Play It Again, Sam

Play it Again, Sam

Allan Felix in Play it Again, Sam is a fictionalized version of Woody Allen. For the first time, the neurotic, black-rimmed intellectual that is Woody Allen became transformed from the stage to the screen. This was not one of the three picture deals that Allen had signed with United Artists. Paramount had bought the screenplay rights to the play, and asked Woody to star in and adapt the play into a screenplay. Play it Again, Sam was a big hit on the stage in New York and London with Joseph Hardy directing. "

In 1968, Woody Allen started writing a play called Play It Again, Sam while he was doing standup in Chicago. It tells the story of Allan Felix, a film critic who has more than his share of bad luck with women. He's married at the beginning, but his wife leaves him when according to her he is an observer, not a doer. He confides with the ghost of Humphrey Bogart, who plays on his own the devil and angel on Allan's shoulder. Woody Allen in real life has a deep appreciation for all of Bogart's films, and it shows in many of his characters besides Allan Felix.

The film opens with Allan watching the ending of Casablanca, setting the tone for a film about a man obsessed with movies and at times tries to treat his personal problems as Bogart would. Allan has two friends, Dick and Linda Christie, who try to set him up with various types of women who are usually turned off by the act Allan puts on under Bogart's command.

Allan: What are you doing Saturday night?
Woman: Committing Suicide.
Allan: What about Friday night?

Linda goes more than out of her way to help find Allan a date, and they become friends. After several failed dates set up by Linda, Allan starts to only see hope in falling in love with Linda. Under the supervision and advice of Bogart, Allan confesses his love to Linda who inside felt the same way and they end up in bed together.

Allan: You were fantastic last night in bed.
Linda: Oh, thanks.
Allan: How do you feel now?
Linda: I think the Pepto Bismol helped.

Dick senses Linda is cheating on him, but not with Allan. Linda and Allan eventually come to their senses, and Linda goes back to Dick. It's hard not to compare the character of Allan to Woody himself, who had a long history up this point of finding the right woman.

For the film, Allen had Paramount cast Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts in the leading roles of Dick and Linda, while keeping the role of Allan for himself. Woody did not direct the film, and Herb Ross was brought in to transform the popular stage play onto the screen. Humphrey Bogart (Jerry Lacy) appears several times throughout the film to guide Allan in his quest for beautiful women. Allan is unable to distinguish fantasy from reality at points in the film Bogart is very demanding of Allan, and at times he refuses to give up on him. Bogart quite often will make Allan realize how foolish he is acting and reminding him he needs to quit worrying. Allan will often talk in a slang that imitates Bogart while looking in the mirror. When Allan is trying to confess his true feelings to Linda, Bogart is practically the little devil and angel on his shoulder telling him what to say and how to act.

Bogart: Go ahead, kiss' er.
Allan: I can't.
Bogart: She's ready.
Allan: How can you be sure?
Bogart: Believe me, I'm sure.
Allan: She'll pull back. I can feel it.
Bogart: Look, she's waiting and waiting; now don't screw up.
Allan: All right, I'm gonna try but I'm gonna go slow. If she screams I'll pretend it was a joke.
Bogart: Hurry up.
Allan: She better laugh. (phone rings) The phone....oh!! Hello? Dick? Yes, yes
she's here. Yes, she came over before. I was going out, I had a polish date. It's for you-it's from Cleveland, it's Dick. Yes, she's right....
Linda: Are you upset over anything?
Allan: No I was startled by the ring.
Allan: I want er' out!! I can't handle this; I'm gonna cause an international incident.
Bogart: Will you relax? You're as nervous as Lizabeth Scott was before I blew er' brains out. Look, all you gotta do is make your move and you're home free.
Allan: Oh this is crazy; we're all gonna wind up on the front page of the National Enquirer.

There is great chemistry between Woody Allen and Diane Keaton on the screen. This is the first film in a series in which they play opposite of each other. Her childlike gestures and mannerisms combined with his nervousness and hysterical negative outlooks on life combine to make quite a team. Diane Keaton is very playful in this film, and her and Woody react to one another naturally. It most likely helped the film that the two were dating off and on around this time. Playing these characters so many times on the stage, the two were most likely able to create a dynamic couple that most audiences could relate to easily.

Although not directed by Allen, Play it Again, Sam really does for the first time showcase the talent of his writing on the screen. The dialogue is not goofy and absurd like in Take the Money and Run and Bananas. There is real interaction between the main characters, and some deep conversation taking place. For the sake of the technical side of this film, it was most likely that having Herb Ross direct instead of Allen was a wise decision. Ross gave the film a professional look and the structure makes the film very easy to understand and enjoyable to watch.

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