BROADWAY DANNY ROSE

US, 1984, 85 minutes, Black and white.
Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Nick Apollo Forte, Milton Berle.
Directed by Woody Allen.

Broadway Danny Rose is a gentle comedy. It came immediately after Allen's Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy and Zelig. once again, with his usual director of photography and designers, he has made a black and white New York comedy. This is the world of Broadway and theatrical agents, comics, cafes. In fact, the film is presented as an anecdote, reminiscences by the chatting comics. This gives an excellent context for the story as well as enabling the characters to be quickly delineated and the action to move ahead.

Allen is Danny Rose, a longtime agent who is a friend of the eccentrics. He believes in them, they rely on him, he helps them to success and then they leave him. This happens throughout the film, with a double cross and with Mafia gangsters chasing, with an Italian singer portrayed by Nick Apollo Forte. Nostalgia is back and the '50s singer makes a comeback, with the help of Milton Berle. He also makes his comeback with the help of a blonde floozy, portrayed by Mia Farrow (almost unrecognisable for most of the film). There is humour, there is much verbal wit and wisdom, Allen plays a character full of pathos. There are also some laughs in the vein of Allen's pre-Stardust Memories comedies.

1. The popularity of Woody Allen? An American comic? New York comic? His verbal and visual humour? The background of nightclubs and cabaret, storytelling? His persona: the little man, the gentleman, put-upon? Pathos? Allen's powers of observation and critique? Insight into human nature?

2. His love of New York and the use of the city? Black and white photography, the various locations, Broadway itself, streets and cafes? The vistas e.g. the bridges? Sequences outside New York? The comment and effectiveness of black and white photography?

3. The importance of the musical score, the Italian songs, the nostalgia for the '50s songs, the spirit of Italian musical comedy? The overtones of Charlie Chaplin's music, the music of Nino Rota for Fellini films?

4. The influence of the Damon Runyon stories? Echoes of the stories and characters, homage? Gangsters, girls, show business types, eccentrics of the street? Tough and gentle? Helping others, betraying others? Humour, language, situations?

5. The comics and their meeting together, telling obvious jokes, discussing audiences? The reality of the comics sitting around yarning about their past? Their anecdotes ? real or not, legends, oral tradition? The nature of the jokes, the cafes, cabaret? The good spirited humour? The audience invited into this conversation? The anecdote, the use of time, quick delineation of characters, flashbacks? The interplay of verbal and visual humour? The voiceover commentary?

6. Danny Rose's character in context, New York, show business, the nature of his acts, his work as an agent? The passing of the years? The young Danny Rose and his gestures, spiels? The glasses player, the blind act, the lame, the birds, the balloon folders? The initial anecdotes with their humour for a key to the story about Lou?

7. Audience expectations, reactions, sharing the reaction of the chorus of comics? The blend of happiness and sadness? The pathos of the ending, the genuine warmth? The final comments behind the credits? Going home after hearing the yarns?

8. Danny as the object of the stories, well-liked, revered? Woody Allen and his appearance. size. balding. glasses? His wistful looks? His verbal humour. wisecracks, metaphorical incongruities? The lingo of the agent - Darling, fantastic, God bless you, star signs etc.? A pleasant man and his care for the down-and-outers? The echoes of Chaplin? The pathos of the little man, place in society, hard done by, not winning?

9. Lou and the big man, his bad singing, the background song during the credits, the echoes of the '50s into the '80s, nostalgia? The close-ups of the women responding to his songs? Danny's care for him, devotion? Lou's age, going to fat, drinking? His planning behind Danny's back? Yet Danny giving him time (and others criticising e.g. the man with the dead bird), Danny's frenetic talk. helping him to get jobs, discussions with Milton Berle, the TV show? Entertaining on cruises (and the send up of television interviews where Lou talks about the rebirth of his career)? The final set up, hopes? Danny pandering to Lou, soft-talking him, getting him sober? The insight when Danny visits Lou's wife and kids for the meal?

10. Tina and Lou's stories about her, devotion to her. his anguish and wanting her present at the show? Sending Danny. Danny's awkward arrival Tina's tantrum, the pleading, the cajoling? The visit to the fortune teller? Danny chasing her. the cup of coffee and talk, the drive and the talk. getting to know Tina and her background and offhand remarks about her husband's death etc.? The world of Italian gangsters? Danny as the centre of attention, the family commenting on him. thinking that he sent Tina the white roses, Johnny and his melodramatic accusation of Danny? The mother and her wanting revenge on Danny? Danny and Tina with their Perils of Pauline adventures. the car and its being bashed, running through the fields, the reeds, coming suddenly across the surreal world of the from-outer-space man for the commercial? The huge warehouse with the parade masks etc., their being tied together, the humour of the wriggling and escaping? Tina's later memory of the parade? Finally arriving in time for the show? Tina and the bond with Danny. her betrayal of him, wanting to get out of the argument? The not-quite-so-dumb blonde? Mia Farrow's portrayal of Tina?

11. Tina's betrayal. the flashback memory with the new agent. her luring Danny, using him? Bowing out? Taking Lou from his wife? Travels with Lou and her unhappiness? Going back to the fortune-teller? The date with the commercials star? The parade and her memories? Her going back to Danny?

12. Lou and his self-centredness. using Danny. betraying him? The success of the show? Turning on Danny and walking out? His subsequent career? The failure of his relationship with Tina?

13. Tina and her change? The previous discussion with Danny about guilt, even guilty about not believing in God? The fortune-teller being away for the weekend, the parade and its memories, her decision to visit Danny? The Thanksgiving dinner? Her going away and Danny chasing her?

14. The scenes of Danny's humanity - with the strange acts and encouraging them? Danny and the visit to the hospital with the comic being bashed? The Thanksgiving dinner for his friends? His refusal to forgive Tina? His change of heart and following her?

15. The humour and reality of the fortunetelling sequence. the crowds going, her visions from the bed etc.? Her being away for the weekend?

16. Italian families, Mafia connections, wealth, vengeance and vendetta, thuggery?

17. Teresa and her family, devotion to Lou and his walking out?

18. The cutthroat world of show business, agents? Milton Berle's guest appearance?

19. The insight into human nature - good, kind, used, foibles, happy, hurt?

20. Woody Allen and his experience of middle age, nostalgia, wisdom, skill at comic observation of human nature?