Couples collaborating: Farrow and Allen

Submitted by Andrew Wickliffe on February 8, 2012 - 5:26pm
in
The Hannah and Her Sisters movie poster

Woody Allen and Mia Farrow's incredibly public breakup, which gave tabloids more fodder than they could ever dream from a Hollywood couple, remains in the public consciousness. So much so, it overshadows the many excellent films the two made as a couple--some of Allen's finest films.

For ten years, Farrow starred in all thirteen of Allen's films. The collaboration began in 1982, with A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, with Farrow part of the ensemble. Farrow soon became Allen's romantic interest in films (Zelig or Broadway Danny Rose), but more often she became the lead character. Farrow is the protagonist in films like The Purple Rose of Cairo and September. In three of the films--Alice, Hannah and Her Sisters and Another Woman--Farrow portrays the titular character.

Their last film together, Husbands and Wives, features (in an eerie similarity to reality) Allen and Farrow as a couple whose marriage is disintegrating. Allen's character takes up with nineteen year-old Juliette Lewis. The film opened around the same time Farrow (and the world) discovered Allen had begun a relationship with Soon Yi Previn, Farrow's twenty year-old adopted daughter.

For Allen's first film after Husbands and Wives, he had to recast Farrow's role. Diane Keaton (both an ex-girlfriend and former leading lady) returned for Manhattan Murder Mystery.

The Library has most of the couple's films. Of course, we also have wide selection of Allen and Farrow's other films; if you're interested, a librarian can help you find more....