#811. Radio Days (1987)

Directed By: Woody Allen

Starring: Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Mike Starr






Trivia: When the Uncle goes next door to confront the communists, the man screaming about the plight of the "worker" is Larry David, who can be seen in a long shot






Woody Allen’s Radio Days is an often funny, sometimes poignant tribute to a time when radio ruled the airwaves.

Allen himself narrates, recounting the memories of Joe (played by a young Seth Green), who as a 10-year-old growing up in Rockaway, New York in the early 1940s spent many hours in front of his family’s radio, mesmerized by the exploits of such heroic characters as the Lone Ranger and the Masked Avenger. Joe’s house was a crowded place; along with his parents (Michael Tucker and Julie Kavner), he also lived with his Aunt Ceil (Renee Lippen) and Uncle Abe (Josh Mostel), his Aunt Bea (Dianne Wiest), and his grandparents, all of whom had their own favorite radio programs, including Breakfast with Irene and Roger (Julie Kurnitz and David Warrilow).

Radio Days also breaks away occasionally from Joe and his family to regale us with gossip and rumors about the various radio personalities, like how Roger from Breakfast with Irene and Roger was allegedly having an affair with a cigarette girl named Sally White (Mia Farrow), a ditzy blonde with a squeaky New York accent who dreamed of making it big as an actress. We follow Sally as she attempts to “break into” showbiz any way she can. Unfortunately, she isn’t very lucky, and at one point is nearly bumped off by a mobster (Danny Aiello) when she inadvertently witnesses a killing.

From a technical standpoint, Radio Days feels authentic; the settings, including Joe’s house in Rockaway and the night clubs and dance halls frequented by the radio personalities, look great. As for the stories that make up the film, many are downright hilarious, like when Joe is caught stealing money from the Jewish State of Palestine fund so he can buy a Masked Avenger Decoder ring (with Kenneth Mars making a brief appearance as the Rabbi who catches him in the act), or the time he and his friends were watching the skies, keeping an eye out for Japanese planes, and instead turned their binoculars towards a bedroom window to spy on a blonde dancing naked in front of her mirror.

Clearly an autobiographical film, with Joe standing in for a young Woody Allen, Radio Days may seem a bit naive when compared to some of Allen’s other ‘80s works (Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors). But then, naïve is exactly what he was shooting for, transporting us to a simpler time that the director remembers fondly, when people would gather around their radios to laugh, cry, and be entertained. 

And on that level, Radio Days is a smashing success.