AMERICAN MASTERS: WOODY ALLEN: A DOCUMENTARY (PART 1) (TV)
Summary
One in this series that explores the lives and achievements of America's most celebrated artists and performers. This two-part episode is about Woody Allen, the comedian, writer and director who has earned 23 Oscar nominations so far for his films. In the first part, the program opens with Allen describing how writing is "the great life," though putting one's work into action can be a "catastrophe." A number of his colleagues comment on his influence on the film world, noting that he "never takes time off" and is notably shy and something of a hypochondriac. At one time the certain of much tabloid gossip, he notes that many of the stories told about him have been "mythological." A clip of Allen on "What's My Line?" is shown, and filmmaker F.X. Feeney comments on his many diverse talents, while writer Annette Insdorf compares him to Charlie Chaplin. Allen's sister Letty Aronson talks about their childhood, saying that their parents were not fond of Allen's artistic aspirations, and Allen acknowledges that he became "grumpier" when he discovered the mortality of humanity around age five, as parodied in a scene in the semi-autobiographical "Annie Hall" (1977). He discusses his childhood in Brooklyn and his "lively" home, which was always filled with extended family. Former wife Louise Lasser talks about Allen's parents, both of whom lived well into old age, and Aronson reveals that they argued constantly throughout their long marriage, a fact which Allen later used in his comedy. He explains that his father did "everything" and worked many jobs, as reflected in "Radio Days" (1987), and in an interview, his mother acknowledges that she was too strict with Allen. Allen journeys to his childhood home and points out the Midwood Theater, where he saw many films as a boy. He also touches upon his love of jazz music and talents on the clarinet, which he learned from Gene Sedric, and which he still regularly plays at The Carlyle Hotel, drawing upon the "rhythms and timing" also present in comedy.
Allen got his start writing jokes for the newspaper while still in high school under a pseudonym, and he explains how he soon landed prestigious writing jobs and began earning more than his parents did. He shows off the typewriter he purchased at age sixteen and still uses in lieu of a computer, also revealing the origins of his trademark glasses. At eighteen he married Harlene Rosen, admitting that they were far too young at the time. He attended three summers at the Tamiment Playhouse, gaining experience in writing, directing and performing comedy, after which he was hired by Sid Caesar, to his great surprise. He soon met Jack Rollins and Charles Joffe, the "Rolls-Royces" of managers, who encouraged him to perform comedy rather than just writing. Allen discusses the influence of Morton "Mort" Sahl, whose style he emulated when he began performing at the famous Blue Angel club. Rollins admits that, despite his talent, he sometimes performed badly due to stage fright, but declared him to be an "industry" after seeing him before at The Bitter End on Bleecker Street. He gained fame thanks to a newspaper article about The Bitter End and began gaining television exposure, including a memorable incident in which he boxed a kangaroo on the show "Hippodrome." He acknowledges his lack of talent as a singer, but Dick Cavett praises his improvisation talents, noting his popularity on "The Tonight Show." Producer Charles K. Feldman noticed Allen at the Blue Angel and offered him $20,000 to write the script for "What's New, Pussycat?" (1965) and Allen accepted, though he was dismayed at the studio's "mangling" effect on the film. Despite the film's financial success, he vowed never to work in films again unless he was in control of his own work.
Allen then made the "pseudo-documentary" comedy "Take the Money and Run" in 1979, admitting he had little idea how to direct a picture at the time. Larry David discusses his great love for the film; the studio executives were dubious at first, but editor Ralph Rosenblum intervened and assisted Allen in improving the film. He followed this up with the stage plays "Don't Drink the Water" (1966) and "Play It Again, Sam" (1969), through which he met actors Tony Roberts and Diane Keaton. Keaton explains that she instantly developed a crush on Allen, who was in turn "crazy about her," and they embarked on a relationship. His next picture was "Bananas" (1971), in which he played a hapless products-tester who becomes a revolutionary leader, followed by "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)" (1972). Aronson talks about how her "devoted" brother often skipped school as a child, and Allen declares that he was "the world's worst student;" ironically, he attended The Isaac Asimov School for Science and Literature, the namesake of which he later consulted for his science fiction picture "Sleeper." He originally conceived of the film as being largely silent, but reconsidered and made use of funny dialogue and physical comedy. He talks about his early memories of film, including the films of Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini, whose work he emulated in "Love and Death" (1975), his performance in which was also inspired by the comedy of Bob Hope.
His next film, "Annie Hall," however, was considered a "departure" from his usual comedic style because it "sacrifices jokes" in order to be "emotionally touching." He worked with director of photography Gordon Willis, known for his dark, serious work on films like "The Godfather" (1975), and the partnership proved fruitful. Keaton acknowledges the real-life aspects of the story, including her "total racist" of a grandmother reflected in the character of Grammy Hall. The film's honesty and depiction of a distinct "subculture" earned it four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, a fact which Allen only learned the next day in the newspaper. He refused to allow the awards to be mentioned on the film's ads, however, saying he dislikes the "favoritism" that comes with accolades. From there he continued making more "serious," films, saying he places "a higher value on the tragic muse," as seen in "Interiors" (1978) and "Manhattan" (1979). Again working with Willis, Allen used the "glamour" of black-and-white film as well as the music of George Gershwin to celebrate the city, and star Mariel Hemingway talks about her nervousness and Allen's helpfulness, which aided their characters' realistically emotional break-up scene. Allen discusses the challenges of shooting the iconic scene by the Queensboro Bridge, and though the film received rave reviews and another Best Picture Oscar, Allen admits he did not like the film "at all" and wanted it held back. His subsequent film, "Stardust Memories" (1980) was largely condemned and which was seen as an attack against the fans that preferred his early comedy films, an interpretation he refutes. Casting director Juliet Taylor talks about keeping a collection of "Woody Allen faces," noting his preference for unusual, distinct characters and his inspiration from foreign films such as "8 ½" (1963), though admitting that this often did not endear him to critics. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: November 20, 2011 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:49:35
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 107233
- GENRE: Documentary
- SUBJECT HEADING: Documentary; Biography; Filmmakers
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1986-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Fisher Stevens … Executive Producer
- Michael Peyser … Executive Producer
- Brett Ratner … Executive Producer
- Andrew Karsch … Executive Producer
- Erik Gordon … Executive Producer
- Susan Lacy … Executive Producer
- Nancy Kapitanoff … Coordinating Producer
- Frédéric Imbert … Coordinating Producer
- Julie Sacks … Supervising Producer
- Robert B. Wende … Producer, Writer, Director
- Prudence Glass … Series Producer
- Paul Cantelon … Music by
- Woody Allen
- Letty Aronson
- Isaac Asimov
- Ingmar Bergman
- Sid Caesar
- Dick Cavett
- Charlie Chaplin
- Larry David
- F.X. Feeney
- Federico Fellini
- Charles K. Feldman
- George Gershwin
- Mariel Hemingway
- Bob Hope
- Annette Insdorf
- Charles Joffe
- Diane Keaton
- Louise Lasser
- Jack Rollins
- Harlene Rosen
- Morton Sahl
- Gene Sedric
- Juliet Taylor
- Tony Roberts
- Ralph Rosenblum
- Gordon Willis