Radio Days
Encyclopedia
Radio Days is a 1987 comedy film directed by Woody Allen
. The film looks back on an American family's life during the Golden Age of Radio using both music and memories to tell the story.
) tells us how the radio influenced his childhood in the days before TV. Allen himself narrated the stories of his youth, although he is never seen by the audience. The young Allen is portrayed onscreen by Seth Green
as "Joe". In the New York City
of his youth in the late 1930s to a rooftop overlooking Times Square
on New Year's Eve
1944, this coming-of-age tale mixes the narrator's experiences with his remembrances and anecdotes, inserting his memories of urban legends of the radio stars, and is told in constantly changing plot points and vignettes.
Even though the narrator's Jewish-American family lives modestly in the Queens
, New York
neighborhood of Rockaway Beach
, each member at one point during the film finds in radio shows an escape from reality through the gossip of celebrities, sports legends of the day, game shows, and crooners, with the majority of the stories taking place in the glitz and glamour of Manhattan
. For the narrator, the action adventure shows on the radio (one of them based on The Shadow
) inspire him, as he daydreams about buying a secret decoder ring, an attractive substitute teacher who has a scandalous secret, movie stars (who may or not be as honest as they appear), and World War II
.
Meanwhile, several other parallel stories are told, from an aspiring radio star named Sally White (Mia Farrow
), the narrator's Aunt Bea (Dianne Wiest
) and her (mostly fruitless) search for love, and during the middle of the film on the radio the tragic story is told about a little girl named Polly Phelps, who falls into a well near Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It becomes a big national story and as the family listens in, sadly little Polly does not survive. (This was actually inspired by the true story of Kathy Fiscus
, a little girl who fell into a well in Southern California
in 1949 and died after an exhaustive attempt to rescue her.)
The musical score, which features songs from the 1930s and 40s, plays an important, integral and seamless part in the plot. Orson Welles
' famous 1939 CBS
radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds
has an important role in one of the vignettes.
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
.
In a poll of 500 films held by Empire
magazine, it was voted 304th Greatest Movie of all time.
and compact disc
in 1987:
01. Glenn Miller
- In The Mood
02. Larry Clinton
- I Double Dare You
03. Tommy Dorsey
- Opus No. 1
04. Artie Shaw
- Frenesi
05. Allan Jones - The Donkey Serenade
06. Benny Goodman
Trio - Body and Soul
07. Tommy Dorsey
- You and I
08. Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye
- Remember Pearl Harbor
09. Guy Lombardo
- That Old Feeling
10. Glenn Miller
- (There'll Be Blue Birds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover
11. Benny Goodman
- Goodbye
12. Tommy Dorsey
- I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You
13. Richard Himber
- Lullaby of Broadway
14. Glenn Miller
- American Patrol
15. Duke Ellington
- Take the A Train
16. Xavier Cugat
- One, Two, Three, Kick
(Unfortunately, there were many other songs omitted from the release, as there were over 40 songs used in the film. According to the IMDB film website, the following is a list of the other songs:)
Harry James
and his Orchestra - Flight of the Bumblebee
September Song
(in the score in a Rockaway scene and reprised at a beach scene and at the end)
Dancing in the Dark (played by the orchestra at the Guess That Tune broadcast)
Chinatown, My Chinatown
(played by the orchestra at the Guess That Tune broadcast)
The Sailor's Hornpipe
(a traditional song played at the Guess That Tune broadcast)
Let's All Sing Like The Birdies Sing (sung by Danielle Ferland
(uncredited) in a radio commercial)
You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
(played at the roller rink)
Cole Porter
- Begin The Beguine
(played as dance music at the nightclub and sung briefly by David Warrilow (uncredited) on the roof)
Cole Porter
- Just One Of Those Things (played as dance music at the King Cole room on New Year's Eve)
Cole Porter
- You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(performed by Diane Keaton
(uncredited) at a nightclub)
Cole Porter
- Night and Day
(played as dance music at a nightclub)
The Castilians - La Cumparsita
Bing Crosby
and The Andrews Sisters
- Pistol Packin' Mama
(used during the snowman sequence)
The Ink Spots
- If I Didn't Care
The Merry Macs
- Mairzy Doats
Frank Sinatra
- If You Are But A Dream
Richard Hayes
with the Xavier Cugat
Orchestra - Babalu
(with Richard Hayes (uncredited) played during the substitute teacher scene)
They're Either Too Young or Too Old (by Jimmy Dorsey
and His Orchestra (uncredited) and sung by Kitty Carlisle (uncredited) in a Maxwell House
radio show)
Dick Hyman
- Radio Show Themes (composed exclusively for the film)
Dick Hyman - Re-Lax Jingle (performed by Mia Farrow
(uncredited) for a radio ad)
Auld Lang Syne
(a traditional played on New Year's Eve)
Carioca
(played as dance music at a nightclub)
Tico Tico (performed by Denise Dumont
(uncredited) with Tito Puente
(uncredited) and His Band)
All Or Nothing At All
(sung by Todd Field
(uncredited) on radio)
Paper Doll
(performed by The Mills Brothers on radio)
Schloff mein Kind (or Schlaf mein Kind) (performed by traditional Yiddish folksinger Emil Decameron as background when Sally first gets on the radio)
I Don't Want To Walk Without You
(performed by Mia Farrow (uncredited) at a USO show)
You'll Never Know
(played by the band at the Broadway dance palace)
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
. The film looks back on an American family's life during the Golden Age of Radio using both music and memories to tell the story.
Plot
The Narrator (Woody AllenWoody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
) tells us how the radio influenced his childhood in the days before TV. Allen himself narrated the stories of his youth, although he is never seen by the audience. The young Allen is portrayed onscreen by Seth Green
Seth Green
Seth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
as "Joe". In the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
of his youth in the late 1930s to a rooftop overlooking Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
1944, this coming-of-age tale mixes the narrator's experiences with his remembrances and anecdotes, inserting his memories of urban legends of the radio stars, and is told in constantly changing plot points and vignettes.
Even though the narrator's Jewish-American family lives modestly in the Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
neighborhood of Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach, Queens
Rockaway Beach is a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located on the South Shore of Long Island. The neighborhood is bounded by Arverne to the east and Rockaway Park to the west...
, each member at one point during the film finds in radio shows an escape from reality through the gossip of celebrities, sports legends of the day, game shows, and crooners, with the majority of the stories taking place in the glitz and glamour of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. For the narrator, the action adventure shows on the radio (one of them based on The Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
) inspire him, as he daydreams about buying a secret decoder ring, an attractive substitute teacher who has a scandalous secret, movie stars (who may or not be as honest as they appear), and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Meanwhile, several other parallel stories are told, from an aspiring radio star named Sally White (Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
), the narrator's Aunt Bea (Dianne Wiest
Dianne Wiest
Dianne Wiest is an American actress. She has had a successful career on stage, television, and film, and has won two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Wiest has also been nominated for a BAFTA Award.-Early life:...
) and her (mostly fruitless) search for love, and during the middle of the film on the radio the tragic story is told about a little girl named Polly Phelps, who falls into a well near Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It becomes a big national story and as the family listens in, sadly little Polly does not survive. (This was actually inspired by the true story of Kathy Fiscus
Kathy Fiscus
Kathryn Anne Fiscus was a three-year-old girl who died after falling into a well in San Marino, California. The attempted rescue, broadcast live on KTLA, was a landmark event in American television history.-Biography:...
, a little girl who fell into a well in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
in 1949 and died after an exhaustive attempt to rescue her.)
The musical score, which features songs from the 1930s and 40s, plays an important, integral and seamless part in the plot. Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
' famous 1939 CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds (radio)
The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938, and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by actor and future filmmaker...
has an important role in one of the vignettes.
The film was screened out of competition at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival
1987 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Yves Montand*Danièle Heymann*Elem Klimov*Gérald Calderon*Jeremy Thomas*Jerzy Skolimowski*Nicola Piovani*Norman Mailer*Theo Angelopoulos-Feature film competition:...
. Film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
called it Allen’s answer to Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
’s Amarcord
Amarcord
Amarcord is a 1973 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the fictional town of Borgo in 1930s Fascist Italy...
.
In a poll of 500 films held by Empire
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
magazine, it was voted 304th Greatest Movie of all time.
Cast
- Danny AielloDanny AielloDaniel Louis "Danny" Aiello, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures, including Once Upon a Time in America, Ruby, The Godfather: Part II, Hudson Hawk, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Moonstruck, Léon, Two Days in the Valley, and Dinner Rush...
as Rocco - Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
as The Narrator - Sydney Blake as Mrs Gordon
- Leah Carrey as Grandma
- Jeff DanielsJeff DanielsJeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
as Biff Baxter - Larry DavidLarry DavidLawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
as Communist Neighbor - William H. MacyWilliam H. MacyWilliam Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
as Radio Actor - Mia FarrowMia FarrowMia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
as Sally White - Todd FieldTodd FieldWilliam Todd Field, known professionally as Todd Field is an American actor and writer/director. He has received three Academy Award nominations.-Background and personal life:...
as Crooner - Seth GreenSeth GreenSeth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
as Joe - Kitty Carlisle HartKitty Carlisle HartKitty Carlisle was an American singer, actress and spokeswoman for the arts. She is best remembered as a regular panelist on the television game show To Tell the Truth. She served 20 years on the New York State Council on the Arts. In 1991, she received the National Medal of Arts from President...
as Maxwell HouseMaxwell HouseMaxwell House is a brand of coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Foods. Introduced in 1892, it is named in honor of the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. For many years until the late 1980s it was the largest-selling coffee in the U.S. and is currently second behind...
(Coffee) Radio Jingle Singer - Paul HermanPaul HermanPaul Herman is an American actor. His appearances in movies include Once Upon a Time in America and Analyze That. He also had a recurring role on The Sopranos as "Beansie" Gaeta, as well as another HBO series, Entourage, as Vincent Chase's accountant, Marvin...
as Burglar - Julie KavnerJulie KavnerJulie Deborah Kavner is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. Noted for her role as Marge Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, she also voices other characters for the show, including Jacqueline Bouvier, and Patty and Selma Bouvier.Born in Los...
as Mother - Diane KeatonDiane KeatonDiane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
as New Year's Singer - Renée Lippin as Aunt Ceil
- Judith MalinaJudith MalinaJudith Malina is an American theater and film actress, writer, and director, who was one of the founders of The Living Theatre.-Early life:...
as Mrs. Waldbaum - William Magerman as Grandpa
- Kenneth MarsKenneth MarsKenneth Mars was an American television, movie, and voice actor. He may be best-remembered for his roles in several Mel Brooks films: the insane Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in 1968's The Producers, and the relentless Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Fredrich Kemp in 1974's Young Frankenstein...
as Rabbi Baumel - Josh MostelJosh MostelJoshua "Josh" Mostel is an American actor who is best known for his roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and two Adam Sandler films .-Life and career:...
as Uncle Abe - Tony RobertsTony Roberts (actor)David Anthony "Tony" Roberts is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in several Woody Allen movies, usually cast as Allen's best friend.-Early life:...
as "Silver Dollar" Emcee - Rebecca SchaefferRebecca SchaefferRebecca Lucile Schaeffer was an American actress best known for her role in the sitcom My Sister Sam...
as Communists' Daughter - Wallace ShawnWallace ShawnWallace Michael Shawn , sometimes credited as Wally Shawn, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, author, voice artist, and intellectual. His best-known film roles include Wally Shawn in My Dinner with Andre , Vizzini in The Princess Bride , and debate teacher Mr...
as Masked Avenger - Mike StarrMike Starr (actor)Michael "Mike" Starr is an American actor. Starr is notable for his large size, standing 6 ft 3 1/2 in , and has typically been typecast as thugs or henchmen....
as Burglar - Don PardoDon PardoDominick George "Don" Pardo is an American radio and television announcer. He is best known as the voice of the long-running late night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live....
as "Guess That Tune" Host - Michael TuckerMichael Tucker (actor)Michael Tucker is an American actor and author, most widely known for his role in L.A. Law, a portrayal for which he received Emmy nominations three years in a row....
as Father - Dianne WiestDianne WiestDianne Wiest is an American actress. She has had a successful career on stage, television, and film, and has won two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Wiest has also been nominated for a BAFTA Award.-Early life:...
as Aunt Bea - Kenneth WelshKenneth WelshKenneth Welsh, CM is a Canadian film and television actor . He is known to Twin Peaks fans as the multi-faceted villain Windom Earle, and has more recently played the father of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.In 1984 he was nominated for a Genie Award as Best Actor for his...
as Radio Voice
Soundtrack
A soundtrack of the film, titled "Radio Days: Selections From The Original Soundtrack Of The Motion Picture" was released on cassetteCompact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
and compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 1987:
01. Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
- In The Mood
In the Mood
"In the Mood" is a big band era #1 hit recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. Joe Garland and Andy Razaf arranged "In the Mood" in 1937-1939 using a previously existing main theme composed by Glenn Miller before the start of the 1930s...
02. Larry Clinton
Larry Clinton
Larry Clinton was a trumpeter who became a prominent American bandleader.-Biography:Clinton was born in Brooklyn, New York. He became a versatile musician, capable of playing trumpet, trombone, and clarinet...
- I Double Dare You
03. Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
- Opus No. 1
04. Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
- Frenesi
Frenesi
"Frenesi" is a musical piece originally composed by Alberto Dominguez for the marimba, and adapted as a jazz standard by Leonard Whitcup and others. A hit version recorded by Artie Shaw reached number one on the Billboard pop chart on December 21, 1940...
05. Allan Jones - The Donkey Serenade
06. Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
Trio - Body and Soul
Body and Soul (song)
"Body and Soul" was recorded as a duet by Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse in 2011. It was the final recording made by Winehouse before her death on July 23, 2011. The single was released worldwide on September 14, 2011 on iTunes, MTV and VH1....
07. Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
- You and I
08. Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye
Sammy Kaye
Sammy Kaye , born Samuel Zarnocay, Jr., was an American bandleader and songwriter, whose tag line, "Swing and sway with Sammy Kaye", became one of the most famous of the Big Band Era.-Biography:...
- Remember Pearl Harbor
09. Guy Lombardo
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
- That Old Feeling
That Old Feeling (song)
"That Old Feeling" is a popular song.The music was written by Sammy Fain, the lyrics by Lew Brown. The song was published in 1937.The song first appeared in the movie Vogues of 1938, actually released in 1937. It was immediately a hit in a version recorded by Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm...
10. Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
- (There'll Be Blue Birds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover
11. Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
- Goodbye
Goodbye (Gordon Jenkins song)
Goodbye is a song written by American composer and arranger Gordon Jenkins, published in 1935. It became well known as the closing theme song of the Benny Goodman orchestra....
12. Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
- I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You
13. Richard Himber
Richard Himber
Richard Himber was an American bandleader, composer, violinist, magician and practical joker.-Early life:He was born as Herbert Richard Imber in Newark, New Jersey to the owner of a chain of meat stores...
- Lullaby of Broadway
Lullaby of Broadway
Lullaby of Broadway can refer to:*"Lullaby of Broadway" , a popular song with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, published in 1935*Lullaby of Broadway , a 1951 movie with Doris Day, in which she sings the song...
14. Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
- American Patrol
American Patrol
"American Patrol" is a popular march written by F. W. Meacham in 1885. Written originally for piano, it was then arranged for wind band and published by Carly Discher in 1891. Meacham's widow renewed the copyright in 1912. It was later arranged for Glenn Miller's swing band by Jerry Gray in 1941,...
15. Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
- Take the A Train
Take the A Train
"Take the 'A' Train" is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn that was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra. It is arguably the most famous of the many compositions to emerge from the collaboration of Ellington and Strayhorn.-History:...
16. Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat was a Spanish-American bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a key personality in the spread of Latin music in United States popular music. He was also a cartoonist and a successful businessman...
- One, Two, Three, Kick
(Unfortunately, there were many other songs omitted from the release, as there were over 40 songs used in the film. According to the IMDB film website, the following is a list of the other songs:)
Harry James
Harry James
Henry Haag “Harry” James was a trumpeter who led a jazz swing band during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone.-Biography:He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a...
and his Orchestra - Flight of the Bumblebee
Flight of the Bumblebee
"Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. The piece closes Act III, Tableau 1, during which the magic Swan-Bird changes Prince Gvidon Saltanovich into an insect so that he can fly away to...
September Song
September Song
"September Song" is an American pop standard composed by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, introduced by Walter Huston in the 1938 Broadway musical Knickerbocker Holiday. It has since been recorded by numerous singers and instrumentalists...
(in the score in a Rockaway scene and reprised at a beach scene and at the end)
Dancing in the Dark (played by the orchestra at the Guess That Tune broadcast)
Chinatown, My Chinatown
Chinatown, My Chinatown
"Chinatown, My Chinatown" is a popular song written by William Jerome and Jean Schwartz in 1910.Jerome and Schwartz incorporated Chinese musical forms into Western music for the melody...
(played by the orchestra at the Guess That Tune broadcast)
The Sailor's Hornpipe
The Sailor's Hornpipe
The Sailor's Hornpipe is a traditional hornpipe melody.- History :The usual tune for this dance was first printed as the "College Hornpipe" in 1797 or 1798 by J. Dale of London....
(a traditional song played at the Guess That Tune broadcast)
Let's All Sing Like The Birdies Sing (sung by Danielle Ferland
Danielle Ferland
Danielle Ferland is an American actress and singer.-Career:Ferland attended Bunnell High School in Stratford, CT from 1983–1987 and attended New York University....
(uncredited) in a radio commercial)
You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me
"You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me" is a popular song.The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Al Dubin. The song was published in 1932. It appears in the backstager Warner Brothers musical film 42nd Street...
(played at the roller rink)
Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
- Begin The Beguine
Begin the Beguine
"Begin the Beguine" is a song written by Cole Porter . Porter composed the song at the piano in the bar of the Ritz Hotel in Paris. In October 1935, it was introduced by June Knight in the Broadway musical Jubilee produced at the Imperial Theatre in New York City.-Music:The beguine music and dance...
(played as dance music at the nightclub and sung briefly by David Warrilow (uncredited) on the roof)
Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
- Just One Of Those Things (played as dance music at the King Cole room on New Year's Eve)
Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
- You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
"You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is a popular song written by Cole Porter, for the 1943 film Something to Shout About, where it was introduced by Janet Blair and Don Ameche. Dinah Shore had a major hit with the song at the time of its introduction...
(performed by Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
(uncredited) at a nightclub)
Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
- Night and Day
Night and Day (song)
"Night and Day" is a popular song by Cole Porter. It was written for the 1932 musical play Gay Divorce. It is perhaps Porter's most popular contribution to the Great American Songbook and has been recorded by dozens of artists....
(played as dance music at a nightclub)
The Castilians - La Cumparsita
La Cumparsita
"La cumparsita" is a musical piece written by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez, an Uruguayan musician, in 1916. It is among the most famous and recognizable tango songs of all time....
Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
and The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews , soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews , and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews...
- Pistol Packin' Mama
Pistol Packin' Mama
"Pistol Packin' Mama" is a 1943 song composed by Al Dexter. The song is notable in that it was the first number one on the Juke Box Folk Records chart, which would later be known as the Hot Country Songs chart...
(used during the snowman sequence)
The Ink Spots
The Ink Spots
The Ink Spots were a popular vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop...
- If I Didn't Care
If I Didn't Care
"If I Didn't Care" is a song written by Jack Lawrence that was originally sung and recorded by The Ink Spots in 1939. According to Lawrence, he mailed the song before showing it to some of his friends. His friends' reaction to the song was almost universally negative, but he remained positive on it...
The Merry Macs
The Merry Macs
The Merry Macs were an American close-harmony pop music quartet active from the 1920s till the 1960s and best known for the hits “Mairzy Doats,” “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” and "Sentimental Journey." They also sang on recordings with Bing Crosby....
- Mairzy Doats
Mairzy Doats
Mairzy Doats is a novelty song composed in 1943 by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston. It was first played on radio station WOR, New York, by Al Trace and his Silly Symphonists. The song made the pop charts several times, with a version by the Merry Macs reaching No. 1 in March 1944...
Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
- If You Are But A Dream
If You Are but a Dream
"If You Are But a Dream" is a popular song published in 1942 with words and music by Moe Jaffe, Jack Fulton and Nat Bonx. The melody is based on Anton Rubinstein's "Romance in E flat, Op. 44,No. 1," popularly known as "Rubenstein's Romance....
Richard Hayes
Richard Hayes
Richard Hayes is a professor of Buddhist philosophy at the University of New Mexico. He received his Ph.D. in religious studies from the University of Toronto in 1982....
with the Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat was a Spanish-American bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a key personality in the spread of Latin music in United States popular music. He was also a cartoonist and a successful businessman...
Orchestra - Babalu
Babalu (song)
Babalu is the title of a Cuban song, written by Margarita Lecuona, the cousin of composers Ernestina and Ernesto Lecuona. The song title is either a reference to the Santería deity Babalu Aye or to Babalawo, the title of a Santería priest and diviner....
(with Richard Hayes (uncredited) played during the substitute teacher scene)
They're Either Too Young or Too Old (by Jimmy Dorsey
Jimmy Dorsey
James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...
and His Orchestra (uncredited) and sung by Kitty Carlisle (uncredited) in a Maxwell House
Maxwell House
Maxwell House is a brand of coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Foods. Introduced in 1892, it is named in honor of the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. For many years until the late 1980s it was the largest-selling coffee in the U.S. and is currently second behind...
radio show)
Dick Hyman
Dick Hyman
Richard “Dick” Hyman is an American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer, best-known for his versatility with jazz piano styles. Over a 50 year career, he has functioned as pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and, increasingly, as composer...
- Radio Show Themes (composed exclusively for the film)
Dick Hyman - Re-Lax Jingle (performed by Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
(uncredited) for a radio ad)
Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...
(a traditional played on New Year's Eve)
Carioca
Carioca
Carioca is a Portuguese adjective or demonym that is used to refer to the native inhabitants of the city of Rio de Janeiro - capital of the homonym state , in Brazil...
(played as dance music at a nightclub)
Tico Tico (performed by Denise Dumont
Denise Dumont
-Selected filmography:* Filhos e Amantes * Rio Babilônia * Kiss of the Spider Woman * The Allnighter * Radio Days * The Long Haul * Heart of Midnight -External links:...
(uncredited) with Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
(uncredited) and His Band)
All Or Nothing At All
All or Nothing at All
"All or Nothing at All" is a song composed in 1939 by Arthur Altman, with lyrics by Jack Lawrence.Frank Sinatra's 1939 recording of the song became a huge hit in 1943, when it was reissued by Columbia Records during the 1942-43 musicians' strike...
(sung by Todd Field
Todd Field
William Todd Field, known professionally as Todd Field is an American actor and writer/director. He has received three Academy Award nominations.-Background and personal life:...
(uncredited) on radio)
Paper Doll
Paper doll
Paper dolls are figures cut out of paper, with separate clothes that are usually held onto the dolls by folding tabs. They have been inexpensive children's toys for almost two hundred years. Today, many artists are turning paper dolls into an art form....
(performed by The Mills Brothers on radio)
Schloff mein Kind (or Schlaf mein Kind) (performed by traditional Yiddish folksinger Emil Decameron as background when Sally first gets on the radio)
I Don't Want To Walk Without You
I Don't Want to Walk without You
"I Don't Want to Walk Without You" is a popular song.The music was written by Jule Styne, the lyrics by Frank Loesser. The song was published in 1941 and became a number one pop hit for Harry James and his orchestra in 1942. Tommy Tucker recorded the song on December 2, 1941.There have been...
(performed by Mia Farrow (uncredited) at a USO show)
You'll Never Know
You'll Never Know
"You'll Never Know" is a popular song. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon, based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris....
(played by the band at the Broadway dance palace)
1987 Academy Awards (Oscars)
- Nominated – Best Achievement in Art DirectionAcademy Award for Best Art DirectionThe Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
:
Art Direction: Santo LoquastoSanto LoquastoSanto Richard Loquasto is a Sicilian-Italian-American production designer, scenic designer and costume designer for stage, film, and dance. He is a descendant of Libertino lo Guasto of Serradifalco, Caltanissetta, Sicily. Indy race car driver Al Loquasto was his first cousin...
Set Decoration: Carol JoffeCarol JoffeCarol Joffe is an American art director. She was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction for the films Hannah and Her Sisters and Radio Days. She was married to film producer Charles H. Joffe.-External links:...
, Les Bloom, George DeTitta, Jr.George DeTitta, Jr.George DeTitta, Jr. is an American set decorator. He has been nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction.-Selected filmography:DeTitta has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction:* Radio Days... - Nominated – Best Original Screenplay: Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
1987 BAFTA Film Awards
- Won – Best Costume Design : Jeffery Kurland
- Won – Best Production Design: Santo LoquastoSanto LoquastoSanto Richard Loquasto is a Sicilian-Italian-American production designer, scenic designer and costume designer for stage, film, and dance. He is a descendant of Libertino lo Guasto of Serradifalco, Caltanissetta, Sicily. Indy race car driver Al Loquasto was his first cousin...
- Nominated – Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Dianne WiestDianne WiestDianne Wiest is an American actress. She has had a successful career on stage, television, and film, and has won two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Wiest has also been nominated for a BAFTA Award.-Early life:...
- Nominated – Best Editing: Susan E. MorseSusan E. MorseSusan E. Morse is an American film editor with more than 30 film credits. She had a notable collaboration with director Woody Allen from 1977-1998...
- Nominated – Best Film: Robert GreenhutRobert GreenhutRobert Greenhut is an American film producer.Born in New York City, Greenhut studied music at the University of Miami. He began his film career as a production assistant on Arthur Hiller's 1967 comedy The Tiger Makes Out...
, Woody Allen - Nominated – Best Screenplay Original: Woody Allen
- Nominated – Best Sound: Robert Hein, James Sabat, Lee Dichter
1988 Writers Guild of America Awards
- Nominated – WGA Screen Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: Woody Allen
Further reading
- Woody Allen On Location by Thierry de Navacelle (Morrow, 1987); a day-to-day account of the making of Radio Days
External links
- Review of Radio Days at TVGuide.com
- VINCENT CANBY, WOODY ALLEN'S FOND REMEMBRANCES OF 'RADIO DAYS', NY Times, January 30, 1987