The Secrets Behind the Woody Allen's Movie Annie Hall Success

The 1970s could be characterized as the decade of renaissance in American film history. While Hollywood was entering a period of change and self-scrutiny, the well-known stand-up comedian Woody Allen stood apart as a talent of amusement and has left a remarkable legacy of 7 features in a decennium. During this period of time, he produced his finest works like Bananas, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask), Love and Death, Interiors, Manhattan, Sleeper and Annie Hall. Released in 1977, it is argued that Annie Hall happens to be one of the most comical motion pictures produced in America since World War Two and has set the standard for modern romantic comedy as well as new grounds for Woody Allen himself.

During his active period of directing, Allen distinguished himself in contemporary American cinema and identified as a part of the New Hollywood generation known as the New American Wave. The recession of the film industry in the late 1960s and the exploration of possibilities to broaden the audience with younger generations caused Hollywood to lookout for new storytelling concepts. Studios started granting filmmakers the opportunity to create something analogue to European art films. It became the perfect medium for junior American directors to accommodate storytelling techniques and themes pioneered in the European art cinema. David Bordwell’s historical insight suggests that the new generation embraced art films dwelling on mood, characterization, and psychological ambiguity.

The essence of early New Wave characteristics can be grasped in Woody Allen’s productions. His movies express jumbled storylines, real-world scenarios and ordinary matters. Moreover, he embraces the Auteur Film by taking control of the whole program in filmmaking. He would usually be credited as a screenwriter, director and cast of his films. In addition, he would be supervising the editing crew, choosing the soundtracks and initiating projects based on his personal style. However, amongst the relatively younger New Hollywood directors’ generation, Allen appeared to be bit old-fashioned. He was modern enough to seem part of a contemporary social problem, the exemplar of the modern narcissist, the distracted consumer of 'relationships' but aghast at contemporary vulgarity. His modishness stemmed from his films' willingness to talk about sex. With all the talk his films he held back from depicting the act itself. He was already in his early 40s when Annie Hall was released. His music was out of the context of those times. Bechet and Duke Ellington, not Hendrix or the Eagles. Allen was sexual, but no 'stud', sensitive, courteous, and above all both funny and ultimately earnest.

It is no surprise that Woody Allen drew a lot from his own life into the film making it difficult distinguishing autobiographical fiction and wish-fulfilment. Born in a Jewish family in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City, he revealed his talent relatively early by writing jokes and selling them to local newspaper columnists. As reported by composer Mary Rodgers, his distinctive comedic style was shortly recognized and Woody Allen would start growing his reputation as a “genius” after writing for many of television’s leading comedians and comedy shows. To augment his comedy writing, he became a stand-up comedian and developed an anxious, nervous and intellectual persona for his act that would later become his trademark.

Allen preferred monologues over traditional jokes and his topics were rarely political or socially relevant, instead they were based on life experience and often made fun of intellectuals. Combined with an uneasy onstage naturalness and dead serious demeanor, it is what made Woody Allen so idiosyncratic. It is the exact same character that we are exposed to in his films and Annie Hall is no exception. Since the start of the opening monologue scene, proposing to have broken up with Annie Hall, the director instantly starts drawing blurry lines between his characters and cast. Woody Allen and Diane Keaton were lovers, just as Alvy and Annie are in the film.

Moreover, the name Annie Hall has been inspired by Keaton who was originally born Diane Hall but later adopted her mother’s maiden name. Additionally, both Allen and Keaton wore their own clothes on set and Alvy would use the same jokes as Allen would on a daily-basis. In short, Annie Hall is full of personal style and debates of humanity. ‘Almost all of my work is autobiographical – exaggerated but true’, Allen said.

In his personal study film historian Peter Cowie explores the New York-centric theme in Annie Hall, claiming that Woody Allen was able to sculpture a persona by recapturing the mood of the 70s and embodying the conception of New York lived by sophisticated intellectuals. He placed a great deal of emphasis on geographical location as the bedrock for personal identity. Originally, Annie Hall had to become a three hour film including a mysterious murder and a man going through mid-life crisis reflecting on his life. It was provisionally entitled Anhedonia, a term used to describe inability to feel pleasure. Primarily, it was foreseen to be shot in Boston until Allen persuaded screenwriter Marshall Brickman to do it in New York in a contemporary style. Such resolution brought more autobiographical value to the story.

The adoration of a metropolitan city is what connects Alvy Singer to Woody Allen in the first place. New York City symbolizes Alvy Singer: gloomy, socially cold, claustrophobic, but also an intellectual haven full of nervous energy. It is his safest place and a cultural mecca, which is why he feels uncomfortable to be anywhere else. The director always felt personally close to the lifestyle he recreated in Annie Hall. The lining up in Third Avenue movie theatres, Madison Avenue boutiques, bookshops, myriad restaurants, clubbing and even conversations all work together creating an impression of a charming and sophisticated metropolis spirit – just like Allen experienced it. Therefore, feeling the need to establish so many locations, Woody Allen had to witness a tremendous increase in the budget of his film to move the entire production around the city. In the end, the cost of the film blew from estimated 3 million to 4 million US dollars. On the other hand, New York has never been portrayed in a similar way on screen before and remains an imperative part of Annie Hall. The city is an intimate ambience for both Alvy Singer and Woody Allen himself.

Primarily released to cinemas in the United States, Annie Hall became the 7th highest earning film of 1977. The film broke five records in its first weekend earning $12 million in rentals at the United States box-office and over $38 million internationally. That said, it is Allen’s top earning film in America. The movie snatched 4 out of 5 nominations at the 50th Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and preserved the title of being the last comedy and the second shortest one to achieve Best Picture award until 2011.

However, Woody Allen was sceptical about his accolade by the Academy members and decided to stay in New York admiring his regular jazz show. ‘I know it sounds horrible, but winning that Oscar for Annie Hall didn’t mean anything to me. I have no regard for that kind of ceremony. I just don't think they know what they’re doing. When you see who wins those things - or doesn't win them - you can see how meaningless this Oscar thing is’, Allen said.

Nonetheless, the film continued to draw awards along with special attention from associations like BAFTA, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Writers Guild Of America, BBC and others. It has been ranked as No. 35 in 100 Best Movies by the American Film Institute and No. 4 on the AFI list of 100 Best Comedies.