A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982)

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

16 July 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Six characters in search of love [Video]

Plot:

A wacky inventor and his wife invite two other couples for a weekend party at a romantic summer house in the 1900s countryside.

Plot Keywords:

Summer | Inventor | Doctor | Lecture | Spirit

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Woody Allen	...	Andrew
Mia Farrow	...	Ariel
José Ferrer	...	Leopold (as Jose Ferrer)
Julie Hagerty	...	Dulcy
Tony Roberts	...	Maxwell
Mary Steenburgen	...	Adrian
Adam Redfield	...	Student Foxx
Moishe Rosenfeld	...	Mr. Hayes
Timothy Jenkins	...	Mr. Thomson
Michael Higgins	...	Reynolds
Sol Frieder	...	Carstairs
Boris Zoubok	...	Purvis
Thomas Barbour	...	Blint
Kate McGregor-Stewart	...	Mrs. Baker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Copeland	...	(uncredited)
Tony Farentino	...	(uncredited)
Caitlin O'Heaney	...	Dolores Farrar (uncredited)

Directed by
Woody Allen

Writing credits
Woody Allen		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Greenhut	....	producer
Charles H. Joffe	....	executive producer
Michael Peyser	....	associate producer
Jack Rollins	....	executive producer (as A Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe Production)

Cinematography by
Gordon Willis

Film Editing by
Susan E. Morse

Casting by
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Mel Bourne

Art Direction by
Speed Hopkins

Set Decoration by
Carol Joffe

Costume Design by
Santo Loquasto

Makeup Department
Fern Buchner	....	make-up designer
Romaine Greene	....	hair designer
Jay Cannistraci	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frederic B. Blankfein	....	first assistant director (as Fredric B. Blankfein)
Tony Gittelson	....	second assistant director (as Anthony Gittelson)
Thomas A. Reilly	....	second assistant director (as Thomas Reilly)
Duncan Scott	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Joseph Badalucco Jr.	....	chief set dresser
Robert Bauer	....	construction grip (as Bob Bauer)
Gregory Bolton	....	assistant art director
Herb Darrell	....	shop craftsman
Glen Engels	....	construction grip
James Halligan	....	construction grip
Susan Kaufman	....	art department coordinator
James Mazzola	....	property master
Toni Ross	....	art department coordinator
Janet Shaw	....	set dresser
Cosmo Sorice	....	stand-by scenic artist
James Sorice	....	master scenic artist
Kenneth Vogt	....	property man
Anthony Zappia	....	shop craftsman (as Tony Zappia)

Sound Department
Marjorie Deutsch	....	sound editor
Frank Graziadei	....	sound recordist
Jack Higgins	....	re-recording mixer
Melissa A. Higgins	....	assistant sound editor
Beriau Picard	....	assistant sound editor
James Sabat	....	production sound mixer
Louis Sabat	....	boom man
Dan Sable	....	supervising sound editor
Lynn Sable	....	apprentice sound editor

Stunts
David Copeland	....	stunt double: Mr. Allen (as J. David Copeland)
Tony Farentino	....	stunt double: Mr. Roberts

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Hamill	....	still photographer
Douglas C. Hart	....	assistant cameraman
Ronald M. Lautore	....	camera operator
Dave McClean	....	best boy
Robert Paone	....	second assistant cameraman (as Bob Paone)
Jeri Sopanen	....	cameraman: second unit
Louis S. Toth Jr.	....	dolly grip
Dusty Wallace	....	gaffer
Robert Ward	....	key grip (as Bob Ward)
David J. Schweitzer	....	special photography effects (uncredited)

Animation Department
Russ Mooney	....	animator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Paula Herold	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bill Christians	....	wardrobe supervisor: men
Lancey Saunders Clough	....	wardrobe supervisor: women

Editorial Department
Pamela Scott Arnold	....	assistant film editor (as Pamela S. Arnold)
Richard Nord	....	first assistant film editor
Christine P. Williams	....	apprentice film editor

Music Department
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy	....	music by (as Felix Mendelssohn)

Transportation Department
Rocco Derasmo	....	transportation captain
Bobby Marsh	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Nicholas Bernstein	....	production assistant
Timothy M. Bourne	....	location scout (as Timothy Marshall Bourne)
Kay Chapin	....	script supervisor
James A. Davis	....	production assistant (as James Davis)
David Epstein	....	assistant location auditor
James Greenhut	....	production assistant
Anne Gyory	....	location scout
Joseph Hartwick	....	location auditor
Nicole Holofcener	....	production assistant
Jeffrey Kurland	....	assistant: Mr. Loquasto
Diana Laptook	....	location scout
Michael Lindgren	....	location scout
Gloria Norris	....	assistant: Mr. Allen
Joseph Pierson	....	production assistant
Helen Robin	....	production coordinator
Gail Sicilia	....	unit publicist
Andrea Snyder	....	production assistant
Todd M. Thaler	....	assistant production coordinator (as Todd Thaler)
Carl Turnquest Jr.	....	location projectionist (as Carl Turnquest)
Pat Walke	....	chapman crane operator
Stephanie Farrow	....	stand-in: Ms. Farrow (uncredited)
Dennis Kear	....	stand-in: Woody Allen (uncredited)

Thanks
Elizabeth Forsling Harris	....	the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: executive director of The New York State Office for Motion Picture and Television Development
Nancy Littlefield	....	the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: executive director of the Mayor's Office for Motion Pictures and Television

Production Companies

• Orion Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (through)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1982) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1986) (USA) (TV)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Kurtz and Friends (animation effects) (as Kurtz & Friends)

Other Companies

• Bernstein and Freedman P.C.  production accountant
• Computer Opticals  titles and opticals
• Dawn Animal Agency  animals provided by
• Eoin Sprott Studio  flying machines and inventions
• Hastings Sound Editorial  sound effects
• Mayor's Office for Motion Pictures & Television  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of
• New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting, The  grateful acknowledgement for the cooperation of
• New York State Office for Motion Picture and Television Development  
• R/Greenberg Associates  optical effects

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Columbia University - Broadway & 116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The first time Mia Farrow appeared in a Woody Allen film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: About thirteen minutes into the movie, a crew member is visible crouched by a tree, as a deer runs through the woods.

Quotes:

Leopold: I had the privilege of escorting Ariel through the Sistine Chapel for the first time in her life and explaining to her exactly why Michelangelo's ceiling was indeed great.
Ariel: When Raphael first laid eyes on it, he fainted.
Andrew: Had he eaten?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Perhaps lesser known, but not lesser quality woody film

Almost a hidden gem, except that no one has an excuse for not knowing about any Woody film. The cast is delightful. Every line of dialog is laced with wit and humor. No New York angst here, just the usual relationship muddle, mixed with the usual existential questions of the the meaning of love and life and ...

Not a message movie. As the title indicates, the point of all this is comedy. My favorite bit, which didn't make it into the quotes section goes something like this:

<Andrew is hovering outside Maxwell's window in his self-propelled helicopter>

Maxwell: Andrew! What do you think you're doing?

Andrew: Its an invention of mine. I think I've got most of the bugs worked out. What do you think?

Maxwell: Andrew, don't be silly. You can't fly.

Andrew: I can't?

Maxwell: Of course not! You're a mammal!

Andrew: Oh.

<Andrew crashes to ground>

Tony Roberts is the perfect straight man. Its a pity that Woody hasn't used him in some of his later films. This is one of those handful of films that can be watched over and over again. One to own. Sadly, this (and several other Woody masterpieces) are out of print.