Much-deserved honor for America’s best-loved neurotic

THE 78-YEAR-OLD filmmaker has chalked up an enviable record of 74 films! illustration by Nastasha Verayo

Woody Allen’s Cecil B. De Mille lifetime achievement award at last month’s Golden Globe awards thrilled his loyal fans, us included, because it was a well-deserved honor and reminded film buffs of the comedian-filmmaker’s exceptional contributions to the film medium.

One of the pioneering “indie” filmmakers in the movie trade, 78-year-old Allen has chalked up the enviable record of coming up with 74 films in almost a half-century of moviemaking—or just about one for every year of his life!

Allen was able to make so many movies and find financing for them because he produces inexpensive and generally intimate films, which are relatively easy to bankroll.

In addition, he’s become so celebrated, especially on the arthouse circuit, that he has a rather substantial and very loyal following that looks forward to and patronizes his unique and idiosyncratic output.

Precocious talent

Sometimes described as America’s best-loved neurotic, Allen hated school when he was a child, but he demonstrated a precocious talent for writing jokes and humorous stories. He got them published in newspapers and, right after graduating from high school, he worked as a full-time writer for comedy star, Sid Caesar. After he had written enough jokes, he became a stand-up comedian in New York’s comedy clubs.

“What’s New Pussycat?” (1965) was his ticket to the movies as actor and scriptwriter, but the experience wasn’t a happy one for him—and the same thing went for his follow-up movie, “Casino Royale.”

Much more to his liking was “Take the Money and Run,” in which he both starred and directed. A film chronicler recalls, “This paved the way for Allen to make those bitingly satirical yet warmly human films with which he is closely associated—like ‘Love and Death’ (1975), ‘Annie Hall,’ ‘Interiors,’ ‘Manhattan’ and ‘Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy.’”

Interestingly enough, Allen isn’t what you would call a looker and lady-killer, but he’s romanced some of the loveliest ladies of the silver screen, both onscreen and off!

Constant companion

Diane Keaton was his constant companion for many years, so it was no surprise at the Golden Globe rites when she was tapped to present the Cecil B. De Mille honor to her former director, costar and paramour.

Keaton’s loving tribute to Allen was one of the ceremony’s highlights, because she came up with much more than the expected praises and encomiums, sharing her own astute insights into what has made Allen so unique and outstanding.

Aside from Keaton, Allen was linked to Mia Farrow and other famous female stars, but an affair with his adoptive stepdaughter got him some very scathing press, so his image as a cool and cuddly lover was tarnished, and he focused more fully on his filmmaking.

That was all to the good, it turned out, because many of his 74 movies are acclaimed, making him one of US cinema’s most quietly iconic and productive figures!