Bananas (1971)

When a bumbling New Yorker is dumped by his activist girlfriend, he travels to a tiny Latin American nation and becomes involved in its latest rebellion.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writers:

Woody Allen, Mickey Rose

Stars:

Woody Allen, Louise Lasser, Carlos Montalbán

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Allen	...	Fielding Mellish
Louise Lasser	...	Nancy
Carlos Montalbán	...	General Emilio M. Vargas
Nati Abascal	...	Yolanda (as Natividad Abascal)
Jacobo Morales	...	Esposito
Miguel Ángel Suárez	...	Luis (as Miguel Suarez)
David Ortiz Angleró	...	Sanchez
René Enríquez	...	Diaz (as Rene Enríquez)
Jack Axelrod	...	Arroyo
Howard Cosell	...	Howard Cosell
Roger Grimsby	...	Roger Grimsby
Don Dunphy	...	Don Dunphy
Charlotte Rae	...	Mrs. Mellish
Stanley Ackerman	...	Dr. Mellish
Dan Frazer	...	Priest

Storyline

Fielding Mellish (a consumer products tester) becomes infatuated with Nancy (a political activist). He attends demonstrations and tries in other ways to convince her that he is worthy of her love, but Nancy wants someone with greater leadership potential. Fielding runs off to San Marcos where he joins the rebels and eventually becomes President of the country. While on a trip to the states, he meets Nancy again and she falls for him now that he is a political leader.

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Plot Keywords:

banana republic | political satire | dictator | latin america | revolution | 

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Taglines:

The Revolutionist That Shook the World With LAUGHTER!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for comic sexuality including some pin-up nudity, some drug use and crude language

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Yiddish Italian

Release Date:

19 July 1971 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

El Weirdo

Filming Locations:

Playa de Cerro Gordo, Puerto Rico

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$136,200

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the trial J. Edgar Hoover testifies, disguised as a black woman. While it was meant here as a joke, it would be revealed to the world after he died that Hoover liked to wear women's clothes, something that no one at the time of the movie would have ever believed.

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Goofs

When Fielding is driving his Volkswagen and talking, there is a shot where his lips clearly aren't moving.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Don Dunphy: Good afternoon. Wide World of Sports is in the little republic of San Marcos where we're going to bring you a live, on the spot assassination. They're going to kill the president of this lovely Latin American country and replace him with a military dictatorship. And everybody is about as excited and tense as can be. The weather on this Sunday afternoon is perfect; and if you've just joined us, we've seen a series of colorful riots that started with the traditional bombing of the ...

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits, the credits flash in time to the music. Additionally, the cards are shot with machine gun fire.

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Connections

Referenced in The Meyerowitz Stories (2017)

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Soundtracks

Naughty Marietta
(1910) (uncredited)
Music by Victor Herbert
Libretto by Rida Johnson Young
[Excerpts played and sung on a record during the torture scene]

User Reviews

A Witty Joke with the US- Sponsored Dictatorships in Latin America in the 60's

In the Republic of San Marcos, in Latin America, the president is killed in a Coup d'État promoted by General Emilio M. Vargas (Carlos Montalbán).

In New York, the products tester Fielding Mellish (Woody Allen) meets the political activist Nancy (Louise Lasser) and they have a love affair. Fielding has an unrequited love with Nancy, who believes that he is immature and without leadership.

Fielding decides to travel to San Marcos and General Vargas plots a scheme the assassination of Fielding to be supported by the USA against the rebels led by Esposito (Jacobo Morales). However the rebels save Fielding and train him in guerrilla warfare. General Vargas flees to the United States. Esposito deranges with the power and Fielding becomes the President of San Marcos. He wears a long beard and travels to USA seeking financial support to the country and he meets Nancy again, who falls in love with him.

"Bananas" is a witty joke with the US- sponsored dictatorships in Latin America in the 60's by Woody Allen. The story has hilarious situations, like when Fielding Mellish is buying the porn magazine "Orgasm"; or with the two subway thugs (one of them the uncredited Sylvester Stallone); or having dinner with the junta; or training with the rebels. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Bananas"