Broadway Danny Rose
Composite Score: 84.53
Starring: Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Nick Apollo Forte, Sandy Baron, Corbett Monica, Jackie Gayle, Morty Gunty, Will Jordan, Howard Storm, Jack Rollins, Milton Berle, and Herb Reynolds
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Crime
MPAA Rating: PG
Box Office: $10.60 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Broadway Danny Rose is Woody Allen’s film about a struggling talent agent and his unlucky endeavors to reconcile a lounge singer with his mistress, who happens to be the object of the affections of a jealous mobster. The film stars Allen in the titular role, joined by Mia Farrow as the mistress in question, Tina Vitale, and Nick Apollo Forte as Danny’s lounge singer Lou Canova. The film also features a framing device of a group of comedians (playing themselves) telling stories about the many mishaps of Danny Rose, which is the origin of the film’s main story. Allen received Oscar nominations for both his writing and directing for Broadway Danny Rose, and the film remains one of his more purely humorous flicks, easy to watch and enjoy.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Broadway Danny Rose is one of Woody Allen’s films that came before his legal troubles, so I think it has a little bit more watchability than his later films, but it’s still difficult to separate the art from the artist in his films. I’d keep that in mind when watching this one, even though there’s (refreshingly) very little reference to any of his less than upstanding proclivities. Mostly, it’s just him acting across from Mia Farrow that brings up the unpleasant nature of their falling out.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Allen’s self-deprecating comedic voice is at its peak in Broadway Danny Rose, portraying a truly hilarious series of unfortunate events for its hapless protagonist and his supporting cast of characters. Every scene oozes with fast-talking comedy that’s funny in and of itself but that becomes a true peak of comedy when the situations unfolding become apparent. Really, this film could be marketed as the extended pilot of a sitcom with no laugh track, and I’d believe it because of how well the humor holds up and how ubiquitous the jokes are. Allen helps elevate the film, obviously, through his use of black and white film as opposed to color and with his truly inventive framing device of the comedians at the deli. A few weeks back, I reviewed Husbands and Wives and fully understood why Woody Allen deserves all the hate he gets for being a sleazebag. Now that I’ve seen Broadway Danny Rose, I also understand why Allen garnered all the praise that he did before the accusations. There’s no denying that Allen understands comedy and may even have been ahead of his time with a lot of it as well. I leave it to you to decide how much to separate the art from the artist in this particular film.
Broadway Danny Rose is a testament to Woody Allen’s comedic capabilities – overflowing with jokes from front to back that still hit nearly forty years later – earning the film a spot alongside the Greatest Films of All Time. Allen’s checkered past still leaves a bit of a mark on the film, and if that’s too much for you, I totally understand skipping this film. If you’d like to check it out though, it is available to stream with ads on Tubi or to rent on most other streaming services.
