Play It Again, Sam (1972)

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

Woody Allen (based on the play by)
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:

Humphrey Bogart | Neurotic | Advice | Dating | 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	...	Ilsa Lund (archive footage) (uncredited)
Humphrey Bogart	...	Rick Blaine (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tom Bullock	...	Taxi Hippie (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	Orderly (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mark Goddard	...	Real Estate Developer (uncredited)
Paul Henreid	...	Victor Laszlo (archive footage) (uncredited)
Claude Rains	...	Captain Louis Renault (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Herbert Ross

Writing credits
Woody Allen		(based on the play by)
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		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Marion Rothman		(film editor)

Production Design by
Ed Wittstein

Set Decoration by
Doug von Koss		(set decoration) (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)
Orlando Suero	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Arnie Lipin	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
G. Fern Weber	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Oscar Peterson	....	conductor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
James Arena	....	driver (uncredited)
Ribello Mastroianni	....	transportation (uncredited)
William Ryan	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Jack Hirshberg	....	unit publicist
Don Record	....	title designer
Keith C. Smith	....	special photographic consultant (as Keith Smith)
Elizabeth Atkinson	....	secretary (uncredited)
Susan Miller	....	secretary (uncredited)
Dolores Rubin	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Stan Scholl	....	assistant to associate producer (uncredited)
Wendy Stark	....	secretary (uncredited)
Barbara Sundahl	....	secretary (uncredited)
Foster Thompson	....	estimating auditor (uncredited)
Patrizia von Brandenstein	....	secretary (uncredited)
Meghan Williams	....	secretary (uncredited)

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

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents) (A Herbert Ross Film)
• Rollins-Joffe Productions (in association with)
• APJAC Productions (as An APJAC Picture)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (A Gulf + Western Company)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1976) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (France) (DVD)

Other Companies

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

Also Known As:

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG (Approved No. 25168) | West Germany:12 (f: fr 16) | Singapore:PG | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Norway:12 | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

A rare instance of an America-set movie starring Woody Allen which was neither set nor shot in New York. It setting and location was San Francisco.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene with Sharon Lake in Allan's apartment, Allan jerks a record and the disc comes flying out - first he's holding the record with the back of the sleeve facing front, then when he jerks the record the front of the sleeve faces front.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[after the opening clips of Casablanca]
Allan:[voice-over] Who am I kidding? I'm not like that. I never was, I never will be... That's strictly the movies.

Movie Connections:

References Marked Woman (1937)

Soundtrack:

As Time Goes By

Very good Woody Allen film

Allen plays a film critic who has been cruelly dumped by his wife. Je wants to meet other women but is very neurotic (no surprise there). He idolizes Humphrey Bogart who shows up from time to time to give him advice on dealing with woman. His best friends--couple Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts--try to help also. Naturally he ends up falling for Keaton.

Allen didn't direct this (Herbert Ross did) but he wrote it. So it sounds like a Woody Allen film but doesn't LOOK like an Allen film. For one thing it was shot in San Francisco--not New York! It's also somewhat dated in 1970s dialogue and fashion. There's also a running joke involving Roberts and telephones that doesn't work today. Still this is a very good film.

It is an affectionate take-off on "Casablanca" and other old films also. Allen is playing has patented neurotic character but I've always found him funny and his disastrous dates are just great. Also him, Keaton and Roberts always worked well together and it makes their relationship seem very believable. And Jerry Lacy is VERY funny playing Bogart and giving Allen advice.

If you don't like Woody Allen movies this probably won't change your mind. But I found it fast, funny and very entertaining. And the dated 70s touches were actually quite funny. I give this a 8.