Broadway Danny Rose

One of the most commonly leveled criticisms against Woody Allen is that he has no range as an actor or is that he simply plays the same stammering intellectual in all of his films. Nothing could be further from the truth and this film is testament to this fact.

This beautifully shot film is concerned with theatrical agent, Danny Rose, a man who takes on blind xylophone players and one legged tap dancers. Terrible acts and yet Rose believes in every single one of them, no matter how badly they are doing. His big break comes with the public's newfound appetite for nostalgia, which brings egomaniac and alcoholic crooner, Lou Canova back into the public eye.

Canova flourishes and is set to make his comeback complete when he requires Rose to bring his mistress, Tina to the concert. Various complications and highjinks ensure that this is no easy task.

This is the comedy of the situation and the movie relies on this farce for its comic effect. However, what separates this from other sub-standard films is the characterisation that Allen brings to Rose. At first glance Rose is a loser, whose acts leave him as soon as they get anywhere. But the belief he has in his charges and the commitment he is prepared to put into them allows a great deal of empathy for him. Allen plays it brilliantly, allowing just the right amount of pathos and charm.

A splendid movie, full of the typical Allen one liners and with one very very funny shoot out scene with helium.

Broadway Danny Rose (1984) -written/directed by Woody Allen who played the titular character, the small time show-biz agent with the clients like "blind xylophonists, piano-playing birds, and has-been crooners with drinking problems." Danny may not be successful but the famous comics having a good time in the legendary Carnegie Deli, Manhattan, NY tell the stories about him. "Broadway Danny Rose" may be considered as a minor Allen's work but it is equally charming and amusing dramedy that pays specific homage to Damon Runyon who is famous for portrayal New York City's colorful lowlifes of the 1920s and '30s when "respectability and the demi-monde rub shoulders".

Danny's problem is that as soon as one of his clients makes it to the top, they would drop him in favor of a big-name agent. Danny stuck with a drinking, self-centered Italian crooner Lou who is attempting (and just about to make it) a comeback, and Danny, being a loyal and protective agent, unwittingly gets involved with the singer's girlfriend Tina whose family has a long memory and strong resemblance to Soprano family. No wonder poor Danny needs "a valium the size of a hockey puck". Mia Farrow is almost unrecognizable as a tough and vulgar (but not a dumb) blonde. Her philosophy is her way of life "It's over quick, so have a good time. You see what you want, go for it. Don't pay attention to anyone else. And do it to the other guy first 'cause if you don't he'll do it to you." She obviously acts on her words but in the end of the movie she realizes that the things which count most in life are "acceptance, forgiveness, love" which is Danny's philosophy. She was cast against the type and it worked brilliantly in the funny but touchingly nostalgic movie. "Broadway Danny Rose" is a sparkling gem from the writer/director/star, one and only Woody Allen. I never expect anything else from him.

I watched this film last weekend after having the DVD on my shelf for almost a year, not realizing what an amazingly beautiful film I have in my collection. I do not have any further insight to offer towards this movie than what some reviewers here have already put so well. But if you haven't seen this touching and funny little gem from the master Allen then do watch it. The Thanksgiving dinner finale that's mentioned in so many posts here makes you believe in the magic of cinema. One cannot help but be moved to tears just seeing that expression on Woody's face and the hope and dreams of all the "artists" present at the frozen-turkey dinner. The diners at the restaurant sums it up the best as Danny Rose being a true legend on Broadway.

It's movies like these that come along once in a blue moon that make the wait and the heap of junk one is so often subjected to, worth it.

"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.

I have never been able to relate to many of Woody Allen's films, although I would say that nearly all of them are quite well concieved and executed. Broadway Danny Rose is something quite unique, I mean that the script is simply beyond belief. How someone could concieve of all those lines is truly remarkable. It is one of the most quoteable films I have ever seen. The lines which are memorable are tinged with this incredible satiric and ironic sense of humor. The scenes are at once super realistic and very funny. Woody Allens way of making fun of people is at its best here. The opening scene where Lou Canova is at the lounge singing "I Like The Look Of You...", wow, the cast of characters assembled, how could anyone have found these people. I guess alot of credit is due to the person who cast the film. If you look at the credits you see that most of the faces which appear were appearing in their only film. This is the basis of the movie's genius. Then there are lines like: "I'll open with Volare and You Make Me Feel So Young... or "I don't know whether to go with Boulevard of Broken Dreams or Three Coins in a Fountain as an encore... or "Lou's probably drinking out of a promotional sized whiskey bottle by now.. or "If anything happens to that car I'll be furious... or "He made juice for the mob?... or "Allow me to interject one point at this juncture... or "Weinstein's majestic bungalow colony is a classy joint, I need a classy act, how about Sonny Chase, he's fast, he's funny... or "Pee Wee has been eaten by a feline, that comes under the act of God clause... or "If you take my advice, you'll probably be one of the great balloon folding acts of all time. I really wish I could find this for sale. It's a film which can be watched repeatedly without risk of boredom or redundancy. A great film around Thanksgiving time. Joe Franklin, Howard Cosell, Milton Berle. New York City circa 1972. The Waldorf. The 70's garb. New Jersey Italians by the dozen. Angelina the fortune teller and her little dog and assistant. "And yet he cares for you... Don't go to him, take care of old buisness... Time out... "Lou, the directions were good, it was a Gulf station... "A cheap blonde, Lou... I could keep spouting fragments of the script for an hour and I don't mean to be didactic or facetious.