Bananas (1971 Film)

Bananas (1971 Film) is a comedy written by Woody Allen and Mickey Rose and directed by Woody Allen. It was released on April 28, 1971. The movie, one of Allen's earliest, stars Woody Allen as Fielding Mellish, who follows Nancy, played by Louise Lasser, to Central America. Nancy becomes involved in a revolution and Mellish ends up a guest of the dictator of San Marcos. Bananas received a nomination from the Writers Guild Of America in 1972 for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen.

Bananas tells the story of a New York man named Fielding Mellish, played by Woody Allen. Mellish follows his love interest Nancy, played by Louise Lasser, to San Marcos, Central America. Mellish ends up meeting of the leader of San Marcos played by Carlos Montalban, becoming his guest and taking over as leader. In the end, Mellish gets tried as a subversive in the United States. Charlotte Rae co-stars as Mrs. Mellish. Howard Cosell appears as himself.

• Louise Lasser as Nancy

• Carlos Montalban as General Emile M Vargas

• Woody Allen as Fielding Mellish

• Charlotte Rae as Mrs. Mellish

• Howard Cosell as Himself

• Natividad Abascal as Yolanda

• Jacobo Morales as Esposito

"Inspired by the Marx Brothers comedies (specifically Duck Soup), Woody Allen made a leap forward as filmmaker in his second feature, a zany satire composed of riotous sketches and incoherent but funny one-liners."—Emmanuel Levy, EmmanuelLevy.comhttp://www.emanuellevy.com/search/details.cfm?id=5247

"Bananas (1971) is the story of a New Yorker who becomes a South American rebel leader, to impress his political activist love interest Nancy (Louise Lasser)."—Time Dirks, Filmsite.orghttp://www.filmsite.org/bana.html