Woody Allen's biography is of great interest to all lovers of world cinema. This is one of the most famous contemporary directors who works in the genre of romantic melodrama. For several decades, his work has brought joy and pleasure to millions of viewers around the world.
Childhood and youth
We will begin to describe the biography of Woody Allen in 1935, when he was born in New York. His grandfather and grandmother were immigrants from Germany. They spoke German and Yiddish.
The parents of the future director grew up in Manhattan, and later moved to Brooklyn. Netty's mother worked as an accountant in a pastry shop, and Father Martin worked as a jeweler and engraver.
At birth, he received the name Allan Stuart Koenigsberg. He studied at the Jewish school for the first eight grades, where his peers gave him the nickname Red because of his characteristic hair color. Although outwardly he seemed puny and weak, in reality he could always stand up for himself, had a good physical shape, and played excellent basketball. In addition, he had authority among peers, having an excellent inborn sense of humor. Starting to write humorous notes for the school newspaper, he took a pseudonym. Thus began the biography of Woody Allen.
Thanks to these notes, the hero of our article earned his first money. At age 16, comedian Milt Kamen drew attention to his talent. He staged Allen in the show of Sid Cesar as the author of humoresque.
Education
After school, Woody Allen enters the University of New York at the Department of Cinematography. However, special diligence does not differ, he will soon be expelled. For some time he attended one of the colleges, but he did not stay here for long.
The family of the hero of our article was not rich, so he was forced to start earning money from his youth. In the biography of Woody Allen, several jobs appear at once. He acts as a stand-up comedian in nightclubs, writes sketches for several newspapers.
Creative debut
This time, producer Charles Feldman draws attention to his performance. He offers Allen to try himself as a screenwriter, adding a comedy film. A year later, Clive Donner’s tape “What's New, Pussy?” Appeared on the screens, in which Woody appears in the role of Victor Shakapopoulis.
The first success inspires the future director, he is interested in cinema. Takes on the completion of other people's scripts, starred in episodes. Soon he realizes that he is capable of making films himself.
The full filmography includes paintings:
Year | The name of the film in Russian box office | original name | Role |
1965 | "What's new, pussy?" | What's New Pussycat? | screenwriter, actor |
1966 | "What happened, tiger lily?" | What's Up, Tiger Lily? | screenwriter, director |
1969 | "Grab the money and run" | Take the Money and Run | screenwriter, director, actor |
1971 | Bananas | Bananas | screenwriter, director, actor |
1972 | "Play it again, Sam." | Play it again, sam | screenwriter, actor |
1972 | "Everything you always wanted to know about sex, but were afraid to ask." | Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask | screenwriter, director, actor |
1973 | "Sleeping" | Sleeper | screenwriter, director, actor |
1975 | "Love and death" | Love and death | screenwriter, director, actor |
1977 | "Annie Hall" | Annie hall | screenwriter, director, actor |
1978 | "Interiors" | Interiors | screenwriter, director |
1979 | Manhattan | Manhattan | screenwriter, director, actor |
1980 | "Star Dust Memories" | Stardust memories | screenwriter, director, actor |
1982 | "A Midsummer Night's Comedy" | A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy | screenwriter, director, actor |
1983 | Zelig | Zelig | screenwriter, director, actor |
1984 | Broadway Danny Rose | Broadway danny rose | screenwriter, director, actor |
1985 | "Purple Rose of Cairo" | The purple rose of cairo | screenwriter, director |
1986 | "Hannah and her sisters" | Hannah and her sisters | screenwriter, director, actor |
1987 | Radio Days | Radio days | screenwriter, director |
1987 | "September" | September | screenwriter, director |
1988 | "Another woman" | Another woman | screenwriter, director |
1989 | "New York Stories, short story" The New Oedipus "" | New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks | screenwriter, director, actor |
1989 | "Crimes and misconduct" | Crimes and Misdemeanors | screenwriter, director, actor |
1990 | "Alice" | Alice | screenwriter, director |
1991 | Shop Scenes | Scenes from a mall | actor |
1992 | "Husbands and wives" | Husbands and wives | screenwriter, director, actor |
1992 | "Shadows and Fog" | Shadows and fog | screenwriter, director, actor |
1993 | Mysterious Murder in Manhattan | Manhattan murder mystery | screenwriter, director, actor |
1994 | "Bullets over Broadway" | Bullets Over Broadway | screenwriter, director |
1995 | The Great Aphrodite | Mighty aphrodite | screenwriter, director, actor |
1996 | "Everyone says I love you." | Everyone Says I Love You | screenwriter, director, actor |
1997 | "Parsing Harry" | Deconstructing harry | screenwriter, director, actor |
1998 | "Celebrity" | Celebrity | screenwriter, director |
1999 | "Sweet and ugly" | Sweet and lowdown | screenwriter, director |
2000 | "Little scammers" | Small time crooks | screenwriter, director, actor |
2001 | The Curse of the Jade Scorpion | The curse of the jade scorpion | screenwriter, director, actor |
2002 | "Hollywood Final" | Hollywood ending | screenwriter, director, actor |
2003 | "Something else" | Anything else | screenwriter, director, actor |
2004 | "Melinda and Melinda" | Melinda and melinda | screenwriter, director |
2005 | Match Point | Match point | screenwriter, director |
2006 | "Sensation" | Scoop | screenwriter, director, actor |
2007 | "Cassandra's Dream" | Cassandra's dream | screenwriter, director |
2008 | "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" | Vicky cristina barcelona | screenwriter, director |
2009 | "Let it be" | Whatever works | screenwriter, director |
2010 | "You will meet a mysterious stranger" | You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger | screenwriter, director |
2011 | "Midnight in Paris" | Midnight in paris | screenwriter, director |
2012 | "Roman adventures" | To rome with love | screenwriter, director, actor |
2012 | "Paris-Manhattan" | Paris manhattan | actor |
2013 | "Jasmine" | Blue jasmine | director, screenwriter |
2013 | "Unbelievers" | The unbelievers | actor |
2014 | "Under the mask of a gigolo" | Fading gigolo | actor |
2014 | "Moonlight Magic" | Magic in the moonlight | director, screenwriter |
2015 | "Irrational man" | Irrational man | director, screenwriter |
2016 | "Savor" | Cafe society | director, screenwriter |
2016 | "The crisis in six scenes" | Crisis in six scenes | director, screenwriter, actor |
2017 | "Wheel of Miracles" | Wonder wheel | director, screenwriter |
"What happened, tiger lily?"
Very soon, a biography and photo of Woody Allen became known to all lovers of American cinema. Already in 1966, he acts as a director in the spy comedy "What Happened, Tiger Lily?"
It was a unique experience, as the director was instructed to re-play two Japanese tapes, when American producers realized that these low-grade parodies of James Bond could not subdue the viewer. Allen added a new scale, swapped some scenes, turning a serious espionage film about a disappeared microfilm into a comedy about a stolen cooking recipe.
In 1969, he directed the crime comedy Grab Money and Run, playing the main role in it. So continued the biography of actor Woody Allen.
There were a lot of problems with the first works of the master. Especially due to the fact that they did not appear on the screens in the way the director himself imagined them. He decides to take the production process completely into his own hands. Since the 70s, Allen has been writing scripts for his paintings, he shoots them himself and plays the main roles, completely controlling production.
The screens became famous “Everything you wanted to know about sex, but were afraid to ask,” “Manhattan,” “Sexy Midsummer Night's Comedy,” “Hannah and Her Sisters.”
"Annie Hall"
A special place in the biography and filmography of Woody Allen is the 1977 romantic comedy "Annie Hall". After its release on the screens, they began talking about the director as a representative of a new direction in humor, the author of deep and high-quality dramas.
The film showed the origin, development and ending of a romantic relationship with New York-based stand-up comedian Elvi Singer, played by Allen himself, and aspiring singer Annie Hall. In the course of the narrative, comedy inserts are constantly found that relate to the self-reflection of the characters and their memories.
Allen received two Academy Award for this work. For best directing and original screenplay (with Marshall Brickman).
Form style
Soon it became appropriate to talk about the director's corporate identity. He filmed intellectual comedies with elements of the absurd, psychological drama and satire. The audience has not yet seen such a set of synthesis of genres.
In 1987, the hero of our article became the winner of yet another Academy Award for the original screenplay of the comedy "Hannah and Her Sisters." This is a story about three sisters. One of them is an exemplary mother and famous actress, the second is the mistress of an elderly artist and misanthrope, and the third dreams of becoming a famous actress. While she moonlights as a cook at receptions.
Their calm and relatively measured life is broken when the husband of the main character Hannah suddenly realizes that she is in love with her older sister Lee. He hesitates for a long time to admit it, even when Lee leaves his elderly painter. An important role is also played by Hannah's ex-husband - hypochondriac and melancholy television producer Mickey, who decides to dramatically change his life when he finds out that he is really sick with one of those diseases, symptoms that he constantly found.
In 1993, the comedy Mysterious Murder in Manhattan was released. Allen and Keaton play an elderly couple named Larry and Carol. They get acquainted with the neighbors on the floor, who are also married for a long time. Soon they learn that their new friend has passed away. Larry does not care about this news, and his wife begins to suspect something dark and sinister in what is happening around. The neighbor’s sudden death haunts her. She persuades her husband to start his own investigation.
The success of these years can be considered a criminal comedy "Little scammers." Allen himself plays the main character - petty thief Ray, who once again got out of prison and now works as a dishwasher. He has an original plan on how to rob a bank. Together with accomplices, he decides to dig a tunnel into the vault of money. For cover, they rent a candy store, in which his wife begins to work.
Since the beginning of the 90s, Allen appears less and less on the set as an actor, concentrating on directing.
"European cycle"
In the second half of the 2000s, Allen makes several films, which are usually combined in the "European cycle". Events in them take place in large cities on this continent.
He shoots the dramatic thriller “Match Point” in London, the melodrama “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” in the capital of Catalonia, the melodramatic comedy “Roman Adventures” in the Italian capital.
In the main city of France, the events of the comedy melodrama Midnight in Paris unfold. For the original script for this tape, Allen receives the fourth Oscar in his career.
Wheel of Miracles
The latest at the moment, Allen's picture was the drama Wheel of Miracles, which was released in 2017.
The events of this film take place around the wife of the owner of the carousel, Ginny, who falls in love with a pumped lifeguard Mickey. At this moment, her husband’s daughter from her first marriage appears completely inappropriately, gangsters are hunting for her. Ginny is even more worried that Mickey is beginning to pay special attention to the girl.
A family
In the biography of Woody Allen, personal life played a big role. His first wife was Harlin Rosen, whom he met in the mid-50s at a jazz concert. In 1956, they played a wedding in Hollywood. From there they moved to New York, where Harlen studied as a philosopher. Allen wrote humorous scripts and sketches.
They lived in marriage for five years, but then divorced. Rosen repeatedly sued her ex-spouse for caustic remarks about her, trying to sue a million dollars.
The marriage with his second wife lasted even less. With actress Louise Lasser Allen lived only three years. She starred in several of his paintings.
After that, there was a lull in the biography of Woody Allen and his personal life. Until 1997, he remained a bachelor. At the same time, the director had a loud affair with Diane Keaton. The actress had a great influence on his work, starred in several films. Annie Hall is her real name. In the picture of the same name, there are many real episodes from their biography. When the couple broke up, it still continued to collaborate and communicate.
In 1980, Allen began an affair with actress Mia Farrow, who played in 13 of his films. The most popular of these were Hannah and Her Sisters and Cairo's Purple Rose. They lived together for 12 years, without registering the relationship officially. From Mia was born the only son of the director Ronan Seymus. They also adopted two children - Misha and Malone.
Pedophilia Accusations
With Farrow, the director broke up in 1992. This was one of the most important episodes in the scandalous biography of Woody Allen.
The actress accused the hero of our article of child molestation, allegedly he molested their adopted daughter. However, she did not provide significant evidence.
As a result of high-profile lawsuits, he was forbidden to see foster children, meetings with his son were limited. Moses, who at that time was 15 years old, refused to see his father. He changed his decision only in 2003.
The real reason for all this, biographers consider the director’s romance with the 22-year-old adopted daughter Farrow.
In 1997, for the third time created the Woody Allen family. In the biography, this period is associated with Song-i, lovers officially formalized their relationship. Later, they adopted two girls, who were named Manzi and Bechet in honor of famous jazz musicians.
The director’s son, Ronan Sheimus, has now established a relationship with his father. In 2011, he was included in the list of the most successful people under the age of 30. At that time, Ronan served as Youth Advisor to the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.