American cinema is constantly replenished with many films, but only a few become eternal classics. Woody Allen is the director of the most popular movies. For his great work and talent, he won fame and many awards. Hollywood stars have considered it an honor to appear in his films, which enthrall the audience, making people laugh and cry. Woody Allen’s native city of New York is of special importance in his work. He dedicated several films to it, including Annie Hall, Interiors, Manhattan and others. Read more on newyorkski.
Humor and fascinating stories as the beginning of Woody Allen’s creative path
Woody Allen’s childhood was spent in the most cinematic city of the USA, New York. Its majesty, beauty and rich rhythm of life inspired the future director to create films that are known and loved by millions of people.
Woody was born in a Jewish family on November 30, 1935. His mother, Nettie, worked as an accountant in the family pastry shop. His father, Martin Konigsberg, was a waiter and jeweler-engraver. Both wanted their son to have a prestigious job as a lawyer, but his fate turned out differently. Woody Allen chose a creative path and achieved more than was expected of him.
He attended a Jewish school until the age of 8. Then, he transferred to a regular high school in the Midwood area. Woody was a thin and modest bespectacled boy. Schoolchildren called him Redhead because of the bright color of his hair and often laughed at him. He was indifferent to studying and having fun with his peers, but he loved sports and humor. Woody played basketball and baseball and knew how to come up with original jokes.
His family lived very modestly, so he thought about starting to earn money at a young age. His first earnings came from working in the school newspaper. Woody Allen wrote jokes for several columns. They were liked by older and younger schoolchildren, so the young author quickly became popular.
Comedian Milt Kamen noticed the talent of the 16-year-old Allen. He arranged for the young writer to work on a talk show with the American comedian and humorist Sid Caesar. This way, Woody Allen continued to do what he loved and earn a living. After graduating from school, he entered New York University to study cinematography but was soon expelled due to frequent absences from classes. He also attended the City College of New York for a while.
Then, Woody Allen started writing scripts for another humorist, Herbert Shriner. Allen’s jokes were light and funny. Many liked them and they caused laughter.
Non-standard thinking and accumulated experience became the strengths of the humorist writer’s personality, which helped him gain the first recognition. Soon, he became in demand on television. Since 1954, he has written scripts for popular TV programs, such as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, Caesar’s Hour and others.
Once a friend of Woody Allen advised him to send humorous stories to publishers. A good impression of the young writer was formed. At the same time, Woody Allen wrote stories for newspapers and magazines in New York. He also received many other proposals for creative cooperation but refused many of them. He wanted to do business that he liked.
Filmmaking: how did Woody Allen achieve worldwide success?
Being a popular screenwriter and actor of television shows, Woody Allen became interested in working in movies. His first debut on the big screen took place during the filming of What’s New, Pussycat?. At first, he was given an assignment to change the script and add more comic situations. As a reward, Woody Allen was given not only a fee but also a small role. From that time, his creative activity in the cinema began.
Initially, Woody Allen began to show himself as a film director. However, he did not like to change the scripts at the decision of the producers. That is why he thought about starting to make films by himself, controlling the whole process.
His first works were Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask). Woody Allen wrote the script for these films and organized the shooting process in New York.
Since 1969, his films have been produced by the Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions film company. Many of them were created based on the witty humor that made Allen famous all over the world. Thanks to him, a new genre appeared in the field of cinema. It was an intellectual comedy that combined eccentricity, melodrama and social satire.
Allen’s films were also characterized by many voice-over texts and music. He often played the main roles in them. On the screen, the director was the same as in life: modest, thin, intelligent and sociable. Thus, he was quickly remembered and liked by the audience. His favorite places for filming were the most beautiful cities in the world: London, New York, Rome and Paris.
From the mid-1980s, Woody Allen began to combine the tragic and the comic, like in the plots of Hannah and Her Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors.. Film critics often noted the deep philosophical meaning and variety of films created based on his scripts. Meanwhile, the New York director continued to experiment with styles, music and episodes before showing each new film premiere.
Thanks to this, many of his films were recognized as the best at film festivals. The film Match Point, which was shot in London, became one of the most popular during the first 10 years of Allen’s work in the cinema. Other films also brought great success, such as Midnight in Paris, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Bullets over Broadway and Everyone Says I Love You.
Woody Allen wrote screenplays for films about love, friendship, travel, family life, victory and defeat. The director dedicated some of them to his native New York and took part in them. He talked about himself and his experiences, attitude to life and close people. Sincerity and creative approach to film production were highly appreciated by viewers and film critics.
In 2014, Woody Allen was awarded the Golden Globe Award for his great contribution to world cinema. He received many other awards, such as Golden Lion, César Award and Academy Award. The director gave them to his parents and continued to be creative.
Woody Allen’s creative legacy
Woody Allen became a legend of American cinema, who is famous all over the world. He managed to do what many think is impossible. He changed modern cinema by creating new genres, styles and episodes with the participation of popular actors and beginners.
During his entire career from 1966 to 2014, he directed more than 50 films. The New York director wrote the scripts for most of them. He was also the main character in some film premieres. Each of his films is a masterpiece of the film industry for intellectuals, in which humor, love and material values are harmoniously combined.
Colleagues and viewers also respect Woody Allen for his workaholism. He shot a large number of films of various genres and was distinguished by the high speed of their production. The artistic comedy melodrama Annie Hall was recognized as the best premiere, for which Allen won 4 Academy Award nominations.
His films intertwine stories consisting of romantic, funny and tragic moments of human life. They are presented in comedies, dramas and detectives. Many of them have become popular not only in America but also in many other countries. Woody Allen was recognized as one of the most influential film directors of the XX-XXI centuries.
Personal life
The genius of American cinema Woody Allen achieved great success in his career. At the same time, he was unhappy in love. He was married several times, but no woman became his ideal partner for life.
His first chosen one was Harlene Rosen. They met at a jazz concert where Allen played saxophone and Rosen played piano. Young people fell in love with each other, got married and moved to New York. Woody Allen wrote humorous scripts and his wife studied philosophy. After 5 years, they realized that they needed to divorce. Harlene claimed that this was due to Woody’s difficult character. She won the trial and received financial compensation.
The American director lived with his second wife, actress Louise Lasser, for only 3 years. She took part in 4 of his films, but did not want to continue the relationship. At that time, Woody Allen devoted a lot of time to creativity and had a mistress, Diane Keaton.
After the second divorce, Woody Allen took a break from the relationship. He did not marry until 1997. He lived alone for many years despite the attention and sympathy of many admirers.
Romance in his life appeared again after meeting actress Mia Farrow. They were not married, but raised a son, Ronan Farrow, and 2 adopted children. They had a long relationship, although it also ended. A few years later, the couple broke up with scandal and legal proceedings.