Bananas

Bananas (1971)

Timing: 1:22 (82 min)

6.712/10
717

All about film

Video 2

Photo 15

Actors and characters

Release date

1971-04-28

Country

United States

Production

United Artists, Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions

Genre

Comedy

Budget

$2 000 000

Revenue

$11 833 696

Website

Director

Woody Allen

Actors

Woody Allen, Louise Lasser, Carlos Montalbán, Nati Abascal, Jacobo Morales, Miguel Ángel Suárez, René Enríquez, Jack Axelrod, Howard Cosell, Charlotte Rae
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Axel Anderson, Antonio Encarnacion, Jack Grossberg, Manolo Villamil, Charles H. Joffe, Jack Rollins

Operator

Andrew M. Costikyan

Composer

Marvin Hamlisch

Artist

Audition

Vicky Hernández

Editing

Ralph Rosenblum, Ron Kalish
All team (39)

• Most of the scenes in the film were not scripted and are the result of actors' improvisation, in particular almost all scenes involving famous sports commentators Howard Cosell and Don Dunphy.
• The film's title, “Bananas,” also has the meaning of “crazy” in English.
• The working title of the film was El Wierdo ("The Weirdo"), and the Spanish article "el" indicates the location of the main events of the picture.
• Sylvester Stallone played one of his first roles in this film, portraying a hooligan in an episode.
• The rebels' anthem is the same one used in the film "The Sleeper" (1973).
• Woody Allen said he made a conscious decision not to show blood in the film in order to maintain its comedic tone.
• In one interview, Woody Allen was asked why he titled the film "Bananas." He replied, "Because there are no bananas in it."
• Judging by Eric Lax's biography, the musicians in the dining scene at General Vargas's house were supposed to actually play instruments, but the rented instruments didn't arrive, and to avoid waiting, Allen decided that pantomime would suit the overall mood of the film.
• Woody Allen originally wanted to end the film with a scene in which his character emerges from the riotous crowd with a face blackened with soot. And then the Black rioters mistakenly recognize him as one of their own. But, as in the film 'Take the Money and Run' (1969), Allen's editor Ralph Rosenblum convinced him to leave a more organic ending.
• The satirical cigarette advertisement for 'The New Testament' in the film earned him a 'Condemned' rating from the Catholic Church.
• While the rebels watch Esposito deliver his first speech as the new president, Fielding asks: “What’s ‘straightjacket’ in Spanish?” In Spanish, it’s ‘camisa de fuerza,’ or literally, ‘strong shirt’ (‘shirt of strength’).
• Midway through the film, in the scene of the chaos unfolding in San Marcos, there are shots of an old stroller rolling down the stairs. This is a direct reference to the dramatic scenes in Sergei Eisenstein's classic film 'Battleship Potemkin' (1925).
• Conrad Bain, Charlotte Rae and Mary Jo Catlett play minor roles in this film. All three would later star in the television comedy series "Diff'rent Strokes" (1978–1986).
• When Fielding is talking while driving a Volkswagen, there is a shot where his speech can be heard, but his lips are not moving.
• When Fielding offers Nancy the ribs, his hand is on his collar. In the next shot, his hand abruptly changes position.
• During the scene of Fielding training with the rebels, he is standing in a line with a tray. When the cook serves the food, an overhead shot shows Fielding holding a soldier's mess kit. In the next scene, he is already eating from an ordinary plate.
• During the riot scene at the embassy, the clothing of the firefighters spraying the crowd with hoses has the inscription "LBFD", which stands for "Long Beach Fire Department".