Woody Allen and I have a lot in common. We both have red hair and glasses, and I once wanted to be a comedian. My middle name is Alan. When I was 24, I had the lead role in a community theatre production of Play It Again, Sam, which gave me a strong appeciation for what it's like to be Woody, or at least one of his characters -- which is almost the same thing. Of course, if you describe him as a short, 70-year-old Jewish guy from New York, we have nothing in common. I'm four inches taller and not Jewish (although my in-laws are). I once visited New York. And by the time I'm 65, Soon-Yi will be saying things like, "Woody, don't you remember, we just ate ten minutes ago! Oy, you're drooling again..."
But, hey, he turns 70 on December 1, 2005 and from all accounts, he's still fully in possession of his faculties, and doing exactly what he wants to do. (We have that in common, as well.) Happy birthday, dude!
A quick bio: Woody was born as Allan Stewart Konigsberg in Brooklyn on December 1, 1935. Woody Allen was born in 1952, when Mr. Konigsberg changed his name so it would sound more Jewish. He started writing one-liners at age 15, and was even a joke writer for Bob Hope. (Who wasn't?) He failed a film course at NYU, which pretty much guaranteed that he'd be a filmmaker at some point in his life. Like many joke writers, he soon realized that he could tell his own jokes better than anybody else, and began doing standup in Greenwich Village, followed by appearances at nightclubs and then talk shows and other TV (when I first became aware of him and was completely blown away). In 1965 he sold his first screenplay, What's New, Pussycat? (one of my favorite comedies, though not everybody's) and had a part in the movie. He directed his first film a year later, What's Up, Tiger Lily? in 1966. The rest, as they say, is the rest.
I kid, but for those who wonder where this is going, it's my opinion that Woody Allen belongs in a category with the classic diectors we've already honored on this site. He has four films on the AFI's list of 100 best comedies, including Annie Hall at #4. Although Woody himself couldn't care less, for those of us who care about such things, Annie Hall beat out Star Wars for Best Picture in the 1978 Academy Awards (which Woody did not attend, as usual). In 1986, critic Vincent Camby said, "There's nobody else in American film who comes anywhere near him in originality and interest... One has to go back to Chaplin and Buster Keaton, people who were totally responsible for their own movies, to find anyone comparable..." And just to prove that every story has a humorous note, Woody was chosen by Empire magazine in 1995 as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history.
As for the celebrated issues in his personal life, while it has nothing to do with Woody's standing as a writer, actor, and director, it's important to make sure the record is clear: Soon-Yi isn't his daughter. She is the adopted daughter of Andre Previn and Mia Farrow. Woody was never married to Mia, but he is legally married to Soon-Yi. Everything else is a matter for Woody and his ex-girlfriend to work out. Or not, as the case may be.
Please enjoy my humble offering, and keep in mind that in the final analysis, no matter what anybody else tells you, money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.
Part I: Introduction
Part II: Woody Allen Tributes and Other Pages
Part III: Movie Reviews & Where to Find His Movies
Part IV: Books, Photos, Art, and Posters
