Radio Days is an
1987 film directed by
Woody Allen. The film looks back on American family life during the
Golden Age of Radio.
Allen narrates the stories of his youth, although he is never seen by the audience. The young Allen is portrayed onscreen by
Seth Green as "Joe". The film was screened out of competition at the
1987 Cannes Film Festival.
Film critic
Roger Ebert called it Allen’s answer to
Federico Fellini’s
Amarcord.
Featured cast
Synopsis
The Narrator (
Woody Allen) tells us how the radio influenced his childhood in the days before TV. In the
New York City of the late 1930s to the New Year's Eve 1944, this coming-of-age tale mixes the narrator's experiences with contemporary anecdotes and urban legends of the radio stars.
Even though the narrator's
Jewish-American family lives modestly in the
Queens neighborhood of
Rockaway Beach, each member finds in radio shows an escape from reality through the gossip of celebrities, sports legends of the day, crooners, etc. For the narrator, the action adventurers on the radio (one of them based on
The Shadow) inspire him, as he daydreams about his attractive substitute teacher, movie stars, and
World War II. Meanwhile, the story of an aspiring radio star's (
Mia Farrow) career is also told, along with the tale of the narrator's aunt Bea (
Dianne Wiest) and her search for love.
The musical score features songs from the 1930s and 40s, which play an important part in the plot. Even
Orson Welles' famous radio broadcast of
The War of the Worlds has an important role in Bea's life.
Awards and nominations
1987 Academy Awards (Oscars)
1987 BAFTA Film Awards
- Nominated – Best Screenplay Original: Woody Allen
1988 Writers Guild of America Awards
- Nominated – WGA Screen Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: Woody Allen
See also
