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Take the Money and Run (1969)
IMDB rating: 7.20
Plot: This film is presented as a documentary on the life of an incompetent, petty criminal called Virgil Starkwell, played by Woody Allen. It describes the early childhood and youth of Virgil, his failure at a musical career, and his obsession with bank robberies. The film uses a voice over narrative and interviews with his family, friends and acquaintances.
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Directors: Allen Woody
Actors: Hillaire Marcel,Chapman Lonny,Merlin Jan,Anderson James,Beck Jackson,Storm Howard,Gordon Mark,Murphy Micil,Moskowitz Minnow,Jacobson Nate,Leff Henry,Comedy,Crime,
Howie Mandel to perform at the St. George Theatre
15.10.09
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — When Howie Mandel was a child and his shoelaces would come undone, he would refuse to retie them because they had touched the ground.
“Everybody noticed that I was a little different. But in those days, it wasn’t like you took someone to a psychiatrist. I was just quirky and different in everybody’s mind. And now, I’ve come to know that there are other people who share my difference and that’s kind a comforting,” says the host of NBC’s “Deal or No Deal,” about living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
The showbiz juggernaut, who hits the St. George Theatre Oct. 17, details how he’s triumphed in spite of his struggles with OCD and ADHD in a new memoir. “Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me” arrives in stores Nov. 24. The book evolved in much the same way his 30-year career has, says Mandel. He just started writing without thinking.
“Not thinking about it and just doing is how I got my career,” he says by phone from a stand-up stop in Las Vegas. In addition to 250 stand-up gigs a year, and “Deal or No Deal,” Mandel does substitute hosting on major talk shows, and has created TV projects like the cartoon “Bobby’s World,” which aired on FOX from ‘90 to ‘98, and more recently the short-lived prank show “Howie Do It.”
Not to forget his early, unscripted years. After being discovered at an amateur night at the legendary Comedy Store in L.A., the former carpet store salesman landed an opening slot for Diana Ross in Las Vegas, and a six-year run on the critically acclaimed medical drama “St. Elsewhere,” which earned him an Emmy nomination.
His live act is essentially improv, too.
“The things that are nightmares for other people are dreams for me,” says the guy who became famous by inflating a rubber glove over the top half of his head. Mandel finds material if the mic goes out, if the lights flicker, if audience members shout out random remarks. “They’re seeds,” he says. “I look at it like a giant party and I’m just trying to be the center of attention.”
These days, he’s found yet another way to occupy his ever-active mind: Twitter. In just a couple of weeks, he’s attracted more than 11,000 followers.
“It’s the perfect digital way of dealing with ADHD because you can’t write more than 152 characters,” he says. “With ADHD, I have all these shots (thoughts) shooting into my head.”
On the syndicated “Deal or No Deal,” where contestants must decide to accept briefcases full of a known amount of money or give them back to risk going for more money or losing all of it, Mandel has to carefully mind his “shooting” thoughts.
“I think the real skill in my position is not to stop and throttle someone and say, ‘Take the money and run.’ Sometimes it’s so debilitating to watch someone walk out of there with a penny.” On the flip side, it can be exhilarating to watch someone win enough money to change their life for the better, he says.
Mandel would be happy to maintain his status quo. Not hard to believe considering his winning record thus far.
“As much as anyone wants to invite me some place or fly me some place or even approach me or say hi to me, I will be there,” he says. “It will bother me when all of that stops. My ideal plan is to stay this busy and at this pace for as long as I possibly can.”
— Mandel takes the stage at 8 p.m. Oct. 17 at the St. George Theatre, 35 Hyatt St. Tickets: $29-$99 at 718-448-2900 or Ticketmaster.com . More information: StGeorgeTheatre.com .
SOCIAL NETWORKING
The Oct. 17 St. George Theatre headliner answered a couple of questions from AWE Facebook friends:
Casey Jost: Is there going to be a “Bobby’s World” movie?! if not, tell him to get that greenlighted.
Howie: God knows, I’m trying.
Michelle Maskaly: How does his wife feel about him working with all those “Deal or No Deal” models?
Howie: She doesn’t know about them.
… and the queries kept rolling in, post-interview:
Carlo Montagnino: ask him if he feels slighted by Obama for using the Fist Bump
Editor’s note: Mandel uses the fist bump as an alternative to shaking hands to avoid spreading germs.
Scott L. Jacobi: Do animals REALLY not wear underpants?
Editor’s note: Howie’s animated Bobby was a 4-year-old who delighted in reminding young viewers of the above.
