Take the Money and Run (1969)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Woody Allen

Writers:

Woody Allen (original screenplay) and
Mickey Rose (original screenplay)

Release Date:

13 March 1971 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

crime lives!

Plot:

The life and times of Virgil Starkwell, inept bank robber.

Plot Keywords:

Bank Robbery | Parade | Cello | Baseball | FBI

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Woody Allen	...	Virgil Starkwell
Janet Margolin	...	Louise
Marcel Hillaire	...	Fritz
Jacquelyn Hyde	...	Miss Blair
Lonny Chapman	...	Jake
Jan Merlin	...	Al
James Anderson	...	Chain Gang Warden
Howard Storm	...	Fred
Mark Gordon	...	Vince
Micil Murphy	...	Frank
Minnow Moskowitz	...	Joe Agneta
Nate Jacobson	...	The Judge
Grace Bauer	...	Farm House Lady
Ethel Sokolow	...	Mother Starkwell
Dan Frazer	...	The Psychiatrist (as Don Frazier)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:12 | Iceland:L | USA:PG (DVD rating) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:M | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

Allen's first cut was deemed to be decidedly unfunny, including his death scene in a slow-mo hail of bullets, like Bonnie and Clyde. Producers Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe convinced him to sit with top editor Ralph Rosenblum to see what could be salvaged. The first thing Rosenblum did was cut out the gory ending, then he restructured the film completely, and generally tightened up Allen's loose narrative. This effort transformed the finished film into a comedy classic. Rosenblum subsequently became Allen's editor of choice on most of his next films, including Bananas (1971), Sleeper (1973), Love and Death (1975) and Annie Hall (1977).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Virgil was born December 1935. When he was still a teen, playing cello in the marching band, the year would've been circa mid-1950s at the latest. Cars current to the actual filming can be seen all around the background, as well as the long hair-styles of the boys marching. Most of the characters are also dressed in the late-60s fashion throughout most of the film.

Quotes:

Bank Teller #1: Does this look like "gub" or "gun"?
Bank Teller #2: Gun. See? But what does "abt" mean?
Virgil: It's "act". A-C-T. Act natural. Please put fifty thousand dollars into this bag and act natural.
Bank Teller #1: Oh, I see. This is a holdup?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Wonder Years: Wayne on Wheels (#3.3)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Soul Bossa Nova

Taking Ideas and Using Them.

Very early Woody Allen winner has the all-time lovable loser trying to make ends meet with girlfriend and future wife Janet Margolin. Allen, obviously pretty unskilled in most everything, decides that he can do just what the title of the film says and achieve true happiness with his one true love. Documentary-styled footage makes the picture unfold in a quietly uproarious way as Allen uses corny techniques used by most news organizations to tell a story that would have looked very odd without his insight being involved. Allen's films only work because he makes them work usually and that is definitely the case with "Take the Money and Run". Once again he shows unlimited potential and would use this movie, more than any other, as a spring-board for much future success in the 1970s, 1980s and beyond. 4 stars out of 5.