Radio Days (1987)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

30 January 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Plot:

A nostalgic look at radio's golden age focusing on one ordinary family and the various performers in the medium.

Plot Keywords:

Radio | Cigarette Girl | Nostalgic | Beach | Working Class

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Mike Starr	...	Burglar
Paul Herman	...	Burglar
Don Pardo	...	'Guess That Tune' Host
Martin Rosenblatt	...	Mr. Needleman
Helen Miller	...	Mrs. Needleman
Danielle Ferland	...	Child Star
Julie Kavner	...	Mother
Julie Kurnitz	...	Irene
David Warrilow	...	Roger
Wallace Shawn	...	Masked Avenger
Mick Murray	...	Avenger Crook (as Michael Murray)
William Flanagan	...	Avenger Announcer
Seth Green	...	Joe
Michael Tucker	...	Father
Josh Mostel	...	Abe

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PA (Ontario) | Netherlands:6 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

This is the only Woody Allen film in which both of his frequent collaborators and longtime companions Mia Farrow and Diane Keaton appear.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The song "Mairzy Doats" was played and commented on by the film's narrator prior to the point in the movie where the announcement of the bombing of Pearl Harbor is made on the radio. "Mairzy Doats" was not written until nearly two years later in 1943, therefore, the song could not have been heard on the radio before December 7, 1941.

Quotes:

Joe: [as he realizes the substitute teacher is the woman he and his friends saw dancing naked in the window] Oh God, we're all going straight to hell!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Martin: Radio Days (#1.13)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Re-Lax Jingle

My favorite Woody Allen movie...

"Radio Days" is an absolute joy. I love remembrances, and Woody's look back at his WWII childhood glows with warmth. It is snuggly and cozy and it made me want to go back to the 1940s, which I never wanted to do before. It is an extremely sentimental movie, but the sentiment is balanced by Woody's light touch and by his humor, and so you can enjoy basking in the bittersweet without feeling like you've been played. All the vignettes are evenly balanced and nothing is given an overt emotional spin, and I think it's the distance that makes the movie work so well. If we had been closer to the characters, it would have risked sappiness. This way, they're closer to relatives that we knew only as very young children - and we can remember certain things in a certain light... I wonder what Woody feels about "Radio Days" because it looks to have been made by a man with a huge heart. And, of course, it is very, very funny throughout. And the old 30s and 40s soundtrack and the amber-tinted cinematography add to the feel.