Take the Money and Run (1969)

The life and times of Virgil Starkwell, inept bank robber.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writers:

Woody Allen (original screenplay), Mickey Rose (original screenplay)

Stars:

Woody Allen, Janet Margolin, Marcel Hillaire

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Allen	...	Virgil Starkwell
Janet Margolin	...	Louise
Marcel Hillaire	...	Fritz - Director
Jacquelyn Hyde	...	Miss Blair
Lonny Chapman	...	Jake - Convict
Jan Merlin	...	Al - Bank Robber
James Anderson	...	Chain Gang Warden
Howard Storm	...	Fred
Mark Gordon	...	Vince
Micil Murphy	...	Frank
Minnow Moskowitz	...	Joe Agneta
Nate Jacobson	...	The Judge
Grace Bauer	...	Farm House Lady
Ethel Sokolow	...	Mother Starkwell
Dan Frazer	...	Julius Epstein - The Psychiatrist (as Don Frazier)

Storyline

This film is presented as a documentary on the life of an incompetent, petty criminal called Virgil Starkwell. It describes the early childhood and youth of Virgil, his failure at a musical career, and his obsession with bank robberies. The film uses a voice over narrative and interviews with his family, friends and acquaintances.

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Plot Keywords:

neo screwball comedy | life of crime | male protagonist | city | criminal | 

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Taglines:

He robbed 16 banks. He got caught 16 times. His record is perfect.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

M

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Yiddish

Release Date:

10 July 1970 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Robó, huyó y lo pescaron

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palomar Pictures International,Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions,ABC Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "Spring Street Settlement House Marching Band," with which Woody Allen attempts to play cello in an early scene, was really the marching band of Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California, just north of San Francisco. The band had received an invitation to perform at Disneyland in a festival of high-school bands and the fee they received from the film helped to pay for their trip.

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Goofs

When Virgil is walking toward the shore of the beach after done eating the one slice of pepperoni, the shadows of the camera and boom mic are visible on his sweat jacket.

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Quotes

Virgil: After fifteen minutes I wanted to marry her, and after half an hour I completely gave up the idea of stealing her purse.

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Connections

Referenced in Edición Especial Coleccionista: Especial Navidad (2010)

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Soundtracks

Soul Bossa Nova
(uncredited)
Written by Quincy Jones
Performed by Marvin Hamlisch and His Orchestra

User Reviews

Woody's First Good Film

Woody Allen hit gold with his second film, "Take the Money and Run", which is a basic film that works on so many levels and is memorable strictly for its charm and good wit.

The story follows Allen's Virgil Starkwell, whose life is told in documentary fashion. We learn he had a strange childhood and turned to crime to fulfill his needs. We learn of his romance and sympathize with him as we engage in prison escapes and witness him put in a chain gang. The documentary style might prove to be a "gimmick" of sorts, but it works because had the story been told any other way it simply would not have worked.

Also, "Take the Money" is an early token of what's to come and what the general audience will expect of Allen; smooth drama balanced by fast, witty monologues and lots of self-humiliation. To see this is to witness the early work of the director who ultimately brought us "Bananas", "Sleeper", "Manhattan", and the Oscar-winning "Annie Hall". And if anything, just track it for its over-the-top humor, not as in-your-face funny as "Sleeper" or as sexually hilarious as "Annie Hall", but it's warm and withdrawn, balanced all together by a very good ending (always one of the weaker parts in almost all of Allen's films).

Highly recommended! ***+ (8.5/10)