Broadway Danny Rose: A movie that never gets old

Pocket Review, Title Broadway Danny Rose, Studio MGM/UA, Rating 4.5,

	Broadway Danny Rose (1984) Director: Woody Allen Pocket Review

Clip: Danny's recipe for show business success

The top of my Woody Allen movie list is reserved for Broadway Danny Rose'. The movie opens with a scene at the Carnegie Deli, with a bunch of (actual) Borscht Belt comedians swapping stories on a lazy afternoon, and one of them begins to tell Danny's story. Danny is a very small-time theatrical agent in New York City, kind of the Charlie Brown of agents, who never seems to get a break. He works his butt off for small-time acts: Balloon folders, waterglass musicians,one-legged tap-dancers, stuttering ventriloquists, and the like.

Danny finally gets a break with an aging Italian crooner, and from there the story gets crazy, with Mia Farrow taking an unlikely and great turn playing a mobster’s daughter. Danny Rose is my favorite Woody Allen character.

Woody Allen has been a favorite for many years. Otherwise, my favorite Woody Allen movies are Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Love and Death, Annie Hall, Bullets Over Broadway, and Hannah and Her Sisters.. While I tend to prefer his more comedic efforts, he has done some fine work dramatically.

If you want to succeed in show business, Danny advises you to remember your three S’s: Star, Smile, Strong. (Watch the clip to see Danny coaching his balloon-folding act.)