'' was a
Play and
1972 Film written by and starring
Woody Allen , originally entitled ''Aspirins for Three''. The film was directed by
Herbert Ross .
The original play and the movie follow the same lines: Allen Felix (played by Allen) has just been through a messy divorce. His two friends, Linda (
Diane Keaton ) and Dick (
Tony Roberts ), attempt to convince him to go out with women again. He agrees, and throughout the film, he claims to be receiving dating advice from none other than
Humphrey Bogart .
As the film goes on we see that, when it comes to women, Allen puts on a false mask, a facade. He attempts to become sexy and sophisticated, only to end up ruining his chances by being too nervous. Eventually he develops feelings for Linda, who is married to Dick.
The ending is a parody of ''
Casablanca '''s famous ending. The fog, the trenchcoats worn and dialogue are reminiscent of the 1940s film.
- Woody Allen and Diane Keaton first met playing their roles on Broadway . By the time the play opened, they were lovers. When it closed, in 1970, they stopped living together.
- Allen was fully aware that Bogart never actually said "Play It Again, Sam" in ''Casablanca''. The title was chosen due to its clichéd familiarity. This is in keeping with the Bogart characterization, which itself is a Cliché .
- The Bogart character's comment, "You're as nervous as Lizabeth Scott was just before I blew her brains out!" is a reversal of the way it actually happened in '' Dead Reckoning ''.
Allen Felix is trying to make conversation with a morose-looking woman at an art museum:
:Allen: That's quite a lovely
Jackson Pollack , isn't it?
:Woman: Yes, it is.
:Allen: What does it say to you?
:Woman: It restates the negativeness of the universe. The hideous lonely emptiness of existence. Nothingness. The predicament of man forced to live in a barren, godless eternity like a tiny flame flickering in an immense void with nothing but waste, horror, and degradation, forming a useless, bleak straitjacket in a black, absurd cosmos.
:Allen: What are you doing Saturday night?
:Woman: Committing suicide.
:Allen: What about Friday night?
