1935-
Director, Actor, Writer

Early Success.

After an apprenticeship in the early 1960s that included work as a gag writer, Woody Allen first gained attention with his stand-up comedy routines in clubs, in college campus shows, and on recorded albums. His reputation as a funnyman was secured after he wrote and appeared in the hit 1965 film What's New, Pussycat? The following year his play Don't Drink the Water hit Broadway, while his irreverent debut as a movie director, What's Up, Tiger Lily?, played in theaters. In writings for Playboy and Esquire during this period, Allen played on the comic pretense of being a sophisticated bachelor around town. He expanded his cult audience in 1969 with the Broadway success Play It Again, Sam and the hit film Take the Money and Run.

Persona.

By the 1970s Allen's comic persona was well-established. With a highly nervous expression and a...