Celebrity

‘Celebrity‘ is the 28th film written and directed by Woody Allen.

Coming straight after Deconstructing Harry, Celebrity is another harsh, angry film. Shot in stark black and white and with a biting, sour message.

Kenneth Branagh stars as Lee Simon, a journalist with aspirations of higher writing. Along with his ex wife, Robin (Judy Davis), the two go on a search for happiness through fame. Lee by hanging around it, Robin by becoming it.

‘Celebrity’ News Stories (show all)

• Woody Allen’s 90s and 00s Films Arrive On Blu-Ray In New Box Set
• CELEBRITY Filming Locations - Manhattan, Atlantic City, Queens
• Eddy Davis, Leader Of Woody Allen’s Jazz Band, Has Died
• Every Cinematographer from Woody Allen’s Films - Gordon Willis, Carlos Di Palma, Darius Khondji, Vittorio Storaro and More
• VIDEO: 10 Things About CELEBRITY (1998) - Trivia, Cast, Cameos And More
• 5 Films And A TV Show To Watch After Everyone Says I Love You

Screenshots

Cast & Crew

• Hugh Grant was supposedly offered the role of Lee, but then later lost it to Kenneth Branagh. Grant would work with Allen a couple of years later in Small Time Crooks
• Drew Barrymore, who worked with Allen on Everyone Says I Love You, was the first choice for Nola. Kate Winslet was later considered.
• Michael Imperioli was up for a role, but gave it up for ‘The Sopranos‘. Sam Rockwell took his place.
• Vanessa Redgrave was featured in a role which Allen re-shot completely with Elaine Stritch. The character was later cut altogether and replaced by a different, younger character played by Bebe Neuwirth.
• One of cinematographer Sven Nykvist final films. He worked with Allen twice previously. He was going blind at the time, and this partly inspired Hollywood Ending.
• Magician David Blaine makes a cameo in the DiCaprio scenes. Allen would guest in one of Blaine’s TV specials in 2014.
• The last Allen film to feature editor Susan E Morse. Morse worked on every Allen film since Annie Hall. Sadly, she would be cut due to cost measures implemented by Sweetland films, Allen’s production partner.

Trivia

• Stylistically and thematically, this film owes a lot to Frederico Fellini‘s ‘La Dolce Vita‘.

Locations (show map)

• The opening and closing scenes, the making of a film, is shot at 375 Park Avenue, Manhattan.
• The model catwalk is at the Manhattan end of the Queensboro Bridge. It’s the same bridge featured in Manhattan.
• Lee and the supermodel head off into the night from The Cherokee (517 East 77th Street)
• Brandon Darrow stays at the Stanhope Hotel (995 5th Avenue and East 81st Street)
• Lee, Bonnie and friends eat at Elaine’s (1703 2nd Avenue)
• Lee and Nola meet at the Franklin St and West Broadway subway stop.
• Celebrities arrive at the Ziegfield Theatre (141 West 54th Street)

Trailer

Gallery