Broadway Danny Rose 1984

     Danny Rose is a not very successful manager of artists in New York during 1969.  On the plus side, he does go out of his way to help his acts.  Lou Canova is a singer with a chance to make a comeback.  Lou needs Danny to help him with his wife, his mistress Tina and a drinking problem!!  Danny wants Tina to be at all his concerts and he feels he can’t perform without her in the audience.  This is a problem because his wife also attends the concerts?  Danny gets more than he bargained for when two mobsters come looking for Tina and also the guy who has hurt their brother by taking Tina away?    

     This is classic Woody Allen!!  Danny Rose is a salesman and he’s always trying to make a sale.  He’s not selling merchandise but he’s selling performers.  He’s always looking for the next great performer and getting the greatest money deal.  Allen movies usually have a message and this film conveys forgiveness, acceptance, love and loss.  The acts that Danny handles are a one-armed juggler, a blind xylophone player, a parrot wearing clothes and singing “I gotta be me”, a one-legged tap dancer, a balloon folding act, a stuttering ventriloquist??  Actually Danny won’t manage the ventriloquist because even he can’t figure out this act??  This movie nails this time period and many people from New York went to the Catskills for vacations and to see the acts.  The film Dirty Dancing of 1987 with 7* out of 10* is about a young woman visitor (Baby played by Jennifer Grey) with her parents and a dancer Johnny Castle played by Patrick Swayze.  4* (I really liked this movie)           

84 min, Comedy directed, written by and starring Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Nick Apollo Forte, Sandy Baron, Corbett Monica, Jackie Gayle, Morty Gunty, Will Jordan, Howard Storm, Jack Rollins, Milton Berle, Craig Vandenburgh, Herb Reynolds, Paul Greco, Frank Renzulli.

Note:  Imdb 7.5 out of 10, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Rotten Tomatoes 100% critic 84% audience, Metacritic 80 out of 100 with 14 critics, Empire Online 4* Ian Nathan, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 218 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in New York and New Jersey.  This is Nick Apollo Forte’s only film appearance.  Mia Farrow wears sunglasses during most of her scenes.  Allen felt she could pass herself off more as a tough Italian “broad” with the glasses.  It would also make her seem more sultry and mysterious?  Weinstein’s Majestic Bungalow Colony resort in the Catskills is mentioned in the film.  Allen got his start in show business at the Colony performing magic tricks at the age of sixteen.  Allen’s manager and producer Jack Rollins was the inspiration for the Rose character and he also appears in this film as himself.  This is one of Allen’s favorite films and the others in order are Match Point, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Stardust Memories, Manhattan Murder Mystery.