The Unruly Life of Woody Allen: A Biography | 
 enlarge | Author: Marion Meade
Publisher: Scribner
Category: Book
List Price: $26.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  25 reviews
Sales Rank: 1154221
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.7 x 6 x 1.2
ISBN: 0684833743
Dewey Decimal Number: 791.43092
EAN: 9780684833743
ASIN: 0684833743
Publication Date: February 21, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
Woody Allen once controlled the press like his actors--and as critic Andrew Sarris observed, Woody "is almost a ventriloquist and all his actors are marionettes. It's his nature. He has to be on top." The Soon-Yi scandal cost him $7 million and his protected reputation, and now we've got Marion Meade's unblinking look at his blighted life (superior to John Baxter's Woody Allen, not quite as good as Meade's Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This?). The son of a loveless dad and mom who respectively ignored and beat him daily, Woody grew up mean, scarred, and scared: he slept with a night-light until his early 40s and considered suicide daily until at least age 51. His uncanny gift for comedy gave him no comfort, but movies did. His most autobiographical character is Cecilia in The Purple Rose of Cairo, who took refuge in theaters from "the ugly light" of real life. Boy, does Meade cast ugly light on Woody and his work. His best role for a woman, Annie Hall, is "basically stupid," as Diane Keaton said. In life and art, Woody sought leading ladies he could dominate. He stalled Mia forever before granting her the right to keep her shampoo at his apartment "alongside toiletries belonging to Diane Keaton, preserved there like so many fossilized relics in King Tut's tomb for more than a decade." Mia was horrified that he spilled her family's nasty secrets in Hannah and Her Sisters, and fretted over his obsession with Keaton and her sisters, Mariel Hemingway's sister, and Mia's own sister Steffi--whose photos she discovered (shades of Soon-Yi!) in his apartment. Woody's lovable persona was as fake as his transplanted, dyed hair. And Mia's no sweetheart herself: having caught her scuzzy dad with Ava Gardner one night as a child, she married Ava's squeeze Frank Sinatra at 19, and then stole her friend Dory Previn's husband, André, saying, "You don't fight what feels good." If Meade's sour, thorough tome is true, nobody in Hollywood fights what feels good, and they all come out looking pretty bad. --Tim Appelo
Product Description
Based on interviews with dozens of people who know him, both friend and foe, this biography examines the life and career of Woody Allen, the Oscar-winning actor-writer-director of Sleeper, Annie Hall, Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Deconstructing Harry.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
 Woody's Feminist Biographer. February 12, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
It was my hope that Marion Meade's book would provide a critical and unvarnished examination of this controversial figure. Initially, I was quite sure that it had due its fact-filled, brisk, and concise narrative. Ms. Meade is a talented biographer and writer. She cites a plethora of primary sources who offer up unique and important observations about this cinematographic legend. Allen's enigmatic personality is dissected in full, and, after finishing it, his oeuvre makes considerably more sense as there seems to be little truly fictional about his storylines. Quite clearly, Allen is a man whose pathology cannot be denied. He is full of obsessions, compulsions, and neuroses in general. As if those demerits weren't enough, he also appears to be a snob and an elitist. Yet it is hard to fathom how one could find Farrow much healthier. At best, hers is a manipulative, passive-aggressive, and violent personality. Ms. Meade must see Farrow as being a Grade A societal victim which then cleanses her of guilt for every horrific behavior she commits.
The biographer is incredulous that anyone could find anything wrong with Farrow's single parent martyr act--which necessitated her adopting 11 children (to make for a total brood of 15). Well, let's consider the possible motivation for these habitual adoptions. We can rule out that she was a saint as nothing in her life seems to suggest that this is a possibility. A desire to spend every waking moment with children is not likely because she maintained a busy professional and social life the entire in which she cruised the international orphanage circuit. That her infant acquisition often corresponded with her entering some kind of personal crisis should give us pause. Could she have been using these children, and the enticing emotional bonds they offered, as a form of self-medication? The explanation is quite feasible. During her crackup with Allen, she readily turned the two children he loved against him, and alienated them from the person they once saw as their father. She also made a point of sharing details with them to ease her own pain while exponentially increasing theirs.
In a country where corrupt feminist statistics concerning domestic violence are actually believed by law enforcement agents, Meade makes no direct mention of the way in which Farrow the only physical aggressor in this particular relationship. She battered Allen repeatedly. During one of their arguments, she "punched him in the face" and "thwacked him hard across the back." These acts continued months after she first heard of his infidelity so no crime of passion defense is possible. Perhaps violence is a sign of health when it is directed towards a man. Farrow harassed Allen on the phone and threatened to kill him along with herself. She gave him a 1992 Valentine's Day card with a picture of her family inside. It was adorned with "steel turkey-roasting skewers" that pierced the hearts of her children. It's hard to imagine a person who wouldn't find the preponderance of the evidence to be quite damning regarding Farrow. If a man comported himself in the same fashion he would be quickly placed into a jail cell. Only a writer with a serious agenda could overlook Farrow's pathology.
 In Allen's case, unruly is not equated with unaccomplished February 5, 2006
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I'm a big Woody Allen fan. But unlike many fans that I've encountered, I wasn't too terribly pleased with the widely-read Eric Lax biography entitled, Woody Allen: A Biography. It seemed to border on hagiography too much of the time. It's not that I was looking for a bio that dished a lot of hitherto unknown dirt. In fact, in Marion Meade's Woody Allen biography, there really isn't much in the way of hitherto unknown dirt. For the most part, Meade imparts to her readers what is already generally known, and then presents multiple viewpoints. For example, with the Soon-Yi scandal, the author gives you the story from many sides, including but not limited to Woody's, Mia's, and Soon-Yi's, and fairly much allows the readers to come to their own conclusions (something that many reviewers of this book have failed to see).
As for the title of this book, yes, Woody Allen has been difficult to control, but where did that lead him...? Has there been any filmmaker in the past 35 years that has consistently aimed higher than Allen...? In film after film, he has challenged himself and his audience to explore the most important question: Why are we here? Congratulations to the author for pointing this out and giving Allen the credit he deserves for having the highest aspirations.
Another item. Inspired by this book, I sought out recordings of Woody Allen's stand-up comedy routines from the 1960's. As it turned out, these recordings have some of his funniest material ever. The routines include bits on his first wife (he describes her as a "really weird woman" who underwent half a dozen sex change operations "but couldn't find anything that she liked") and also include "The Moose," which just might be his funniest stand-up routine ever (Woody goes hunting in upstate New York, bags a moose, ties it to his bumper, and while driving home through the Holland Tunnel, the moose wakes up and begins signaling for an illegal turn).
As for Allen's filmography, this book is fairly much right on target a lot of the time, but falls quite a bit short of providing a complete analysis.
This book is not a hagiography; and despite what its title and cover photo might lead you to believe, it is a far cry from being a scandal sheet.
Overall, a very informative and entertaining read.
An engrossing, entertaining read August 22, 2005
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
After reading this book, I'm still not clear as to whether or not Woody Allen acted inappropriately with his young, adopted daughter, Dylan, but I do know this--it's one thing to be a fan of Woody Allen's work and an entirely different thing to be a fan of Woody Allen, the man.
Meade is thorough in detailing Allen's life, from his days as a child in Midwood, New York to his adulthood reign as King of New York Cinema. She adeptly guides the reader through major events in Allen's life and through each of Allen's movies, including insider reports from "key players" (childhood friends, teachers, actors, crew members, etc.).
Meade discusses the Farrow-Allen relationship in detail. She provides significant information re: the highly publicized end to the relationship, and concludes the book by describing where Allen is now, both professionally and personally.
If you're a diehard fan of Allen's, you might not want to read this book. While Meade attempts to report the information in an objective manner, the scales topple wildly in a direction unfavorable to Allen. The reader is left fascinated, wondering how a man considered by so many to be "brilliant," was able to build a career in which he openly exploited his relationships, communicated disdain for women, and wallowed in his own arrogance. This book is comprehensive (despite the author's inability to interview those closest to Allen, she seems to have utilized nearly all of the resources available to her, including books written by others, court transcripts, interviews, etc.) and engaging. It's fitting biography for a man who creates characters in most of his movies based upon himself, yet remains so intensely private--if you want an honest account of Allen's life, it's the best you're going to get.
 Visionary vs. voyeur, contributor vs. parasite June 26, 2003
10 out of 13 found this review helpful
What a great opportunity a Woody Allen biography represents. Here's one of the great masters of American cinema, an artist who has been producing prolifically for over thirty years. Before our eyes, he went through mastering various cinematic styles and then transcending them all, contributing as a philosopher, writer, comedian, actor, director, even musician. Along the way, Allen produced a body of work replete with a quality all too rare in any, particularly American motion pictures: a thinking, interesting approach. The audiences and critics speak for themselves: here's a true visionary.Unfortunately, those who make a name for themselves are destined to attract parasites. Enters Marion Meade, the voyeur. Unable to create worthwhile art or even advancing the cause of understanding it better or enjoying it more intelligently, she has nothing to offer that's pertinent to the art of Woody Allen. What she does offer is plenty of gossip and garbage. After having the Allen-Farrow "scandal" publicly dished out for too long, who needs more of this? Is it really a surprise to anyone after watching W.A. movies that the man should have character flaws, past pain and ongoing neuroses. Isn't the genius of his work to allow us to identify so readily with his character? If you need gossip to make yourself feel superior to a man who has had something genuinely great to offer, then don't pass this one up. If you prefer some degree of integrity in your writing, and are desirous to learn about subjects worth remembering, avoid this one at all cost.
Trashy Biography With Contempt For Its Subject March 11, 2003
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
Very rarely has an author of a biography shown such contempt for the subject than in this volume, written by Mariod Meade (who has authored “Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase”). “The Unruly Life of Woody Allen” mostly seems focused on portraying Woody as a not-very-nice man. While I doubt he is, Marion Mead never misses an attempt. In fact, a whopping one third of the books pages are devoted to the sex scandal of the early nineties, while “Deconstructing Harry,” “Everyone Says I Love You,” and “Celebrity” are all crammed into one chapter. Frankly, “The Unruly Life of Woody Allen” reads more like a National Enquirer expose than a biography of a great filmmaker.
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