Broadway Danny Rose (1984)

In his attempts to reconcile a lounge singer with his mistress, a hapless talent agent is mistaken as her lover by a jealous gangster.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Nick Apollo Forte

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Allen	...	Danny Rose
Mia Farrow	...	Tina Vitale
Nick Apollo Forte	...	Lou Canova
Sandy Baron	...	Sandy Baron
Corbett Monica	...	Corbett Monica
Jackie Gayle	...	Jackie Gayle
Morty Gunty	...	Morty Gunty
Will Jordan	...	Will Jordan
Howard Storm	...	Howard Storm
Jack Rollins	...	Jack Rollins
Milton Berle	...	Milton Berle
Craig Vandenburgh	...	Ray Webb
Herb Reynolds	...	Barney Dunn
Paul Greco	...	Vito Rispoli
Frank Renzulli	...	Joe Rispoli

Storyline

Danny Rose is a manager of artists, and although he's not very successful, he nevertheless goes out of his way to help his acts. So when Lou Canova, a singer who has a chance of making a come-back, asks Danny to help him with a problem, Danny helps him. This problem is Lou's mistress Tina. Lou wants Tina to be at his concerts, otherwise he can't perform, but he's married, so Danny has to take her along as if she was his girlfriend. Danny however gets more than he has bargained for when two mobsters come looking for the guy who has hurt their brother by stealing the heart of Tina, the girl he loves.

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Plot Keywords:

character name as title | nickname as title | reference to murder incorporated | miniature golf | reference to tony bennett | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Etta Rollins: The mother of Woody Allen's agent-producer Jack Rollins as a balloon bender and folder in the balloon act. The movie was her only ever appearance in a filmed production.

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Goofs

When Danny arrives to pick up Tina, he tells her he is double-parked. When she then storms across the street with Danny following her, we see the car, and it is not double-parked; but shortly thereafter, when Danny makes a pay-phone call, the car can be seen double-parked in the background.

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Quotes

Tina Vitale: Well, you're not so terrible.
Danny Rose: Yeah, I know one thing, honey. I'm never gonna be Cary Grant, I don't care what anybody says.

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Crazy Credits

The guys in the Carnegie Deli continue to banter over part of the end credits.

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Connections

Featured in Woody Allen: A Life in Film (2002)

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Soundtracks

You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
(1944) (uncredited)
Written by Russ Morgan, Larry Stock, and James Cavanaugh
Performed by Nick Apollo Forte

User Reviews

"Danny Rose" is familiar Woody but warmer and more universal

"Broadway Danny Rose," other than featuring Woody Allen as a neurotic character attached to the entertainment industry in some fashion, has a much wider appeal than much of Allen's other work. Instead of targeting the upper-middle class with societal rants and characters more concerned with their personal and social lives than anything else, "Danny Rose" is for the working-class folk, a story that aims to humble the Hollywood or Broadway ego that believes that you have to be self-serving to be in show business.

The story of the film is told by a bunch of entertainers at the Carnegie Deli in Manhattan, reminiscing about Rose (Allen), an agent for the most obscure acts in New York back in the '50s and '60s. One of them claims to have the best Danny Rose story and his telling serves as narration to the film.

The story revolves around Rose and his biggest talent, Lou Canova (Nick Apollo Forte), an old-fashioned Italian crooner doing covers of Sinatra and all kinds of classic tunes from what back then was considered a "bygone era," but Lou is having a resurgence. Problem is he's an alcoholic and a womanizer. He insists on having the woman he's having an affair with attend his big performance at the Waldorf (that could get him a national gig). Other problem is, this Tina (Mia Farrow) was told Lou was cheating on her, so now she's run off to her Italian mob family and through strange circumstances, the mob wants to knock Danny off.

There are elements of classic comedy here, which is why the black and white works for "Danny Rose." At the same time, it's a nostalgic film (the early '80s was full of that for Allen) and an intimate one.

Without spoiling too much, the key to "Danny Rose" relies in the conflict between self- interest and dependency on others. In a way, it's Allen's way of saying thank you or perhaps apologizing to those that have been part of his personal journey.

No one does it alone, especially not Danny Rose, a character whose living is dependent on the talents and aspirations of others and who lives solely by the advice he remembers from deceased relatives. Then there's Lou, who can't perform unless Tina is there but loves his wife dearly, and then Tina, who can't make any major decision without consulting a psychic elderly woman.

"Danny Rose" has some memorable Woody Allen quotes and classically comical situations such as he and Farrow's Tina "wriggling" their way out of some ropes tying them together as a former escape artist client of Danny's used to say, or when they're chased into the Macy's Day Parade balloon warehouse.

The film is simplistic but truthful and it's nice to see Allen make a point that's so universal instead of one about affluent people solving their life crises.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Yiddish

Release Date:

27 January 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Broadway Danny Rose

Filming Locations:

Brill Building - 1619 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$953,794, 29 January 1984

Gross USA:

$10,600,497

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,600,497

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures, Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1