Play It Again, Sam (1972)

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

Woody Allen (play)
Woody Allen (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 May 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Here's laughing at you, kid.

Plot:

A neurotic film critic tries to get over his wife leaving him by dating again, much by the help of a married couple and his alter ego, Humphrey Bogart.

Plot Keywords:

Dating | Advice | Neurotic | Date | Ghost

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Woody Allen	...	Allan
Diane Keaton	...	Linda
Tony Roberts	...	Dick
Jerry Lacy	...	Bogart
Susan Anspach	...	Nancy
Jennifer Salt	...	Sharon
Joy Bang	...	Julie
Viva	...	Jennifer
Susanne Zenor	...	Discotheque Girl (as Suzanne Zenor)
Diana Davila	...	Museum Girl
Mari Fletcher	...	Fantasy Sharon
Michael Greene	...	Hood #1
Ted Markland	...	Hood #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ingrid Bergman	...	Ilse (archive footage) (uncredited)
Humphrey Bogart	...	Rick Blaine (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tom Bullock	...	Taxi Hippie (uncredited)
Mark Goddard	...	Real Estate Developer (uncredited)
Paul Henreid	...	Victor Lazlo (archive footage) (uncredited)
Claude Rains	...	Captain Renault (archive footage) (uncredited)
Conrad Veidt	...	Major Strasser (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Herbert Ross

Writing credits
Woody Allen		(play)
Woody Allen		(screenplay)

Produced by
Frank Capra Jr.	....	associate producer
Arthur P. Jacobs	....	producer
Charles H. Joffe	....	executive producer (as Charles Joffe)

Original Music by
Billy Goldenberg

Cinematography by
Owen Roizman

Film Editing by
Marion Rothman

Production Design by
Ed Wittstein

Set Decoration by
Doug von Koss		(as Doug Von Koss)

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Patricia D. Abbot	....	hair stylist
Stanley R. Dufford	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Roger M. Rothstein	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William C. Gerrity	....	assistant director (as William Gerrity)
Charles Norton	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Dockendorf	....	sound
Richard Reitschmann	....	sound (as Richard Pietschmann)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Isaacs	....	gaffer
Bob Rose	....	key grip (as Robert Rose)
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Oscar Peterson	....	musician
Max Steiner	....	composer: stock music
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Oscar Peterson	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Jack Hirshberg	....	unit publicist
Don Record	....	title designer
Keith C. Smith	....	special photographic consultant (as Keith Smith)
Dolores Rubin	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Thanks
David Merrick	....	acknowledgment: produced on the New York Stage by

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• APJAC Productions (producer)
• Rollins-Joffe Productions (in association with)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (France) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.®)

Also Known As:

Aspirins for Three

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG (Approved No. 25168) | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Originally to be shot in Manhattan and Long Island but moved to San Francisco when New York film workers went on strike in the summer of 1971.

Goofs:

Continuity: In his struggle with the hair-dryer in the bathroom, Allan knocks out half the contents of the medicine cabinet. In the next shot, the bottles he knocked out are back in the cabinet.

Quotes:

Allan: I love the rain - it washes memories off the sidewalk of life.

Movie Connections:

References The Barefoot Contessa (1954)

Soundtrack:

As Time Goes By

See "Casablanca" First

My first and foremost thought about this movie is that you MUST see "Casablanca" (1942) first, for two reasons:

First, "Play it Again, Sam" contains not only archival footage from the 1942 classic, but numerous dialogic and other references which would be lost on someone who hasn't seen "Casablanca."

Second, and more important, is that the surprise ending of "Casablanca" is revealed in the *very first scene* of "Play it again, Sam."

Beyond that, "Play it again, Sam" is probably second only to "Annie Hall" among the Woody Allen / Diane Keaton films. Woody fans will enjoy the neurotic, psychosexual ramblings of the central character, which are typical of his movies, as well as the numerous elements of physical comedy, which are not as common in Woody Allen films. And watch for the scene in the art gallery -- it's a classic!