Woody Allen

Woody Allen began his career writing jokes and scripts, then progressed to stand-up and acting, and finally wrote and directed his first film, Take the Money and Run, in 1969. This was a screwball comedy that starred Allen as a hapless and self-demeaning schlemiel who bumbles his way through preposterous and hilarious situations. His first serious recognition as a filmmaker came with the Oscar he was awarded for Annie Hall in 1977. Allen progressed from joke comedy to psychological comedy with films like Manhattan, Stardust Memories, and Hannah and Her Sisters. Allens work has also come to reveal the poignant emotional mix of tragicomedy in the charm and fantasy of The Purple Rose of Cairo, the nostalgia of Radio Days, the multiple plots of Crimes and Misdemeanors, and the bittersweet tone of Alice. Movie Icons is a series of photo books that feature the most famous personalities in the history of cinema. These 192-page books are visual biographies of the stars.