Stardust Memories is a 1980 dramatic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Woody Allen, Charlotte Rampling, Jessica Harper, and Marie-Christine Barrault. The film is about a filmmaker who recalls his life and his loves—the inspirations for his films—while attending a retrospective of his work.^[1] Allen considers this to be one of his best films, along with The Purple Rose of Cairo and Match Point.^[2] The film is shot in black-and-white and is reminiscent of Federico Fellini's 8½ (1963), which it parodies. Stardust Memories was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award for Best Comedy written directly for screen. Allen denies that this film is autobiographical and has expressed regret that audiences interpreted it as such.^[3]

Plot[link]

It is the story of a famous filmmaker Sandy Bates (Allen), who is plagued by fans who prefer his "earlier, funnier movies" to his more recent artistic efforts, while he tries to reconcile his conflicting attraction to two very different women: the earnest, intellectual Daisy (Jessica Harper), and the more maternal Isobel (Marie-Christine Barrault). Meanwhile, he is also haunted by memories of his ex-girlfriend, the mercurial Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling).

Cast[link]

• Woody Allen as Sandy Bates
• Charlotte Rampling as Dorrie
• Jessica Harper as Daisy
• Marie-Christine Barrault as Isobel
• Tony Roberts as Tony
• Daniel Stern as An Actor
• Amy Wright as Shelley
• Helen Hanft as Vivian Orkin
• John Rothman as Jack Abel
• Judith Roberts as A Singer
• Anne De Salvo as Sandy's Sister
• Joan Neuman as Sandy's Mother
• Ken Chapin as Sandy's Father
• Leonardo Cimino as Sandy's Analyst
• Eli Mintz as Old Man
• Bob Maroff as Jerry Abraham
• Gabrielle Strasun as Charlotte Ames
• David Lipman as George, Sandy's Chauffeur
• Robert Munk as Boy Sandy
• J.E. Beaucaire as Sam
• Sharon Stone as Pretty Girl on Train
• Brent Spiner as Fan in Lobby
• Laraine Newman as Film Executive
• Louise Lasser as Sandy's Secretary^[4]

Themes[link]

The conflict between the maternal, nurturing woman and the earnest, usually younger one, is a recurring theme in Allen's films. Like many of Allen's films, Stardust Memories incorporates several jazz recordings including those by such notables as Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, and Chick Webb. The film's title alludes to the famous alternate take of "Stardust" recorded in 1931 by Armstrong, wherein the trumpeter sings "oh, memory" three times in succession.

This movie deals with issues regarding religion, God, and philosophy; especially existentialism, psychology, symbolism, wars and politics. It is also about realism, relationships, and death. It refers to many questions about the meaning of life for mankind.

Production[link]

Filming locations

• Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA
• Belmar, New Jersey, USA
• Deal, New Jersey, USA
• Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
• Neptune City, New Jersey, USA
• Ocean Grove, New Jersey, USA^[5]

Reception[link]

The film sharply divided both audiences and critics, with many Allen fans proclaiming it his best picture or among his worst.^[6][7]

Box office[link]

Stardust Memories opened in North America on September 26, 1980 to an onslaught of bad reviews. At 29 theatres, it grossed $326,779 ($11,268 per screen) in its opening weekend. The film failed to attract more than Allen's loyal fanbase in the long run, and it grossed a modest $10,389,003 by the end of its run. The film's budget was $10 million, so it likely made a profit after foreign revenue was taken into account.^[8]

Soundtrack[link]

• "Hebrew School Rag" (Dick Hyman) by Dick Hyman
• "Just One of Those Things" (Cole Porter) by Dick Hyman
• "You'd Be So Easy to Love" (Cole Porter) by Dick Hyman
• "Tropical Mood Meringue" (Sidney Bechet) by Sidney Bechet
• "I'll See You in My Dreams" (Isham Jones and Gus Kahn) by Django Reinhardt
• "Tickletoe" (Lester Young) by Lester Young with Count Basie and His Orchestra
• "Three Little Words" (Harry Ruby, Bert Kalmar) by The Jazz Heaven Orchestra
• "Brazil" (Ary Barroso, S.K. Russell) by Marie Lane
• "Palesteena" (J. Russel Robinson and Con Conrad) by The Original Dixieland Jazz Band
• "Body and Soul" (Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Johnny Green, and Frank Eyton) by Django Reinhardt
• "Night on Bald Mountain" (Modest Mussorgsky) by Vienna State Opera Orchestra
• "If Dreams Come True" (Irving Mills, Edgar M. Sampson, and Benny Goodman) by Chick Webb
• "Just One of Those Things" (Cole Porter) by Dick Hyman
• "You'd Be So Easy to Love" (Cole Porter) by Dick Hyman
• "One O'Clock Jump" (Count Basie) by The Jazz Heaven Orchestra
• "Sugar" (Maceo Pinkard and Sidney D. Mitchell)
• "Sweet Georgia Brown" (Ben Bernie, Kenneth Casey and Maceo Pinkard)
• "Moonlight Serenade" (Glenn Miller) by Glenn Miller
• "Stardust" (Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish) by Louis Armstrong^[5]

References[link]

Citations

Further reading

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Stardust Memories

• Stardust Memories at the Internet Movie Database
• Stardust Memories at AllRovi
• Stardust Memories at the TCM Movie Database