Take the Money and Run
Directed by Woody Allen
Written by Woody Allen and Mickey Rose
1969/US
IMDb link
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Virgil: After fifteen minutes I wanted to marry her, and after half an hour I completely gave up the idea of stealing her purse.[/box]
Way before he was sophisticated, Woody Allen was ridiculous … and hilarious. This, his directorial debut, is classic early Allen.
The film takes the form of a mockumentary, some say the first, to tell the life story of Virgil Starkwell (Allen), world’s most inept criminal, through gags and voice-over narration. Virgil grew up in the inner city where he was bullied mercilessly. Unfit for employment, he begins a life of crime. Along the way, he falls in love with Louise (Janet Margolin), a laundress.
Virgil becomes inspired to carry off a bank robbery. Louise waits for him to serve his prison sentence. He then escapes chained together with a number of other men. Louise and Virgil marry and have a child. One entertaining bit follows another.
I have remembered the bits where Woody tries to play cello in the marching band and with the poorly written bank robbery note from 1969 to now. They are still funny as are many other gags. Perfect for Lockdown.
The Steve Miller Band had a hit with this in 1969. Coincidence?
