![[image: screencap of Woody Allen in Broadway Danny Rose saying “it’s important to have some laughs, but you gotta suffer a little too because otherwise you miss the whole point to life”].](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxusc3dtZD1qc5ejgo1_500.jpg)
by John Greco
Broadway Danny Rose opens at the famed Carnegie Deli located in midtown Manhattan, known for its huge Pastrami and Corned Beef sandwiches and as a well known show business hangout for many of the old time Borscht Belt comedians of yesterday. At one table dishing out old show biz stories are comedians Corbett Monica, Sandy Baron, Jackie Gayle and Will Jordan among others all playing themselves. Also in the group is Jack Rollins, Allen’s long time producer. The tales go around, back and forth, names come and go until Sandy Baron announces he has the best Danny Rose story ever. We flash back to a time not too long in the past.
Danny Rose (Woody Allen) is a fourth rate theatrical agent whose client list is filled with some of oddest acts in show business including a one legged dancer, a woman who plays musical glasses, a blind Xylophonist and a stuttering ventriloquist. Danny is a good hearted loser who believes in his clients’ worth no matter how bad they are. He is willing to go to the extreme to keep his acts happy and get them jobs. It’s this dedication that gets him in trouble when he becomes involved with his top client’s mistress and some unfriendly gangsters who mistake Danny as her lover.
Danny’s big act these days is Lou Canova (Nick Apollo Forte), a has been lounge singer in the mode of Sinatra, Dino, Jerry Vale, Tony Roselli, Buddy Greco and Al Martino, only Lou isn’t anywhere nearly as good. He’s a one hit wonder who after twenty-five years is attempting to make a comeback. Lou also has a drinking problem and is cheating on his wife with Tina Vitale (Mia Farrow), the former girlfriend of a now dead gangster. When Lou gets his big break, a gig at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel where Milton Berle is going to see the show in order to consider Lou for a TV special, Lou wants Tina there in the audience. Danny is sent out to New Jersey to bring Tina back. When Danny catches up with Tina, it turns out to be at the estate of her former boyfriend’s “family.” One misunderstanding leads to another and Danny quickly finds himself in the middle of Soprano land with a contract on his head. Danny not only finds himself on the run from the mob but he is also losing his rising star of a client when Tina tells Lou, now that he is back in the big time, he needs to get a better agent than Danny.
Allen creates a nostalgic world filled with the lower levels of New York’s show business community that he knew so well from his early days as a writer and standup comedian. There is a colorful Damon Runyon like quality to most the characters. Allen himself plays his classic Woody character, a more modern version of one of his childhood heroes, Bob Hope.
Mia Farrow is practically unrecognizable as Tina Vitale, filled with padding and makeup along with a cheap blonde wig and an endless supply of cigarettes. Farrow proved herself a comedic talent with a character who was “Jersey Shore” material twenty five years before the show existed. Having seen the waif like Farrow in many films prior to this, her performance here as a hard edged, tough Italian broad is delightfully unexpected. The character came about after a visit to Rao’s Italian restaurant in East Harlem, a well known dining spot for celebrities and the well connected. With only, eight tables, the place is booked months in advance. The owner’s daughter-in-law was a constant smoker who wore large dark sunglasses and had a mile high blonde bouffant hairdo. Farrow mentioned one night ,when they were dining there, she would one day like to play a character like this colorful woman. Taking this as a cue, Woody set about writing the story that would become Broadway Danny Rose.
While looking for someone to play Lou Canova, the third rate Italian singer, Woody’s casting director Juliet Taylor was browsing through the LP’s at the famed Colony Records store on Broadway, which can be quickly viewed in the film, and came across a self produced album by Nick Apollo Forte, a part time singer and part time fisherman. Nick had been singing for years, even writing some songs like “Agita” that would be included in the movie. After considering actors like Robert DeNiro and Danny Aiello Woody went with the inexperienced Forte for Lou Conova, a one hit wonder whose career has been in the dumps since that hit slid off the charts some twenty five years earlier. Forte’s career in the big time did not last long. His only other appearance on film was in “The Ellen Burstyn Show,” a sit-com that last 13 weeks or sadly, about as long as Nick’s career at the top. Today, Nick still performs live and still has a couple of CD’s out there available for purchase.
One of my favorite scenes is in the beginning of the film when the roundtable of comedians at the Carnegie Deli are discussing Danny. One of them mentions how Danny started out himself as a standup comedian and we flashback to Danny performing in a Catskills nightclub doing his standup routine, “I drove up here today,” he says. ” I love driving. You run across so many interesting people.” The scene plays out nicely as a small reminder that Woody himself was a standup comic early in his career performing in clubs in New York’s Greenwich Village as well as other spots across the country.
As with many of Allen’s films there’s a strong romantic, nostalgic feel to it, a longing for the past. We see it in The Purple Rose of Cairo, Zelig, Radio Days, and even his latest Midnight in Paris” all have that same touch. Like most of Allen’s film the romantic imagery is expressed in long shots, a walk along a pier, or as in the final scene on Thanksgiving Day when Danny runs after Tina. Yet, the film has a gritty visual quality to it that fits the era of a New York not yet recovered from years of high crime and financial pain. This is thanks to Gordon Willis’ evocative black and white photography.
Despite Danny’s “bad luck” with clients he always remains upbeat. Even after being stabbed, figuratively speaking, by Tina, he is still there for his clients come the following Thanksgiving Day, gathering all his odd clientele in his rundown apartment for a holiday meal of frozen turkey dinners. Though the scene plays out as humorous, it is also very touching. Danny cares and does take care of these loveable losers. The film’s ending reconciliation between Danny and Tina is tender, sweet and well after spending an hour and a half with him, you know it’s so Danny Rose…and Woody Allen.
How Broadway Danny Rose made the Top 100:
Bobby McCartney No. 5
Pat Perry No. 24
Mark Smith No. 26
Ed Howard No. 34
John Greco No. 39
Dean Treadway No. 55
Dennis Polifroni No. 38
Well, this one just fell out of my list, this was actually at number 65 in my list and I can’t believe that I didn’t put it higher, but hey, my quirky taste for Woody Allen films had to make room for other works and movies to enjoy. This, nevertheless, is in my top 10 of his work, no doubt. The cinematography is great and you mention how Mia Farrow is inrecogniceable, and that is just the higher point for me, because it’s such an incredible performance from her, and also from Woody, giving out the best of his personas out to make and shape the best and quirkiest talent agent ever. The film is also incredibly funny and has many memorable scenes, even if its silly, I’m a fan of the helium skit.
Hi John. You write with great clarity and understanding of this Allen film. Nice work. I myself put this in the “charming” Woody Allen category. Not as big and important if you will as the Annie Halls and Manhattans, and not as downright funny as Bananas or Sleeper or Love and Death. It goes, as you noted with The Purple Rose of Cairo, Radio Days, Midnight in Paris (a film I actually don’t like that much). Overall I enjoy this film alot, but it would probably place somewhere in the 10-20 range for me as far as Woody’s films go. It does have that great Willis cinematography though and plenty of charm. Can’t really argue with it being on the list.
You can’t beat the pastrami at the Carnegie Hall Deli! There are pictures of Woody all over the place too. One of my favorite films by the director. His musical affinity has never been more strongly orchestrated. Nice review, John Greco.
Nice summation of a film that I think is unjustly overshadowed by Allen’s better remembered, more often feted triumphs. It’s uproariously funny and bittersweet by turns. That Thanksgiving dinner scene always kills me – humorous and poignant, as you rightly describe it.
I struggled over placing this charming film on my list, finally opting to exclude it in favor of some of Allen’s other works. Nevertheless, your piece on it, John, really does the film justice, touching upon all the qualities that make the film special. Full of nostalgia and a great, atypical characterization by Farrow, this is one of my favorites. I still remember the shot of Farrow in her kitchen frying onions to beat the band. The entire piece flows so incredibly freely.
Agree with Pierre above and the others that your review John is a riveting and concise read, and that you’ve engagingly delineated why this was one of the crown jewels in a masterful roll that Allan enjoyed at that time (amongst STARDUST MEMORIES, ZELIG, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S SEX COMEDY) Gordon Willis’ gleaming black and white cinematography shows him at the top of his craft, and there’s a pervading Jewishness and the essentials of a morality play. As Pat opines, the Thanksgiving scene particularly is unforgettable.
Excellent review. There is more “New York” in this film than there is in “Manhattan”.
Thanks everyone!
Pat mentions the Thanksgiving scene in this film and I think it is in nice contrast to the Thanksgiving scene in HANNAH AND HER SISTERS.
Jaime and Pierre both mention Mia Farrow’s fantastic performance and rightly so. I don’t think any other film has showcased Mia’s comic range as much at this film.
Peter mentions the pastrami at the Carnegie Deli. As many times I have passed by that landmark I never ate there. Now I am a vegetarian so those days are gone but man years ago I use to love a good pastrami or corned beef on club sandwich.
Jon- I would put DANNY ROSE just below MANHATTAN, ANNIE HALL and STARDUST MEMORIES ( a film that has risen in status as of late), I would rank it on the same level as MIDNIGHT IN PARIS and MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY two Woody films which I just can watch repeatedly. While BANANAS is pure laughs it’s construction is that of a filmmaker still learning his craft. One of the joys of watching Woody’s films in order is looking at his growth as a filmmaker. With each film he advanced in leaps and bounds.
Frank – I agree with you, there is much more NEW YORK real estate in DANNY ROSE. For example, I’m sure many of us have noticed how in many of Woody’s NEW YORK films we get to see some of the old movie theaters that populated the city. In MANHATTAN MURDER M SYTERY it’s the BLEECKER STREET CINEMA. The old BEEKMAN and I believe the THALIA are in ANNIE HALL and in this film there is a great shot of the old RIVOLI Theater. It’s an added and unexpected pleasure to watching Woody’s films.
When have we seen him represent the middle/working class in a sympathetic manner, as presented here. And it’s one of the characters without burdening intellectual elitists ideals and standard issue ticks.
In fact, it approaches the ‘loser’ as a victor in ways his other films refuses to do, no cynicism here. The usual WA film usually celebrate fantasy elitism of the loser, this one OTOH relishes the inherent goodness of a simplistic individual..
It’s full of simple humanly feelings without stacking heavy handed meanings (now I like those kind of Allen films too), a refreshing departure. And expertly directed. His best direction of him as an actor.
One of the best sound-muted endings too. A platonic, heart-warming, unifying moment, it is this good-hearted ‘forgiveness’ (with no strings attached, not a ‘romantic’ union at all) that makes him a ‘living legend’.
Nice use of the subs in the frame from the movie John. The flipside of the good times. You have captured the sense of ‘family’ that underlies Allen’s work. Btw, you left the late and great Louie Prima off your list of Italian crooners
Thanks Tony and i love Louis Prima, he definitely belongs on the list!
Sorry to be late in commenting, but I’ve just watched this one, John (I’d seen it years ago but didn’t remember it very well, except for the way it unfolds in flashback). I loved it – it has a sweetness which quite surprised me, and both Allen and Farrow are great. I must agree with you that Farrow is all but unrecognisable. Nick Apollo Forte is also pretty good and I quite liked his singing – very interested to learn the background of how he was cast, and a pity his time in the spotlight didn’t last very long. I also love all the other vaudeville acts, like the woman with the wine glasses, and Woody doing stand-up at the beginning, and the fortune teller – just a really enjoyable film, and a great review as always.