A neurotic film critic obsessed with the movie Casablanca attempts to get over his wife leaving him by dating again with the help of a married couple and his illusory idol, Humphrey Bogart.
Acting
Diane Keaton's exasperated warmth against Allen's full-body awkwardness.
Writing
Allen adapting his own play—tight, quotable, Bogart-obsessed.
Production
Bogart hallucinations shot like noir dream sequences in a beige apartment.
Director
Herbert Ross
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jerry Lacy played Bogart on Broadway too; the role made him the definitive ghost impersonator of 1970s culture.
This was Allen's first leading film role where he didn't direct—Herbert Ross kept him from overthinking every shot, resulting in his most relaxed early performance.
US
