Bananas (1971)

Not everyone can stomach Woody Allen films but, fan or not, you’re sure to get a few laughs out of this one.

Actor-writer-producer-director Allen plays the wonderfully named Fielding Mellish, a New York City putz desperate to get political activist Nancy (Louise Lasser) into bed. Trying to impress her, Fielding travels to the fictional South American country of San Marcos and inadvertently joins a band of local revolutionaries.

Eventually, through farcical circumstances, Fielding becomes the Castro-like leader of the revolutionaries – resulting in the hilarious sight of Allen sporting a giant, Castro-esque beard tinted to match Allen’s red hair.

Bananas climaxes with a riotous courtroom scene in which Fielding is tried for his un-American activities.

But the storyline is merely background, setting up crazy situations for Allen to fool with, combining mime, mimicry and farce.

Watch out for American news commentator Howard Cosell appearing briefly as himself when interviewing a South American politician during (!) his assassination and future Rocky star Sylvester Stallone in an early role as a thug on the subway.

‘I once stole a pornographic book that was printed in braille. I used to rub the dirty parts.’

Fielding Mellish
Woody Allen
Nancy
Louise Lasser
General Emilio Molina Vargas
Carlos Montalban
Yolanda
Natividad Abascal
Esposito
Jacobo Morales
Luis
Miguel Suarez
Sanchez
David Ortiz
Colonel Diaz
René Enríquez
Lieutenant Arroyo
Jack Axelrod
Roger Grimsby
Himself
Don Dunphy
Himself
Dr Feigen
Martha Greenhouse
Dr Al Mellish
Stanley Ackerman
Mrs Ruth Mellish
Charlotte Rae
Howard Cosell
Himself
Perez
Tigre Perez
British Ambassador
Baron De Beer
Judge Seymour Watson
Arthur Hughes
J. Edgar Hoover
Dorothi Fox
Sharon Craig
Dagne Crane
Paul
Ed Barth
Douglas
Nicholas Saunders
Semple
Conrad Bain
Hernandez
Eulogio Peraza
Norma
Marilyn Hengst

Director
Woody Allen