Play It Again, Sam (1972 film)
| Play It Again, Sam | |
|---|---|
 original movie poster |
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| Directed by | Herbert Ross |
| Produced by | Arthur P. Jacobs |
| Screenplay by | Woody Allen |
| Based on | play by Woody Allen |
| Starring |
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| Studio | APJAC Productions |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | May 4, 1972 |
| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Play It Again, Sam is a 1972 film written by and starring Woody Allen, based on his Broadway play. The film was directed by Herbert Ross, which is unusual, as Allen usually directs all his own written work.
The film is about a man obsessed with the movie "Casablanca" and the character of Rick, played by Humphrey Bogart. The film is liberally spread with clips from the movie and ghost-like appearances of Rick giving advice on how to treat women.
The film is set in San Francisco but most scenes are indoors.
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[edit] Plot
The film starts with the closing scenes of Casablanca, with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. We then see that it is the main character, Allan Felix, who is watching the film in a cinema, mouth agape. He leaves the cinema regretting that he will never be like Rick.
Apart from apparitions of Bogart he also has frequent flashbacks of conversations with his ex-wife, who constantly belittled his sexual adequacy.
The original play and the movie follow the same lines: Allan Felix (played by Allen) has just been through a messy divorce. His two friends, Linda (Diane Keaton) and Dick (Tony Roberts), attempt to convince him to go out with women again, setting him up with a series of blind dates, which all turn out to be unsuitable. He agrees, and throughout the film, he is seen receiving dating advice from the ghost of Humphrey Bogart (played by Jerry Lacy), who is visible and audible only to Allan. Allan's ex-wife Nancy (Susan Anspach) also makes fantasy appearances, as he imagines conversations with her about the breakdown of their marriage. On one occasion, the fantasy seems to run out of control, with both Bogart and Nancy appearing.
As the film goes on we see that, when it comes to women, Allan puts on a mask. He attempts to become sexy and sophisticated, in particular he tries to be like his idol, Bogart, only to end up ruining his chances by being too clumsy. Eventually, he develops feelings for Linda, around whom he feels relatively at ease and does not feel the need to don the mask.
At the point where he finally makes his move on Linda (aided by comments from Bogart) a vision of his ex-wife appears and shoots Bogart, leaving him without advice. He makes an awkward move. Linda runs off but returns, realising that Allan loves her. "As Time Goes By" plays as they kiss, with flashes from Casablanca.
However, as she is married to Dick, their relationship is ultimately doomed, just as it was for Rick (Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) in the 1942 film, Casablanca.
Dick comes home early from Cleveland and confides in Allan that he thinks Linda is having an affair. He does not work out that it is Allan, but expresses his love for Linda to him.
The ending is a parody of Casablanca's famous ending. Dick is catching a flight to Cleveland, Linda is chasing after him, and Allan is chasing after Linda. The fog, the aircraft engine start-ups, the trenchcoats worn and the dialogue are all reminiscent of the film, as Allan nobly explains to Linda why she has to go with her husband, rather than staying behind with Allan.
Allan says "if that plane leaves the ground and you're not on it, you'll regret it, maybe not today maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life". That is beautiful she says. "It's from Casablanca... I've waited my whole life to say it". His journey is complete. The music from the scene in Casablanca resumes the theme "As Time Goes By" and the film ends.
[edit] Characters
Allan is allegedly 29 years old. He writes for a film magazine, Film Weekly. He is neurotic, and as interested in antidepressants as in Bogart; a trait shared by Linda (as Dick quips "the two of you should get married and move into a hospital"). His favourite artist is Vincent Van Gogh.
Dick is a businessman, dealing in real estate. Each time we see him he calls into his office to give a phone number of how to contact him and for how long, and then the next contact number. He is portrayed as obsessed with work.
Linda is a gentle soul with much in common with Allan, who accepts her husband's lack of attention. She has the same sense of humour as Allan and feels sorry for him. She tells him to just "be himself" as that is who she likes. She wears a hat in most scenes including the disco. When Allan gives her a gift of a plastic skunk on the beach one day she clearly appreciates it because it is from him.
Nancy, Allan's ex-wife, is a free spirit, constantly criticising Allan. She was married to Allan for two years. When he at one point he meets her in an antique shop she is not the ogre he remembers.
[edit] Cast
- Allan Felix - Woody Allen
- Linda Christie - Diane Keaton
- Dick Christie - Tony Roberts
- Nancy - Susan Anspach
- Humphrey Bogart - Jerry Lacy
- Sharon - Jennifer Salt
- Julie - Joy Bang
- Jennifer - Viva
- Disco girl - Suzanne Zenor
- Museum girl - Diana Davila
[edit] Product Placement
The film is liberally spread with references to or appearances of specific products:
- Darvon
- Fresca
- Crest toothpaste
- Canoe aftershave
- Lavoris
- Mennen deodorant
- Johnson and Johnson baby powder
- Early Times bourbon
- J & B whisky
- Harvey's Bristol Cream
- Coca Cola
- Seven Up
- Coors beer
- De Soto Taxis
- Yellow Cab Co.
- United Airlines
- Plymouth cars
- Budweiser beer
- Fannie Farmer
- Clover milk
- Band-Aid plasters
- Trident chewing gum
- The National Enquirer
- Peptobismol
- Polaroid (referenced as Dick walks into the sea)
[edit] Other Film References
Allan has numerous film posters bedecking his walls. Notably the following are evident:
- Key Largo
- Dead Reckoning
- The Trojan Women (mentioned on his date with Julie)
- The Petrified Forest (verbal reference: my sex life is turning into...)
- Dumbo (poster in the projectionist's room)
- The Big Sleep (mentioned as being on The Late Show that night)
- Francois Truffaut .. a new Truffaut on at the Regency
- "That Ida Lupino Movie"
- Across the Pacific (a huge poster over Allan's bed, with the names Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet just above the pillows)
- Le Coppie a 1970 Italian film poster shown as Allan speculates on what husbands do in Italian movies
Allan suggests going to the Erich von Stroheim festival with one of his dates.
[edit] Trivia
The choice of the name "Allan" clearly refers to Woody Allen's real name: Allen Stewart Konigsberg.
Amongst Allan's memorabilia on his wall is a Frank Zappa handbill: "The World's Greatest Sinner".
The Oscar Peterson track which Allan puts on (and scratches) is specifically composed by Peterson for the film and is entitled "Blues for Allan Felix".
Originally entitled Aspirins for Three.[citation needed]
[edit] References in popular culture
- This movie was spoofed on a third-season episode of SCTV, in a sketch entitled "Play it Again, Bob". In it, Woody Allen (Rick Moranis) is getting advice from the ghost of Bing Crosby (Joe Flaherty) to clinch a business deal with Bob Hope (Dave Thomas).
- The Bertie Higgins song "Key Largo" is about the movie of the same name and about Bogart movies in general; one line puts emphasis on the phrase "play it again".
- A character by the name of Woody Allen appears in an episode of Quantum Leap named "Play It Again, Seymour". In the episode, Sam leaps into a detective[clarification needed] investigating the murder of his partner, and eventually ends in a scene parodying the final scene of Casablanca.
- Alternative rock band Manchester Orchestra references the film in the title of their song "Play it Again, Sam! You Don't Have Any Feathers".
- In the Family Guy episode Play It Again, Brian, Brian walks home and imagines kissing Lois as they converse on the couch while repeating "Lois, my darling" in a shot for shot allusion to the corresponding scene in the film.
- In the Rifftrax commentary for Casablanca, the team refers to the film as the first in a trilogy including Play it Again, Sam and Overdrawn at the Memory Bank, as both of the latter involve heavy references to Casablanca.
- The title of the film was lent to a series of Video Game collections for the BBC Computer from Superior Software on cassette.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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