ''Tonight Shows'', with guests Bob Hope and James Coco. Hope praised Allen on the show, calling him "one of the finest young talents in show business and a great delight". ''Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...
'' magazine put Allen on the cover of its March 21, 1969, issue.
In 1979, Allen paid tribute to one of his comedy idols, Bob Hope, at the Film Society at Lincoln Center, creating a special for the event titled "My Favorite Comedian" that included clips from Hope's films, selected and narrated by Allen. Hope said of the honor, "It's great to have your past spring up in front of your eyes, especially when it's done by Woody Allen, because he's a near genius. Not a whole genius, but a near genius". Dick Cavett served as the host, but Allen was absent, editing ''Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
''. Guests at the event included Diane Keaton, Kurt Vonnegut, and Andy Warhol.
Playwright
In 1966, Allen wrote the play '' Don't Drink the Water''. The play starred Lou Jacobi, Kay Medford, Anita Gillette
Anita Gillette ( Luebben; born August 16, 1936) is an American actress. She had numerous roles on Broadway, American television, and in feature films. She also made many appearances as a celebrity guest on television game shows.
Early life
Gill ...
and Allen's future movie co-star Tony Roberts. A film adaptation of the play, directed by Howard Morris, was released in 1969, starring Jackie Gleason
John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...
. Because he was not particularly happy with that version, in 1994 Allen directed and starred in a second version for television, with Michael J. Fox and Mayim Bialik.
The next play Allen wrote for Broadway was '' Play It Again, Sam'', in which he also starred. The play opened on February 12, 1969, and ran for 453 performances. It featured Diane Keaton and Roberts. The play was significant to Keaton's budding career, and she has said she was in "awe" of Allen even before auditioning for her role, which was the first time she met him. In a 2013 interview Keaton said that she "fell in love with him right away", adding, "I wanted to be his girlfriend so I did something about it."["Actress Diane Keaton Talks About Woody Allen, Her Career and Personal Life"]
''Netquake'', June 2, 2013 After co-starring alongside Allen in the subsequent film version of ''Play It Again, Sam'', she later co-starred in ''Sleeper'', ''Love and Death'', ''Annie Hall'', ''Interiors'' and ''Manhattan''. "He showed me the ropes and I followed his lead. He is the most disciplined person I know. He works very hard," Keaton has said.[
In 1981, Allen's play '' The Floating Light Bulb'', starring Danny Aiello and Bea Arthur, premiered on Broadway and ran for 65 performances. While receiving mixed reviews, it gave autobiographical insight into Allen's childhood, specifically his fascination with magic tricks. The play, set in 1945, is a semi-autobiographical tale of a lower-middle-class family in Brooklyn. '']New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' critic Frank Rich gave the play a mild review, writing, "there are a few laughs, a few well-wrought characters, and, in Act II, a beautifully written scene that leads to a moving final curtain". Rich also compared the play to Tennessee Williams's work.[
Allen has written several one-act plays off Broadway, including ''Riverside Drive'', ''Old Saybrook'' and ''A Second Hand Memory'', at the Variety Arts Theatre.][
On March 8, 1995, Allen's one-act play ''Central Park West'' opened off-Broadway as a part of a larger piece titled ''Death Defying Acts'', with two other one-act plays, one by ]David Mamet
David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...
, and one by Elaine May. Critics described Allen's contribution as "the longest and most substantial of the evening".
On October 20, 2011, Allen's one-act play ''Honeymoon Motel'' opened on Broadway as part of a larger piece titled '' Relatively Speaking'', with two other one-act plays, one by Ethan Coen
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
and one by Elaine May.
On March 11, 2014, Allen's musical '' Bullets over Broadway'' opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre
The St. James Theatre, originally Erlanger's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 246 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, it was designed by Warren and Wetmore in a neo-Georgian style a ...
. It was directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman
Susan P. Stroman (born October 17, 1954) is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director and performer. Her notable theater productions include '' The Producers'', '' Crazy for You'', ''Contact'', and '' The Scottsboro Boys''. She i ...
and starred Zach Braff, Nick Cordero, and Betsy Wolfe. The production received mixed reviews, with ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' writing, "this frothy show does provide dazzling art direction and performances, as well as effervescent ensemble numbers." Allen received a Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
nomination for Best Book of a Musical. The show received six Tony nominations.
Early films
Allen's first movie was the Charles K. Feldman production ''What's New Pussycat?
''What's New Pussycat?'' is a 1965 screwball comedy film directed by Clive Donner, written by Woody Allen in his first produced screenplay, and starring Allen in his acting debut, along with Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider, Capuc ...
'' (1965), for which he wrote the screenplay. He was disappointed with the final product, which inspired him to direct every film he wrote thereafter except '' Play It Again, Sam''.[ Allen's first directorial effort was '' What's Up, Tiger Lily?'' (1966, co-written with Mickey Rose), in which an existing Japanese spy movie—'' Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi'' (1965), "International Secret Police: Key of Keys"—was redubbed in English by Allen and friends with fresh new, comic dialogue. In 1967, Allen played Jimmy Bond in the ]James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 19 ...
spoof '' Casino Royale''.
In 1969, Allen directed, starred in, and co-wrote (with Mickey Rose) '' Take the Money and Run'', which he considers his true film directorial debut. The film received positive reviews; critic Vincent Canby of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote, "Allen has made a movie that is, in effect, a feature-length, two-reel comedy—something very special and eccentric and funny." Allen later signed a deal with United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...
to produce several films.
1970s
During the 1970s, Allen directed films that were later known as his "early, funny" work. These include '' Bananas'' (1971, co-written with Rose), '' Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)'' (1972), ''Sleeper
A sleeper is a person who is sleeping.
Sleeper may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Sleeper (Marvel Comics), a Nazi German robot utilized by the Red Skull in Marvel Comics
* The Sleeper (Wild Cards), a character in the Wild Ca ...
'' (1973), and '' Love and Death'' (1975).[ ''Sleeper'' was the first of four screenplays co-written by Allen and Marshall Brickman.]
In 1972, Allen wrote and starred in the film version of '' Play It Again, Sam'', directed by Herbert Ross and co-starring Diane Keaton. In 1976, he starred as cashier Howard Prince in '' The Front,'' directed by Martin Ritt. ''The Front'' was a humorous and poignant account of Hollywood blacklist
Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, ...
ing during the 1950s; Ritt, screenwriter Walter Bernstein, and three of Allen's cast-mates, Samuel "Zero" Mostel, Herschel Bernardi, and Lloyd Gough, had themselves been blacklisted.
Then came two of Allen's most popular films: '' Annie Hall'' and ''Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
''. ''Annie Hall'' (1977) won four Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, including Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Diane Keaton, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for Woody Allen. ''Annie Hall'' set the standard for modern romantic comedy and ignited a fashion trend with the clothes Keaton wore in the film. In an interview with journalist Katie Couric, Keaton did not deny that Allen wrote the part for her and about her.[, video interview, 2 min.] The film is ranked 35th on the ''American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Lead ...
'' "100 Best Movies" and fourth on the AFI list of the "100 Best Comedies."
In 1979, Allen directed ''Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
'', a black-and-white romantic comedy often viewed as an homage to New York City. The film features iconic scenes filmed in New York City, including an opening montage of scenes around the city, and Allen and Keaton's silhouette on a bench by the Queensboro Bridge. As in many Allen films, the main protagonists are upper-middle class writers and academics. ''Manhattan'' focuses on the complicated relationship between middle-aged Isaac Davis (Allen) and 17-year-old Tracy ( Mariel Hemingway), and co-stars Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep. It was a box office and critical hit, and received two Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
nominations, for Hemingway for Best Supporting Actress and for Allen's screenplay.
Keaton, who has made eight movies with Allen, has said, "He just has a mind like nobody else. He's bold. He's got a lot of strength, a lot of courage in terms of his work. And that is what it takes to do something really unique. Along with a genius imagination."[
]
1980s
Allen's films in the 1980s, even the comedies, became somber with philosophical undertones, influenced by European directors, especially Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini. '' Stardust Memories'' was based on '' 8½'', which it parodies, and '' Wild Strawberries''. '' A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy'' was adapted from '' Smiles of a Summer Night''. In ''Hannah and Her Sisters
''Hannah and Her Sisters'' is a 1986 American comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begins and ends with a family Thanksgiving dinner. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen, ...
'', part of the film's structure and background is borrowed from '' Fanny and Alexander''. Fellini's ''Amarcord
''Amarcord'' () is a 1973 comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, a semi-autobiographical tale about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the village of Borgo San Giuliano (situated near the ancien ...
'' inspired '' Radio Days''. '' September'' resembles Bergman's '' Autumn Sonata''. '' Another Woman'' and '' Crimes and Misdemeanors'' have elements reminiscent of '' Wild Strawberries.''
''Stardust Memories'' (1980) features Sandy Bates, a successful filmmaker played by Allen, who expresses resentment and scorn for his fans. Overcome by the recent death of a friend from illness, Bates says, "I don't want to make funny movies anymore" and a running gag has various people (including visiting space aliens) telling him that they appreciate his films, "especially the early, funny ones." Allen considers this one of his best films.
''A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy'' (1982) was the first movie Allen made starring Mia Farrow
Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequen ...
, who stepped into Diane Keaton's role when Keaton was shooting '' Reds''. He next directed '' Zelig'', in which he starred as a man who has the ability to transform his appearance to that of the people surrounding him.
Allen has combined tragic and comic elements in such films as ''Hannah and Her Sisters'' (1986) and ''Crimes and Misdemeanors'' (1989), in which he tells two stories that connect at the end. He also made three films about show business: '' Broadway Danny Rose'', in which he plays a down-on-his-luck New York show business agent, '' The Purple Rose of Cairo'', set during the Great Depression, in which a movie character comes to life to romance an unhappy housewife, and '' Radio Days'', a film about his childhood in Brooklyn and the importance of the radio. The film co-starred Farrow in a part Allen wrote specifically for her. ''The Purple Rose of Cairo'' was named by ''Time'' as one of the 100 best films of all time. Allen called it one of his three best films with ''Stardust Memories'' and '' Match Point''. By "best" he said he meant they came closest to his vision. In 1989, Allen and directors Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese made '' New York Stories'', an anthology film about New Yorkers. Allen's short, '' Oedipus Wrecks'', is about a neurotic lawyer and his critical mother. Film critic Vincent Canby of ''The New York Times'' praised the segment as a "priceless contribution" to the film.
1990s
Allen's 1991 film '' Shadows and Fog'' is a black-and-white homage to the German expressionists and features the music of Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...
. Allen then made his critically acclaimed comedy-drama '' Husbands and Wives'' (1992), which received two Oscar nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Judy Davis
Judith Davis (born 23 April 1955) is an Australian actress in film, television, and on stage. With a career spanning over 40 years, she has been commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation. Frequen ...
and Best Original Screenplay for Allen. '' Manhattan Murder Mystery'' (1993) combined suspense with dark comedy and marked the return of Diane Keaton, Alan Alda
Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...
and Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston ( ; born July 8, 1951) is an American actress and director. Known for often portraying eccentric and distinctive characters, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as no ...
.
He returned to lighter fare such as the showbiz comedy involving mobsters '' Bullets Over Broadway'' (1994), which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Director, followed by a musical, '' Everyone Says I Love You'' (1996). The singing and dancing scenes in ''Everyone Says I Love You'' are similar to musicals starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The comedy '' Mighty Aphrodite'' (1995), in which Greek drama plays a large role, won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Mira Sorvino. Allen's 1999 jazz-based comedy-drama '' Sweet and Lowdown'' was nominated for two Academy Awards, for Sean Penn (Best Actor) and Samantha Morton (Best Supporting Actress). In contrast to these lighter movies, Allen veered into darker satire toward the end of the decade with '' Deconstructing Harry'' (1997) and ''Celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
'' (1998).
During this decade Allen also starred in the television film '' The Sunshine Boys'' (1995), based on the Neil Simon play of the same name.
Allen made one sitcom "appearance" via telephone on the show '' Just Shoot Me!'' in a 1997 episode, "My Dinner with Woody", that paid tribute to several of his films. He provided the voice of Z in DreamWorks' first animated film, ''Antz
''Antz'' is a 1998 American computer-animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation (in its debut film) and Pacific Data Images and released by DreamWorks Pictures. It was directed by Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson (in their fe ...
'' (1998), which featured many actors he had worked with; Allen's character was similar to his earlier roles.
2000s
'' Small Time Crooks'' (2000) was Allen's first film with the DreamWorks studio and represented a change in direction: he began giving more interviews and made an attempt to return to his slapstick roots. The film is similar to the 1942 film ''Larceny, Inc.'' (from a play by S.J. Perelman).[ Robert Osborne of ]Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...
on June 15, 2006 Allen never commented on whether this was deliberate or if his film was in any way inspired by it. ''Small Time Crooks'' was a relative financial success, grossing over $17 million domestically, but Allen's next four films foundered at the box office, including Allen's most costly film, '' The Curse of the Jade Scorpion'' (with a budget of $26 million). '' Hollywood Ending'', '' Anything Else'', and '' Melinda and Melinda'' have "rotten" ratings on film-review website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
and each earned less than $4 million domestically. Some critics claimed that Allen's early 2000s films were subpar and expressed concern that his best years were behind him. Others were less harsh; reviewing the little-liked ''Melinda and Melinda'', Roger Ebert wrote, "I cannot escape the suspicion that if Woody had never made a previous film, if each new one was Woody's Sundance debut, it would get a better reception. His reputation is not a dead shark but an albatross, which with admirable economy Allen has arranged for the critics to carry around their own necks."
'' Match Point'' (2005) was one of Allen's most successful films of the decade, garnering positive reviews. Set in London, it starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson. It is markedly darker than Allen's first four films with DreamWorks SKG. In ''Match Point'' Allen shifts focus from the intellectual upper class of New York to the moneyed upper class of London. The film earned more than $23 million domestically (more than any of his films in nearly 20 years) and over $62 million in international box office sales. It earned Allen his first Academy Award nomination since 1998, for Best Writing – Original Screenplay, with directing and writing nominations at the Golden Globes, his first Globe nominations since 1987. In a 2006 interview with '' Premiere Magazine'' he said it was the best film he had ever made.
Allen reached an agreement to film '' Vicky Cristina Barcelona'' in Avilés, Barcelona, and Oviedo
Oviedo (; ast, Uviéu ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city. Oviedo is located ap ...
, Spain, where shooting started on July 9, 2007. The movie featured Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Hall and Penélope Cruz. The film premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival to rapturous reviews, and became a box office success. ''Vicky Cristina Barcelona'' won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globe awards. Cruz received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
"In the United States things have changed a lot, and it's hard to make good small films now," Allen said in a 2004 interview. "The avaricious studios couldn't care less about good films—if they get a good film they're twice as happy but money-making films are their goal. They only want these $100 million pictures that make $500 million."
In April 2008 he began filming '' Whatever Works'', a film aimed more toward older audiences, starring Larry David, Patricia Clarkson, and Evan Rachel Wood. Released in 2009 and described as a dark comedy, it follows the story of a botched suicide attempt turned messy love triangle. ''Whatever Works'' was written by Allen in the 1970s, and David's character was written for Zero Mostel, who died the year ''Annie Hall'' came out.
Allen was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, ...
in 2001.
2010s
'' You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger'', filmed in London, stars Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received various accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival ...
, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Anupam Kher, Freida Pinto
Freida Selena Pinto (born 18 October 1984) is an Indian actress who has appeared mainly in American and British films. Born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra, she resolved at a young age to become an actress. As a student at St. Xavier's Col ...
and Naomi Watts. Filming started in July 2009. It was released theatrically in the US on September 23, 2010, following a Cannes debut in May 2010, and a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
on September 12, 2010.
Allen announced that his next film would be titled '' Midnight in Paris'' starring Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Corey Stoll, Allison Pill
Alison Pill (born November 27, 1985) is a Canadian actress. A former child actress, Pill began her career at age 12, appearing in numerous films and television series. She transitioned to adult roles and her breakthrough came with the television ...
, Tom Hiddleston, Adrien Brody, Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actor and director. Known for her roles in comedic and dramatic films and television programs, she has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, includ ...
, and Carla Bruni, the First Lady of France at the time of production. The film follows a young engaged couple in Paris who see their lives transformed. It debuted at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 2011. Allen said he wanted to "show the city emotionally" during the press conference. "I just wanted it to be the way I saw Paris—Paris through my eyes," he added. The film was almost universally praised, receiving a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
. ''Midnight in Paris'' won the Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
for Best Original Screenplay and became his highest-grossing film, making $151 million worldwide on a $17 million budget.
In February 2012, Allen appeared on a panel at the 92nd Street Y in New York City with moderators Dick Cavett and Annette Insdorf, discussing his films and career.
His next film, '' To Rome with Love'', was a Rome-set comedy released in 2012. The film was structured in four vignettes featuring dialogue in both Italian and English. It marked Allen's return to acting since his last role in ''Scoop''.
'' Blue Jasmine'' debuted in July 2013. The film is set in San Francisco and New York, and stars Alec Baldwin, Cate Blanchett, Louis C.K., Andrew Dice Clay, Sally Hawkins, and Peter Sarsgaard. Opening to critical acclaim, the film earned Allen another Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and Blanchett received the Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. ...
. Allen co-starred with John Turturro in '' Fading Gigolo,'' written and directed by Turturro, which premiered in September 2013. In 2013 Allen shot the romantic comedy '' Magic in the Moonlight'' with Emma Stone, and Colin Firth in Nice, France. The film is set in the 1920s on the French Riviera
The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation "Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend from ...
. The film was a modest financial success, earning $51 million off a budget of $16 million.
From July to August 2014 Allen filmed the mystery drama '' Irrational Man'' in Newport
Newport most commonly refers to:
*Newport, Wales
*Newport, Rhode Island, US
Newport or New Port may also refer to:
Places Asia
*Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay
Europe
Ireland
*Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...
, Rhode Island, with Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey and Jamie Blackley. Allen said that this film, as well as the next three he had planned, had the financing and full support of Sony Pictures Classics. His next film, '' Café Society'', starred an ensemble cast, including Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, and Blake Lively. Bruce Willis was set to co-star, but was replaced by Steve Carell during filming. The film is distributed by Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed t ...
, and opened the 2016 Cannes Film Festival
The 69th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2016. Australian director George Miller was the President of the Jury for the main competition. French actor Laurent Lafitte was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies. On 15 Mar ...
on May 11, 2016, the third time Allen has opened the festival.
On January 14, 2015, Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed t ...
announced a full-season order for a half-hour Amazon Prime Instant Video series that Allen would write and direct, marking the first time he has developed a television show. Allen said of the series, "I don't know how I got into this. I have no ideas and I'm not sure where to begin. My guess is that Roy Price he head of Amazon Studioswill regret this." At the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, Allen said, in reference to his upcoming Amazon show, "It was a catastrophic mistake. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm floundering. I expect this to be a cosmic embarrassment." On September 30, 2016, Amazon Video debuted Allen's first television series production, ''Crisis in Six Scenes
''Crisis in Six Scenes'' is an American television miniseries written and directed by Woody Allen for Amazon Studios. Allen wrote and directed six episodes for the half-hour series, marking the first time he has done so for television. It is avai ...
''. The series is a comedy that takes place during the 1960s. It focuses on the life of a suburban family after a surprise visitor creates chaos among them. It stars Allen alongside Elaine May and Miley Cyrus, with the latter playing a radical hippie fugitive who sells marijuana.
In September 2016 Allen started filming '' Wonder Wheel'', set in the 1950s in Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to th ...
, and starring Kate Winslet and Justin Timberlake. The film served as the closing night selection at the 55th New York Film Festival on October 15, 2017, and was theatrically released on December 1, 2017, as the first movie self-distributed to theaters by Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed t ...
.
In 2017, Allen received a standing ovation when he made a rare public appearance at the 45th Annual Life Achievement Tribute award ceremony for Diane Keaton. Before presenting her with the award he spoke about their longtime collaboration and friendship, saying, "From the minute I met her, she was a great, great inspiration to me. Much of what I have accomplished in my life I owe for sure to her".
His film '' A Rainy Day in New York'', starring Timothée Chalamet, Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, Jude Law, Diego Luna
Diego Dionisio Luna Alexander (; born 29 December 1979) is a Mexican actor, director, and producer. He is known for his portrayal of Cassian Andor in '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' and the Disney+ series ''Andor''.
Following an early ca ...
, Liev Schreiber and Rebecca Hall began production in New York in September 2017. Chalamet, Gomez and Hall announced, in the light of the #MeToo movement, that they would be donating their salaries to various charities.
In February 2019 it was announced that Amazon Studios had dropped ''A Rainy Day in New York'' and would no longer finance, produce, or distribute films with Allen. He filed a lawsuit for $68 million, alleging Amazon gave "vague reasons" to terminate the contract, dropped the film over "a 25-year old, baseless allegation" and did not make payments. The case was later settled and dismissed. It was released throughout Europe beginning in July 2019, receiving mixed reviews and grossing $20 million at the box office. After over a year of delays, the film was released in the United States on October 9, 2020, by MPI Media Group
MPI Media Group is an American producer, distributor and licensor of theatrical film and home entertainment. MPI's subsidiaries include MPI Pictures, MPI Home Video, Gorgon Video, and the horror film distributor Dark Sky Films. The company is lo ...
and Signature Entertainment.
2020s
In May 2019, it was announced that Allen's latest film would be titled '' Rifkin's Festival'', and '' Variety magazine'' confirmed that its cast would include Christoph Waltz, Elena Anaya
Elena Anaya Gutiérrez (born 17 July 1975) is a Spanish actress.
She garnered public recognition in Spain for her performance in '' Sex and Lucia'' (2001), which also earned her a nomination to the Goya Award for Best Supporting Actress. She s ...
, Louis Garrel, Gina Gershon, Sergi López Sergi López may refer to:
*Sergi López (actor) (born 1965), Spanish actor
* Sergi López Segú (1967–2006), Spanish footballer
See also
*Sergio López (disambiguation) Sergio López may refer to:
* Sergio Augusto López Ramírez (born 1961), M ...
and Wallace Shawn and it would be produced by Gravier Productions. The film was produced with Mediapro, an independent Spanish TV-film company. ''Rifkin's Festival'' completed filming in October 2019. On September 18, 2020, it premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. It has received mixed reviews, though Jessica Kiang of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called it "to the ravenous captive, like finding an unexpected stash of dessert".
On March 2, 2020, it was announced that Grand Central Publishing would release Allen's autobiography, '' Apropos of Nothing'', on April 7, 2020, This was after it was announced Allen had written a memoir and shopped it around to multiple prominent publishers who rejected it. The book was set to be released in the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, and France, among others. According to the publisher, the book is a "comprehensive account of Allen's life, both personal and professional, and describes his work in films, theater, television, nightclubs, and print...Allen also writes of his relationships with family, friends, and the loves of his life."
The decision to publish the book was met with backlash from Ronan Farrow
Satchel Ronan O'Sullivan Farrow (born December 19, 1987) is an American journalist. The son of actress Mia Farrow and filmmaker Woody Allen, he is best known for his investigative reporting of allegations of sexual abuse against film producer H ...
, who cut ties with the publisher. Dylan Farrow also responded to the announcement of the release, saying "Hachette's publishing of Woody Allen's memoir is deeply upsetting to me personally and an utter betrayal of my brother." On March 5, 2020, 75 employees of Grand Central Publishing held a walkout to protest the release. On March 6, the publisher announced that it had canceled the book's release and returned the rights to Allen, saying, "The decision to cancel Mr. Allen's book was a difficult one. Over the past few days, HBG leadership had extensive conversations with our staff and others. After listening, we came to the conclusion that moving forward with publication would not be feasible for HBG."
Novelist Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high ...
criticized Hachette's decision to withdraw the book, saying it "makes me very uneasy. It's not him; I don't give a damn about Mr. Allen. It's who gets muzzled next that worries me." Executive director of PEN America Suzanne Nossel also criticized the decision. On March 6, 2020, Manuel Carcassonne of the Hachette's French branch, the publishing company Stock
In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...
, announced it would publish the book if Allen permitted it.[ On March 23, 2020, Arcade] published the memoir in English and La nave di Teseo published it in Italian.
In June 2020, Allen appeared on Alec Baldwin's podcast ''Here's the Thing'' and talked about his career as a standup comedian, comedy writer, and filmmaker, as well as his life during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
In September 2022, Allen suggested that he might retire from filmmaking after the release of his next film, ''Wasp 22''. In an interview with '' La Vanguardia'', Allen said, "My idea, in principle, is not to make more movies and focus on writing." Allen's publicist later said, "Woody Allen never said he was retiring, nor did he say he was writing another novel. He said he was thinking about not making films, as making films that go straight or very quickly to streaming platforms is not so enjoyable for him, as he is a great lover of the cinema experience. Currently, he has no intention of retiring and is very excited to be in Paris shooting his new movie, which will be the 50th."
Theatre
While best known for his films, Allen has enjoyed a successful career in theatre, starting as early as 1960, when he wrote sketches for the revue '' From A to Z''. His first great success was '' Don't Drink the Water'', which opened in 1968, and ran for 598 performances for almost two years on Broadway. His success continued with '' Play It Again, Sam'', which opened in 1969, starring Allen and Diane Keaton. The show played for 453 performances and was nominated for three Tony Awards
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
, although none of the nominations were for Allen's writing or acting.
In the 1970s, Allen wrote a number of one-act plays, most notably ''God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
'' and ''Death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
'', which were published in his 1975 collection '' Without Feathers''. In 1981, Allen's play '' The Floating Light Bulb'' opened on Broadway. It was a critical success and a commercial flop. Despite two Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
nominations, a Tony win for the acting of Brian Backer (who won the 1981 Theater World Award and a Drama Desk Award for his work), the play only ran for 62 performances. After a long hiatus from the stage, Allen returned to the theatre in 1995 with the one-act ''Central Park West'', an installment in an evening of theatre, ''Death Defying Acts'', that also included new work by David Mamet
David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...
and Elaine May.
For the next few years, Allen had no direct involvement with the stage, but notable productions of his work were staged. A production of ''God'' was staged at The Bank of Brazil Cultural Center in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of the same name, Brazil's List of Brazilian states by population, third-most populous state, and the List of largest citi ...
, and theatrical adaptations of Allen's films ''Bullets Over Broadway'' and ''September'' were produced in Italy and France, respectively, without Allen's involvement. In 1997, rumors of Allen returning to the theatre to write a starring role for his wife Soon-Yi Previn turned out to be false. In 2003, Allen finally returned to the stage with ''Writer's Block'', an evening of two one-acts—''Old Saybrook'' and ''Riverside Drive''—that played Off-Broadway. The production marked his stage-directing debut and sold out the entire run. Also in 2003, reports of Allen writing the book for a musical based on ''Bullets Over Broadway'' surfaced, and it opened in New York in 2014. The musical closed on August 24, 2014, after 156 performances and 33 previews.
In 2004, Allen's first full-length play since 1981, ''A Second Hand Memory'', was directed by Allen and enjoyed an extended run Off-Broadway.[ In June 2007 it was announced that Allen would make two more creative debuts in the theatre, directing a work he did not write and directing an opera—a reinterpretation of Puccini's '' Gianni Schicchi'' for the Los Angeles Opera]—which debuted at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on September 6, 2008. Of his direction of the opera, Allen said, "I have no idea what I'm doing." His production of the opera opened the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, in June 2009.
In October 2011 Allen's one-act play ''Honeymoon Motel'' premiered as one in a series of one-act plays on Broadway titled ''Relatively Speaking''. Also contributing to the plays are Elaine May and Ethan Coen
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
with John Turturro directing. It was announced in February 2012 that Allen would adapt '' Bullets over Broadway'' into a Broadway musical
Musical is the adjective of music
Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact def ...
. It opened on April 10, 2014, and closed on August 24, 2014.
In March 2014 Allen's musical '' Bullets Over Broadway'' premiered at the St. James Theatre
The St. James Theatre, originally Erlanger's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 246 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, it was designed by Warren and Wetmore in a neo-Georgian style a ...
. The cast included Zach Braff, Nick Cordero and Betsy Wolfe. The show was directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman
Susan P. Stroman (born October 17, 1954) is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director and performer. Her notable theater productions include '' The Producers'', '' Crazy for You'', ''Contact'', and '' The Scottsboro Boys''. She i ...
, known for directing the stage and film productions of Mel Brooks's ''The Producers''. The show drew mixed reviews from critics but received six Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
nominations, including one for Allen for Best Book of a Musical.
Jazz band
Allen is a passionate fan of jazz, which appears often in the soundtracks to his films. He began playing clarinet as a child and took his stage name from clarinetist Woody Herman. He has performed publicly at least since the late 1960s, including with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on the soundtrack of ''Sleeper''.
Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band have been playing each Monday evening at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan for many years specializing in New Orleans jazz New Orleans Jazz may refer to:
* Dixieland, a style of jazz music (New Orleans Jazz)
*
* New Orleans Jazz (NBA team), professional basketball team that relocated and became the Utah Jazz
*New Orleans Jazz football club
New is an adjective referri ...
from the early 20th century. He plays songs by Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His ...
, George Lewis, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, and Louis Armstrong.[Woody Allen en concert ce lundi à Monaco](_blank)
, '' Monaco-Matin'', December 28, 2014 The documentary film '' Wild Man Blues'' (directed by Barbara Kopple) chronicles a 1996 European tour by Allen and his band, as well as his relationship with Previn. The band released the albums ''The Bunk Project'' (1993) and the soundtrack of ''Wild Man Blues'' (1997). In a 2011 review of a concert by Allen's jazz band, critic Kirk Silsbee of the ''Los Angeles Times'' suggested that Allen should be regarded a competent musical hobbyist with a sincere appreciation for early jazz: "Allen's clarinet won't make anyone forget Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His ...
, Barney Bigard or Evan Christopher. His piping tone and strings of staccato notes can't approximate melodic or lyrical phrasing. Still his earnestness and the obvious regard he has for traditional jazz counts for something."
Allen and his band played at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on two consecutive nights in June 2008. For many years he wanted to make a film about the origins of jazz in New Orleans. Tentatively titled ''American Blues'', the film would follow the different careers of Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His ...
. Allen stated that the film would cost between $80 and $100 million and is therefore unlikely to be made.
Influence
Allen has said that he was enormously influenced by comedians Bob Hope, Groucho Marx, Mort Sahl, Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, playwright George S. Kaufman and filmmakers Ernst Lubitsch and Ingmar Bergman.
Many comedians have cited Allen as an influence, including Louis C.K., Larry David, Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz; November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, political commentator, and television host. He hosted '' The Daily Show'', a satirical news program on Comedy Central, from 1999 to 2015 and now hosts '' ...
, Chris Rock
Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Known for his work in comic film, television and stage, he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best comedy ...
, Steve Martin, John Mulaney, Bill Hader, Aziz Ansari, Sarah Silverman, Conan O'Brien, Seth MacFarlane, Seth Meyers, Richard Ayoade, Bill Maher, Albert Brooks, John Cleese,[ ]Garry Shandling
Garry Emmanuel Shandling (November 29, 1949 – March 24, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer.
Shandling began his career writing for sitcoms, such as '' Sanford and Son'' and '' Welcome Back, Kotter''. He made ...
, Bob Odenkirk, and Rob McElhenney.
Many filmmakers have also cited Allen as an influence, including Wes Anderson, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Luca Guadagnino, Nora Ephron, Whit Stillman, Mike Mills
Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., ...
, Ira Sachs
Ira Sachs (born November 21, 1965) is an American filmmaker. His first film was the short ''Lady'' (1993).
Biography
Sachs was born in Memphis, Tennessee. His films include '' The Delta'' (1997), '' Forty Shades of Blue'' (2005), '' Married ...
, Richard Linklater, Charlie Kaufman, Nicole Holofcener, Rebecca Miller, Tamara Jenkins, Alex Ross Perry, Greg Mottola, Lynn Shelton, Lena Dunham, Lawrence Michael Levine, Olivier Assayas
Olivier Assayas (born 25 January 1955) is a French film director, screenwriter and film critic. Assayas is known for his slow-burning period pieces, psychological thrillers, neo-noirs and French comedies. His work has become synonymous with t ...
, and the Safdie brothers.
Directors who admire Allen's work include Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensemb ...
, who called him "one of the greatest screenwriters of all time", as well as Martin Scorsese, who said in ''Woody Allen: A Documentary'', "Woody's sensibilities of New York City is one of the reasons why I love his work, but they are extremely foreign to me. It's not another world; it's another planet". Stanley Donen stated he liked Allen's films, Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
has called Allen a "great, great filmmaker" and Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; (often known simply as Almodóvar) born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish filmmaker. His films are marked by melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular culture, and complex narra ...
has said he admires Allen's work. In 2012, directors Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design ...
, Asghar Farhadi, and Martin McDonagh respectively included '' Radio Days'' (1987), '' Take the Money and Run'' (1969), and ''Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
'' among their Top 10 films for ''Sight & Sound
''Sight and Sound'' (also spelled ''Sight & Sound'') is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). It conducts the well-known, once-a-decade ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, ongoing ...
''. Other admirers of his work include Olivia Wilde and Jason Reitman, who staged live readings of ''Hannah and Her Sisters
''Hannah and Her Sisters'' is a 1986 American comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begins and ends with a family Thanksgiving dinner. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen, ...
'' and ''Manhattan'' respectively. Filmmaker Edgar Wright listed five of Allen's films ('' Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Play It Again, Sam, Sleeper
A sleeper is a person who is sleeping.
Sleeper may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Sleeper (Marvel Comics), a Nazi German robot utilized by the Red Skull in Marvel Comics
* The Sleeper (Wild Cards), a character in the Wild Ca ...
, Annie Hall'') in his list of 100 Favorite Comedy films.
Film critics including Roger Ebert and Barry Norman have highly praised Allen's work. In 1980, on ''Sneak Previews
''Sneak Previews'' (known as ''Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You'' from 1975 to 1977 and ''Sneak Previews Goes Video'' from 1989 to 1991) is an American film review show that ran for over two decades on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). It wa ...
'', Siskel and Ebert called Allen and Mel Brooks "the two most successful comedy directors in the world today ... America's two funniest filmmakers." Pauline Kael wrote of Allen that "his comic character is enormously appealing to people partly because he's the smart, urban guy who at the same time is intelligent, is vulnerable, and somehow by his intelligence, he triumphs".
Favorite films
In 2012, Allen participated in the ''Sight & Sound
''Sight and Sound'' (also spelled ''Sight & Sound'') is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). It conducts the well-known, once-a-decade ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, ongoing ...
'' film polls. Held every ten years to select the greatest films of all time, contemporary directors were asked to select ten films of their choice. Allen's choices, in alphabetical order, were:
*'' The 400 Blows'' (France, 1959)
*'' 8½'' (Italy, 1963)
*''Amarcord
''Amarcord'' () is a 1973 comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, a semi-autobiographical tale about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the village of Borgo San Giuliano (situated near the ancien ...
'' (Italy, 1972)
*'' Bicycle Thieves'' (Italy, 1948)
*'' Citizen Kane'' (USA, 1941)
*'' The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie'' (France, 1972)
*'' La Grande Illusion'' (France, 1937)
*'' Paths of Glory'' (USA, 1957)
*'' Rashomon'' (Japan, 1950)
*''The Seventh Seal
''The Seventh Seal'' ( sv, Det sjunde inseglet) is a 1957 Swedish historical fantasy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in Sweden during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) and a game of ch ...
'' (Sweden, 1957)
In his 2020 autobiography '' Apropos of Nothing'' Allen praised Elia Kazan's '' A Streetcar Named Desire'' (1951):
Film activism and preservation
In 1987, Allen joined Ginger Rogers, Sydney Pollack, and Miloš Forman at a Senate Judiciary committee hearing in Washington, D.C., where they each gave testimony against Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he ...
's and other companies' colorizing films without the artists' consent. Only one senator, Patrick Leahy, was present for the testimony. Allen testified:
Allen also spoke about his decisions to make films in black and white, such as ''Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
'', '' Stardust Memories'', '' Broadway Danny Rose'', and '' Zelig''. Film director John Huston appeared in a pre-taped video, and Rogers read a statement by Jimmy Stewart criticizing the colorization of his film '' It's a Wonderful Life''.[
In 1990, Allen and Martin Scorsese created The Film Foundation, a nonprofit film preservation organization that collaborates with film studios to restore prints of old or damaged films. Allen sat on the foundation's original board of directors alongside Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, ]Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
, George Lucas, Sydney Pollack, Robert Redford, and Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spi ...
.
Works
Filmography
Theatrical works
In addition to directing, writing, and acting in films, Allen has written and performed in a number of Broadway theater productions.
Bibliography
*'' Getting Even'' (1971)
*'' Without Feathers'' (1975)
*'' Side Effects'' (1980)
*''The Insanity Defense: The Complete Prose'' (2007)
*''Mere Anarchy
''Mere Anarchy'' is an anthology of essays by Woody Allen. First published on July 5, 2007, by Ebury Press, the book is a collection of 18 tales, 10 of which previously ran in ''The New Yorker''. It was Allen's first collection in 25 years.
Rece ...
'' (2007)
*'' Apropos of Nothing'' (2020)
*''Zero Gravity'' (2022)
Discography
*'' Woody Allen'' (Colpix Records, 1964)
*''Woody Allen Vol. 2'' (Colpix Records, 1965)
*''The Third Woody Allen Album'' (Capitol Records, 1968)
*''The Nightclub Years 1964–1968'' (United Artists Records, 1972)
*''Standup Comic'' (Casablanca Records, 1978)
*'' Wild Man Blues'' (RCA Victor, 1998)
Awards and honors
Over his more than 50-year film career, Allen has received many award nominations. He currently holds the record for the most Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
nominations for Best Original Screenplay, with 16 nominations and three wins (''Annie Hall'', ''Hannah and Her Sisters'', and ''Midnight in Paris''). Allen has been nominated for Best Director seven times and won for ''Annie Hall''. Three of Allen's films have been nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categor ...
, ''Annie Hall'', ''Hannah and Her Sisters'', and ''Midnight in Paris''.
Allen shuns award ceremonies, citing their subjectivity. His first and only appearance at the Academy Awards was at the 2002 Oscars, where he received a standing ovation. As a New York icon, he had been asked by the Academy to present a film montage of clips of New York City in the movies, which was put together by Nora Ephron, to honor the city after the 9/11 attack.
Allen has received numerous honors including an Honorary Golden Palm
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
from the Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
in 2002 and a Career Golden Lion from the Venice International Film Festival in 1995. He also received a BAFTA Fellowship in 1997, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America and a Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2014. He was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communi ...
in 2010.
Personal life
Allen has been married three times: to Harlene Rosen from 1956 to 1959, Louise Lasser from 1966 to 1970, and Soon-Yi Previn since 1997. He also had a 12-year relationship with actress Mia Farrow
Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequen ...
and relationships with Stacey Nelkin
Stacey Nelkin (born September 10, 1959) is an American film and television actress.
Career Acting
Nelkin starred as Bonnie Sue Chisholm in four episodes of the CBS western miniseries ''The Chisholms'' (1979). When the miniseries resumed in ...
and Diane Keaton.
Early marriages and relationships
In 1956, Allen married Harlene Rosen. He was 20 and she was 17. The marriage lasted until 1959. Rosen, whom Allen called "the Dread Mrs. Allen" in his standup act, sued him for defamation
Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defi ...
as a result of comments he made during a television appearance shortly after their divorce. In his mid-1960s album ''Standup Comic'', Allen said that Rosen had sued him because of a joke he made in an interview. Rosen had been sexually assaulted outside her apartment. According to Allen, the newspapers reported that she had been "violated". In the interview, Allen said, "Knowing my ex-wife, it probably wasn't a moving violation." In an interview on '' The Dick Cavett Show'', Allen repeated his comments and said he had been sued for "$1 million".
In 1966, Allen married Louise Lasser. They divorced in 1970. Lasser provided voice dubbing in Allen's '' What's Up, Tiger Lily?'' and appeared in three of his other films: '' Take the Money and Run'', '' Bananas'', and '' Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)''. She also appeared briefly in '' Stardust Memories''.
According to the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'', ''Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
'' was based on Allen's romantic relationship with actress Stacey Nelkin
Stacey Nelkin (born September 10, 1959) is an American film and television actress.
Career Acting
Nelkin starred as Bonnie Sue Chisholm in four episodes of the CBS western miniseries ''The Chisholms'' (1979). When the miniseries resumed in ...
. Her bit part in '' Annie Hall'' ended up on the cutting room floor, and their relationship, never publicly acknowledged by Allen, reportedly began when she was 17 and a student at Stuyvesant High School in New York. In December 2018 ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' interviewed Babi Christina Engelhardt, who said she had an eight-year affair with Allen that began in 1976 when she was 17 years old (they met when she was 16), and that she believes the character of Tracy in ''Manhattan'' is a composite of any number of Allen's presumed other real-life young paramours from that period, not necessarily Nelkin or Engelhardt. When asked, Allen declined to comment.
Diane Keaton
In 1968, Allen cast Diane Keaton in his Broadway show '' Play It Again, Sam.'' During the run she and Allen became romantically involved. Although they broke up after a year, she continued to star in his films, including ''Sleeper
A sleeper is a person who is sleeping.
Sleeper may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Sleeper (Marvel Comics), a Nazi German robot utilized by the Red Skull in Marvel Comics
* The Sleeper (Wild Cards), a character in the Wild Ca ...
'' as a futuristic poet and '' Love and Death'' as a composite character based on the novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. '' Annie Hall'' was very important in Allen's and Keaton's careers. It is said that the role was written for her, as Keaton's birth name was Diane Hall. She then starred in '' Interiors'' as a poet, followed by ''Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
''. In 1987, she had a cameo as a nightclub singer in '' Radio Days'', and she was chosen to replace Mia Farrow
Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequen ...
in '' Manhattan Murder Mystery'' after Allen and Farrow began having problems with their relationship. In total Keaton has starred in eight of Allen's films. As of 2018 Keaton and Allen remain close friends. In a rare public appearance, Allen presented Keaton with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2017.
Mia Farrow
Allen and Mia Farrow
Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequen ...
met in 1979 and began a relationship in 1980; Farrow starred in 13 of Allen's films from 1982 to 1992. Throughout the relationship they lived in separate apartments on opposite sides of Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
in Manhattan. Farrow had seven children when they met: three biological sons from her marriage to composer André Previn
André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieve ...
, three adopted girls (two Vietnamese and one South Korean, Soon-Yi Previn), and an adopted South Korean boy, Moses Farrow.[
In 1984, she and Allen tried to conceive a child together; Allen agreed to this on the understanding that he need not be involved in the child's care. When the effort to get pregnant failed, Farrow adopted a baby girl, ]Dylan Farrow
Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequent ...
, in July 1985. Allen was not involved in the adoption, but when Dylan arrived he assumed a parental role toward her and began spending more time in Farrow's home. On December 19, 1987, Farrow gave birth to their son Satchel Farrow (later known as Ronan Farrow
Satchel Ronan O'Sullivan Farrow (born December 19, 1987) is an American journalist. The son of actress Mia Farrow and filmmaker Woody Allen, he is best known for his investigative reporting of allegations of sexual abuse against film producer H ...
). According to Allen, his intimate relationship with Mia Farrow ceased completely after Satchel's birth and he was asked to return her apartment key; they maintained a working relationship when they filmed a movie, and he regularly visited Moses, Dylan and Satchel, but he and Mia were only "social companions on those occasions where there'd be a dinner, an event, but after the event she'd go home and I'd go home." In 1991, Farrow wanted to adopt another child. According to a 1993 custody hearing, Allen told her he would not object to another adoption so long as she would agree to his adoption of Dylan and Moses; that adoption was finalized in December 1991.[ Eric Lax, Allen's biographer, wrote in ''The New York Times'' that Allen was "there before they he childrenwake up in the morning, he sees them during the day and he helps put them to bed at night".][
]
Soon-Yi Previn
In 1977, Mia Farrow and André Previn adopted Soon-Yi Previn from Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...
, South Korea. She had been abandoned. The Seoul Family Court established a Family Census Register (legal birth document) on her behalf on December 28, 1976, with a presumptive birth date of October 8, 1970; according to Maureen Orth, a bone scan in the U.S. estimated that she was between five and seven years old. According to Previn, her first friendly interaction with Allen took place when she was injured playing soccer during 11th grade and Allen offered to transport her to school. After her injury, she began attending New York Knicks basketball games with Allen in 1990. They attended more games and by 1991 had become closer.[ In September 1991, she began studies at Drew University in New Jersey.]
In January 1992, Farrow found nude photographs of Previn in Allen's home. Allen, then 56, told Farrow that he had taken the photos the day before, approximately two weeks after he first had sex with Previn. Both Farrow and Allen contacted lawyers shortly after the photographs were discovered. Previn was asked to leave summer camp because she was spending too much time taking calls from a "Mr. Simon", who turned out to be Allen.[
In an August 1992 interview with '']Time Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on M ...
'' Allen said, "I am not Soon-Yi's father or stepfather", adding, "I've never even lived with Mia. I've never in my entire life slept at Mia's apartment, and I never even used to go over there until my children came along seven years ago. I never had any family dinners over there. I was not a father to her adopted kids in any sense of the word." Adding that Soon-Yi never treated him as a father figure and that he rarely spoke to her before their romantic relationship, Allen seemed to see few or no problems with their relationship.
On August 17, 1992, Allen issued a statement saying that he was in love with Previn. Their relationship became public and "erupted into tabloid headlines and late-night monologues in August 1992."
Allen and Previn were married in Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
, Italy, on December 23, 1997. They have adopted two children, and live in the Carnegie Hill section of Manhattan's Upper East Side
The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the boroughs of New York City, borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street (Manhattan), 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street (Man ...
.
Sexual abuse allegation
According to court testimony, on August 4, 1992, Allen visited the children at Mia Farrow's home in Bridgewater, Connecticut, while she was shopping with a friend.[ The next day, that friend's babysitter told her employer that she had seen that "Dylan was sitting on the sofa, and Woody was kneeling on the floor, facing her, with his head in her lap".] When Farrow asked Dylan about it, Dylan allegedly said that Allen had touched Dylan's "private part" while they were alone together in the attic.[ Allen strongly denied the allegation, calling it "an unconscionable and gruesomely damaging manipulation of innocent children for vindictive and self-serving motives". He then began proceedings in ]New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...
for sole custody of his and Farrow's son Satchel, as well as Dylan and Moses, their two adopted children. In March 1993, a six-month investigation by the Child Sexual Abuse Clinic of Yale-New Haven Hospital
Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) is a 1,541-bed hospital located in New Haven, Connecticut. It is owned and operated by the Yale New Haven Health System. YNHH includes the 168-bed Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven, the 201-bed Yale New Ha ...
concluded that Dylan had not been sexually abused.
In June 1993, Judge Elliott Wilk rejected Allen's bid for custody and rejected the allegation of sexual abuse. Wilk said he was less certain than the Yale-New Haven team that there was conclusive evidence that there was no sexual abuse and called Allen's conduct with Dylan "grossly inappropriate", although not sexual. In September 1993, the state prosecutor announced that despite having "probable cause”, he would not pursue charges in order "to avoid the unjustifiable risk of exposing a child to the rigors and uncertainties of a questionable prosecution".[ In October 1993 the New York Child Welfare Agency of the State Department of Social Services closed a 14-month investigation and concluded there was not credible evidence of abuse or maltreatment, and the allegation was unfounded.
In 2014, when Allen received a Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement, the issue returned to the forefront of media attention, with ]Mia Farrow
Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequen ...
and Ronan Farrow
Satchel Ronan O'Sullivan Farrow (born December 19, 1987) is an American journalist. The son of actress Mia Farrow and filmmaker Woody Allen, he is best known for his investigative reporting of allegations of sexual abuse against film producer H ...
making disparaging remarks about Allen on Twitter. On February 1, 2014, ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' journalist Nicholas Kristof, with Dylan's permission, published a column that included excerpts from a letter Dylan had written to Kristof restating the allegation against Allen, and called out fellow actors who have continued to work in his films. Allen responded to the allegation in an open letter, also in ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
,'' strongly denying it. "Of course, I did not molest Dylan...No one wants to discourage abuse victims from speaking out, but one must bear in mind that sometimes there are people who are falsely accused and that is also a terribly destructive thing", he wrote.
In 2018, Moses Farrow (Mia Farrow's and Allen's adopted son who was present at her Bridgewater house during Allen's visit) published a blog post called "A Son Speaks Out." In the post, Moses recounted a series of instances of alleged physical abuse at the hands of Mia Farrow. He wrote, "It pains me to recall instances in which I witnessed siblings, some blind or physically disabled, dragged down a flight of stairs to be thrown into a bedroom or a closet, then having the door locked from the outside. iaeven shut my brother Thaddeus, paraplegic from polio, in an outdoor shed overnight as punishment for a minor transgression".
Works about Allen
From 1976 to 1984 Stuart Hample wrote and drew ''Inside Woody Allen
''Inside Woody Allen'' is an American gag-a-day celebrity comics comic strip about the comedian and filmmaker Woody Allen. Drawn by Stuart Hample, the strip ran from October 4, 1976, to April 8, 1984.
The strip's first year was credited to a pseu ...
'', a comic strip based on Allen's film persona.
The 1997 documentary '' Wild Man Blues'', directed by Barbara Kopple, focuses on Allen, and other documentaries featuring Allen include the 2002 cable television documentary ''Woody Allen: A Life in Film'', directed by ''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...
'' film critic Richard Schickel, which interlaces interviews of Allen with clips of his films, and the 1986 short film '' Meetin' WA'', in which Allen is interviewed by French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard.
In 2003, a life-size bronze statue of Allen was installed in Oviedo
Oviedo (; ast, Uviéu ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city. Oviedo is located ap ...
, Spain. He had visited the city the previous year to accept a Prince of Asturias Award.
In 2011 the PBS series '' American Masters'' co-produced the documentary '' Woody Allen: A Documentary'', directed by Robert B. Weide. New interviews provide insight and backstory with Diane Keaton, Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz, Dianne Wiest, Larry David, Chris Rock
Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Known for his work in comic film, television and stage, he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best comedy ...
, Martin Scorsese, Dick Cavett, and Leonard Maltin
Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of f ...
, among others.
Eric Lax authored the book ''Woody Allen: A Biography''.
In 2015 David Evanier published ''Woody: The Biography'', which was billed as the first new biography of Allen in over a decade.
In early March 2020, Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, announced that it would be publishing Allen's memoir, ''Apropos of Nothing'', on April 7, 2020. Days later, after employee walkouts, parent company Hachette announced that the title was canceled and rights had reverted to Allen. On March 23, 2020, Skyhorse Publishing announced that it had acquired and released ''Apropos of Nothing'' through its Arcade imprint.[
In February 2021, HBO released Kirby Dick's and Amy Ziering's four-part documentary '']Allen v. Farrow
''Allen v. Farrow'' is an American documentary television miniseries directed by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering that explores an allegation of sexual abuse made against Woody Allen in 1992. It consists of four episodes and premiered on February 21 ...
'', which explores the sexual abuse allegations against Allen. The series drew largely positive reviews from critics. Lorraine Ali
Lorraine Ali is an American journalist and pundit who is a member of
the George Foster Peabody Awards board of jurors. Based in Los Angeles, California, she is a television critic at the ''Los Angeles Times,'' where she was previously a senior wri ...
of the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' wrote that it "makes a compelling argument that Allen got away with the unthinkable thanks to his fame, money, and revered standing in the world of film—and that a little girl never received justice." Rachel Brodsky wrote in ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...
'' that the "documentary will sound the death knell for Woody Allen’s career." Hadley Freeman in ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
'' wrote that the series "sets itself up as an investigation but much more resembles PR, as biased and partial as a political candidate’s advert vilifying an opponent in election season." A statement on behalf of Allen and Previn denounced the documentary as "a hatchet job riddled with falsehoods" and said that they were approached two months before it was aired on HBO and "given only a matter of days 'to respond.' Of course, they declined to do so." The filmmakers said they gave Allen and Previn two weeks to comment, which is "more than ample time by journalistic standards."
Notes
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* ('' Fresh Air''), June 15, 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Woody
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