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Take The Money And Run [VHS] [1968]
 
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Take The Money And Run [VHS] [1968]

VHS ~ Woody Allen
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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1 new from £5.00 2 used from £2.99 5 collectible from £3.45

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Product details

  • Actors: Woody Allen, Janet Margolin, Marcel Hillaire, Jacquelyn Hyde, Lonny Chapman
  • Directors: Woody Allen
  • Writers: Woody Allen, Mickey Rose
  • Producers: Charles H. Joffe, Edgar J. Scherick, Jack Grossberg, Jack Rollins, Sidney Glazier
  • Format: PAL, Widescreen
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
  • VHS Release Date: 7 May 2001
  • Run Time: 82 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000059MMR
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 11,121 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Woody Allen's feature-film debut, Take the Money and Run, a mockumentary that combines sight gags, sketchlike scenes, and stand-up jokes at rat-a-tat speed, looks positively primitive compared to his mature work. Primitive, but awfully funny. Allen plays Virgil Starkwell, a music-loving nebbish who turns to a life of crime at an early age and, undaunted by his utter and complete failure to pull off a single successful robbery, continues his unbroken spree of bungled heists and prison breaks even after he marries and raises a family. Narrator Jackson Beck, whose stentorian voice of authority makes a perfect foil for Starkwell's absurd exploits, lobs one droll quip after another with deadpan seriousness. Though spotty, Allen tosses so many jokes into the mix that it hardly matters and when they hit they are often hilarious: the chain gang posing as cousins to their old-woman hostage ("We're very close", Virgil explains to a dim cop), arguing with a dotty movie director who is supposed to be their cover for a bank robbery, Virgil's escape attempt with a bar of soap. Allen spoofs decades of crime films, everything from I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang to Bonnie and Clyde, but you don't have to know the movies to enjoy this goofy, sometimes clumsy, but quite clever comedy. --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com

Synopsis
Comical tale of a frail, shy youngster with a massive I.Q. who turns to crime - unsuccessfully.

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Take The Money And Run [VHS] [1968]
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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Woody Allen is 'Uncool Hand Virgil', 16 Feb 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Take The Money And Run [1968] [DVD] (DVD)
One of the first "Mockumentaries", Allen's 1969 classic, 'Take the Money and Run' follows the hapless New York criminal and no-hoper, Virgil Starkwell as he, his wife, and his heavily disguised parents discuss his growing notoriety amongst the New York underworld.

The film follows his lives, his loves, his stays in prison, and his poor spelling of the word 'Gun'.

The film has been described as Allen's 'Cool hand Luke' but the Jewish psychotic juxtaposed against Newman's cool White Anglo Saxon provides much of the film's comedy.

One of Allen's great assets was his ability to write classic one liners and this movie does not disappoint. Memorable lines such as, "The prisoners were fed one hot meal per day: a bowl of steam" run throughout the whole film. Another classic moment is when he says of his future wife on first meeting her, "after half an hour, I completely gave up the idea of snatching her purse."

If you want to see one of the wittiest films ever made by one of the wittiest filmmakers of our time, buy this film.

If, for any reason, you can't afford it, write a note to the video store counter staff warning them that you have a 'Gub' and that you aren't afraid to use it!!!

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The one that started it all, 26 Oct 2001
By Mr. D. Woods "dwoods92" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
The now legendary auteur Woody Allen made his directorial debut with this terrific comedy.

Woody's early films relied more on slap-stick than subtlety but he proves equally able with both comic forms, confirming him as a true cinematic genius. 'Take the Money and Run' is a vehicle for Allen's considerable talents really, Janet Margolin and the other actors simply provide him with a foundation to work from.

The script is excellent and many scenes remain memorable, (take the one where Woody is playing cello in a marching band and the bank hold-up using an illegible note). The directing is raw and rough but otherwise this is a brilliant work of comic genius.

No Woody Allen fan should be without this.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Mockumentary, 4 May 2007
By Jay "The Amazon Reviewer" (Mauritius) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Take The Money And Run [1968] [DVD] (DVD)
"Take the Money and Run" is an absolutely hilarious Woody Allen film, done in a quasi-documentary style, about a career criminal, Virgil Starkwell, who has a very unsuccessful career. His prison breaks don't go as planned, his robberies are a disaster and usually coincide with someone else's robbery of the same place, and his planning of a job would be fine if only he weren't talking to the police in the booth behind him. One nice perk of failure: while attempting to rob a young woman's purse, he falls in love with her (Janet Margolin). Virgil does admit at one point thinking of foregoing robbery and taking up a career in singing. He doesn't mention the cello, which gave him his start in music - and crime.

This is one of those laugh out loud even when you're alone movies of which there are all too few. But this is one. Over a tough, FBI-type narration, we watch Virgil's futile attempts at making money through crime, see his parents (disguised) interviewed, as well as his wife and the various police and investigators he meets along the way.

It's amazing to look at this film and then look at "Match Point" done 35 years later and see the evolution of this brilliant man. Woody Allen is capable of rock-solid comedy as well as provocative movie-making. Although he's had a few blips along the way, one wonders what he'll think of next.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure bliss
Wonderfully Woody Allen.His first film that he both directed and starred in.This a must for all Woody fans with plenty of bellylaughs spread wonderfully throughout the film. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. Simon Hamilton

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Woody Allen's best comedies
This is a hilarious, slapstick gem. It has some of Allen's best lines, a few incredibly entertaining situations and is one of his funniest comedies. Read more
Published 9 months ago by The Cheerful Teacher

4.0 out of 5 stars Classy debut
Woody Allen stars and directs for the first time, and what a success it turns out to be. There are many great sight gags as well as the usual number of quality one-liners. Read more
Published on 17 Oct 2006 by S J Buck

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Allen.
Over the years Woody Allen has gone from strength to strength to weakness to strength again, and back. Read more
Published on 14 Jul 2005 by filthmonkey

2.0 out of 5 stars Great film, poor DVD
It is a trueism that no Woody Allen collection should be without this film, but sadly I had to send this DVD back to the store because of the absolutely terrible sound synching,... Read more
Published on 21 Jun 2003 by Touring Mars

5.0 out of 5 stars Woody Allen first and greatest film
This is by far my best film Woody Allen every made. I weep with laughter first time I saw it! I love watching it over and over again seeing part I missed. Read more
Published on 6 April 2001 by R. J. Konrad

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