Radio Days (1987)

A nostalgic look at radio's golden age focusing on one ordinary family and the various performers in the medium.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Mike Starr, Paul Herman, Dianne Wiest

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mike Starr	...	Burglar
Paul Herman	...	Burglar
Don Pardo	...	'Guess That Tune' Host
Martin Rosenblatt	...	Mr. Needleman
Helen Miller	...	Mrs. Needleman
Danielle Ferland	...	Child Star
Julie Kavner	...	Mother
Julie Kurnitz	...	Irene
David Warrilow	...	Roger
Wallace Shawn	...	Masked Avenger
Mick Murray	...	Avenger Crook (as Michael Murray)
William Flanagan	...	Avenger Announcer
Seth Green	...	Joe
Michael Tucker	...	Father
Josh Mostel	...	Abe

Storyline

Woody Allen's sentimental reminiscence about the golden age of radio. A series of vignettes involving radio personalities is intertwined with the life of a working class family in Rockaway Beach, NY circa 1942.

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Plot Keywords:

radio | working class | beach | cigarette girl | extramarital affair | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 January 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Días de radio

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$14,792,779 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene where Joe sees a German U Boat at the beach has some basis in fact. Some U Boats were sent to America on secret missions, and had to enter New York harbor by entering through the Rockaway inlets to get into Lower New York bay.

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Goofs

The burglars turn on a radio and instantly hear sound, when the vacuum tubes should have taken longer to warm up.

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Quotes

Mother: I think you have these qualities that you demand and when you meet a nice man you disqualify him for the smallest fault.
Bea: That's not true.
Mother: So, what was wrong with Nat Bernstein?
Bea: He wore white socks with a tuxedo!

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Paul Shaffer/Bruce Hornsby & The Range (1987)

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Soundtracks

"American Patrol"
(1891)
Written by F.W. Meacham
Performed by Glenn Miller on radio
Courtesy of RCA Records

User Reviews

Woody Allen's own "Amarcord"

Radio Days (1987)- written, directed, and narrated by Allen:

What a beautiful, kind, gentle, ironic, warm, sentimental (in a very good way and yes, I am talking about Woody Allen's movie, that's right) yet perfectly balanced delight. It is a series of sketches about young Joe (young Allen, of course, played by Seth Green - that was a surprise), an adolescent in Brooklyn, NY during 1930s-1940s who was passionately in love with radio which was a king. The film is a tribute to the magical radio days and the myths and legends about radio personalities, the memory of a grown man who never forgot where he came from, the love letter to his always fighting and arguing ("I mean, how many people argue over oceans?") but loving relatives and a very funny comedy (the way only Allen's comedy can be). It is the film where pretty like a doll and painfully naive Sally (Mia Farrow) asks who Pearl Harbor is? Where gorgeous Diane Keaton sings and Diane Wiest, his beloved Aunt Bea never gives up hope of one true love. He never told us if she found it...

"I never forgot that New Year's Eve when Aunt Bea awakened me to watch 1944 come in. I've never forgotten any of those people or any of the voices we would hear on the radio. Though the truth is, with the passing of each New Year's Eve, those voices do seem to grow dimmer and dimmer."

The Radio days are gone but thanks to Allen, the voices of the times passed are still clear and sound and they always will be.

9/10