Woody Allen discusses his life and films with director Robert Weide. (Courtesy of B Plus Productions)
Diane Keaton and Allen in a famous scene from their 1977 Oscar-winning comedy, “Annie Hall,” the quintessential New York movie, one of several films that they made together. Once Allen’s lover, Keaton remains a friend of the director.
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Director Robert Weide says that Woody Allen was initially cool to the idea of a documentary on his career that’s finally airing on “American Masters’’ three years after he first approached the neurotic comic genius.
“It took a while to get a commitment from him, and it’s not for the reasons people assume,’’ Weide says.
“It wasn’t about control: He’s just uncomfortable with the whole idea of tributes and making a big deal of his work. He doesn’t think of himself as a great artist.’’
It helped that Allen, 75, was familiar with Weide’s earlier PBS documentaries on Allen’s idols the Marx Brothers and W.C. Fields, and that they know a lot of the same people — including Larry David, star of the Weide-produced “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and Allen’s “Whatever Works.’’
In the end, Weide even persuaded a reluctant Allen to revisit his childhood home in Midwood, Brooklyn — “though he complained that nobody would be interested’’ — and the elementary school where he used to hide from bullies in the 1940s.
The documentary also includes footage of Allen’s stand-up comedy routines and TV appearances from the early 1960s.
“He’s very reluctant to revisit his early career, and his stand-up is especially painful for him to watch,’’ Weide says.
“Once he finishes a film, he never looks at it again because he only sees things he’d do differently.’’
And then there was the Mia Farrow issue. Early on, Weide contacted representatives of Allen’s former muse and lover, who very publicly split with him in 1992 after finding his nude photos of her adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, who later became Allen’s third wife.
A long, bitter custody battle over Allen and Farrow’s three children ensued.
The actress refused to allow footage of her from their 12 films together to be used in a 2002 documentary about Allen’s career for Turner Classic Movies.
“I was concerned about the same thing, and I told Mia’s people I wasn’t sure I wanted to make the documentary if I had to skip over those 11 years,’’ Weide says.
“I got permission the next day. I just think nerves were more raw back in 2002.’’
In addition to frankly dealing with that scandal, the documentary includes interviews with Woody’s earlier muse/lover Diane Keaton, as well as second wife Louise Lasser and a long list of collaborators who span his entire career, all the way up to Owen Wilson of Allen’s recent hit “Midnight in Paris.’’
Even though he has been showered with awards, including Oscars for “Annie Hall” and “Hannah and Her Sisters,” along the way, Allen keeps insisting he doesn’t care what critics or the people think about him or his movies.
“Stardust Memories,” which Allen much prefers to “Manhattan,’’ though the movie flopped and was widely criticized for making fun of fans who preferred his “earlier, funnier movies,’’ seems to be the major exception.
“I don’t know that he’s upset about it,’’ says Weide. “He just likes to explain what he was trying to do.’’
Woody was even persuaded to open the dresser drawer where he keeps dozens of slips of paper containing ideas for future movies.
But except for one brief sequence from “Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask,’’ Weide found not a single unused clip from Allen’s old movies.
Not even the legendary original, discarded opening for “Annie Hall’’ featuring the Knicks.
“I spoke to a number of people, including someone who told me it was his job to make sure the outtakes were incinerated,’’ Weide says.
“Woody has no sense of preserving what might be interesting to fans or film historians. He barely cares about the finished movie.’’
AMERICAN MASTERS—WOODY ALLEN: A DOCUMENTARY
Tonight and Monday at 9 p.m., PBS