PPT Slide
Woody Allen (b. Allen Konigsberg, 1935)
- born and raised in New York City
- worked as television writer in 1950s and stand-up comedian in 1960s
- He created a consistent comic persona, out of tune with the society that threatens him but that he wants to join. Like the movie persona of Bob Hope, Allen’s character is cowardly, self-centered, cynical, cunning, but likeable
- His style of New York Jewish comedy: [1] skeptical, understated, and ironic [2] often directed at himself [3] often concerned with intellectual matters
- Social satire: Take the Money and Run (1969), Bananas (1971), Sleeper (1973)
- Seriocomic narratives of contemporary relationships: Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
- Intertextual comedies: Love and Death (1975), Stardust Memories (1980), Zelig (1983)
- Nostalgic show biz films: Radio Days (1987), Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
- Noncomic works: Interiors (1978), Shadows and Fog (1992)