Orion Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Radio Days
Tuning in.
The Narrator tells us how the radio influenced his childhood in the days before TV. In the New York City of the late 1930s to the New Year's Eve 1944, this coming-of-age tale mixes the narrator's experiences with contemporary anecdotes and urban legends of the radio stars.
- Original title
- Radio Days
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- $16,000,000
- Revenue
- $14,792,779
CinemaSerf
May 30, 2025 · via TMDB
“Joe” (Seth Green) is reminiscing about his childhood in a New York where he lived with his mum and dad and her extended family in some basic and cramped accommodation - it’s a bit like the “Bucket” household from the world of Roald Dahl, replete with cabbage soup, too. This family, and their neighbours, live their lives according to a pattern of routines. From day to day and week to week, they gossip, eavesdrop, work, sleep and chatter but there is one thing that’s a constant. They all listen to the radio. Music, drama, news, comedy and quizzes. Each of them has their favourite as it facilitates their imaginations in a society where even 15c for a secret ring was beyond their economic means. Woody Allen quite engagingly crafts this drama to pair up the characters on the screen with aspects of the radio broadcasts that provided not just factual realities of life as WWII gradually expanded to include the USA but to the more fanciful lives of those stars whom they enviously saw on the big screen. As he looks back on this time, “Joe” finds his memories themselves have started to fade but that the mnemonics provided by his association with the radio at this formative time of his life still provide a template for his, admittedly somewhat rose-tinted, memories. It’s the usual assembly of Woody Allen cast here, but this time his writing carves them out quite quirkily unique roles, like an human jigsaw puzzle that looks improbable until you realise that thanks to the conduit of the wireless, they can all fit together - though it’s not always that tight a fit! Of course there’s the usual slice of Jewish neuroticism included, but here the diverse range of characters and the humour derived from the medium upon which we are reflecting really does either tug at the nostalgia strings you do remember, or maybe at ones you don’t but would like to. Dianne Wiest possibly takes the acting plaudits as the unlucky-in-love “Aunt Bea” but essentially there isn’t an individual star, more a community of family and friends that those of us who grew up in tenements anywhere in the world whilst the radio exercised it’s potent convening powers can associate with. Some fine tunes, too.
kevin2019
Nov 22, 2024 · via TMDB
"Radio Days" is packed with gentle and understated comedic flourishes combined with some genuinely arresting moments of tragedy and major life changing global events. However, you could argue Woody Allen is tastefully romanticising such things as the family unit being central to daily life too much. After all, were families ever this much chaotic fun? Was life ever lived this way? Was there ever this degree of togetherness? And if so, then how was it ever lost? And, more importantly, can it ever be regained? In any case, Allen weaves his delightfully entertaining narrative thread through all aspects of radio in his life and the results are absolutely charming and spellbinding and they showcase Allen at his best.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Danny Aiello
Rocco
Jeff Daniels
Biff Baxter
Mia Farrow
Sally White
Seth Green
Joe
Robert Joy
Fred
Julie Kavner
Mother
Diane Keaton
New Year's Singer
Renée Lippin
Aunt Ceil
Kenneth Mars
Rabbi Baumel
Josh Mostel
Abe
Tony Roberts
"Silver Dollar" Emcee
Wallace Shawn
Masked Avenger
Michael Tucker
Father
David Warrilow
Roger
Dianne Wiest
Aunt Bea
Mike Starr
Burglar
Paul Herman
Burglar
Don Pardo
"Guess That Tune" Host
Danielle Ferland
Child Star
Mick Murray
Avenger Crook
William Flanagan
Avenger Announcer
Hy Anzell
Mr. Waldbaum
Judith Malina
Mrs. Waldbaum
Fletcher Farrow Previn
Andrew
Tito Puente
Latin Bandleader
Denise Dumont
Latin Singer
Larry David
Communist Neighbor
Rebecca Schaeffer
Communist's Daughter
Todd Field
Crooner
Peter Castellotti
Mr. Davis
Shelley Delaney
Chekhov Actress
Dwight Weist
Pearl Harbor Announcer
Henry Yuk
Japanese
Kitty Carlisle
Radio Singer
Mercedes Ruehl
Ad Man
Bruce Jarchow
Ad Man
David Cale
Director
Ira Wheeler
Sponsor
J.E. Beaucaire
Diction Student
Richard Portnow
Sy
Jackson Beck
Radio Voice (voice)
William H. Macy
Radio Voice (voice)
Kenneth Welsh
Radio Voice (voice)
Woody Allen
Joe (Narrator) (voice) (uncredited)
David Bickford
Silver Dollar Assistant (uncredited)
Sandy Dell
Crying Woman (uncredited)
Zach Grenier
Audience Member (uncredited)
Fred Melamed
Bradley (uncredited)
Ruth Rugoff
Rita (uncredited)
Steve Saklad
Assistant Art Director
Santo Loquasto
Production Design
Liz Dubelman
Camera Trainee
Carlo Di Palma
Director of Photography
Brian Hamill
Still Photographer
Judianna Makovsky
Assistant Costume Designer
Jeffrey Kurland
Costume Design
Woody Allen
Director
Todd M. Thaler
Additional Casting
Juliet Taylor
Casting
Ellen Lewis
Casting Associate
Charles H. Joffe
Executive Producer
Jack Rollins
Executive Producer
Larry Rudolph
Other
Robert Greenhut
Producer
Thomas A. Reilly
Production Manager
Dick Hyman
Music Supervisor
Lee Dichter
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Woody Allen
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