Take the Money and Run Movie Review - Starring Woody Allen and Janet Margolin

By David Terr

"Take the Money and Run" is a hilarious slapstick comedy starring, written and directed by Woody Allen, who plays a bungaling petty thief. The film is a mockumentary (mock documentary) which pokes fun at crime documentaries. The movie is very much in line with many other early Woody Allen films.

Virgil Starkwell (Allen) is a smalltime thief who was a failure growing up and decided to turn to a life of crime, which worked for him. He robs several people at gunpoint. During the film he gets arrested several times, usually for screwing up his plans. For instance, in prison he makes a fake gun out of soap and tries to make the guards release him at gunpoint, but it turns out to be raining outside and the rain causes his fake gun to foam up with suds. He also attempts some failed bank robberies. One time he leaves a note saying, "I have a gub", with gun misspelled. The guards at the bank take time to analyze the note, by which time they are able to arrest him. Another time, he arrives with a group of fellow robbers, only to find the bank being robbed by another gang of criminals at the same time. The customers vote in favor of the other group, and Virgil and his group are arrested.

Virgil ends up in a chain gang. One member of the gang, who describes himself as a paranoid schizophrenic, devises an escape plan. The gang runs off in chains, away from the guards. They run into an old woman's home. They all end up going to the bathroom together. The old woman tries to turn them in, but they manage to get away.

At one point, Virgil attemps armed robbery on a man who turns out to be an old school buddy of his. They two enjoy reminiscing about the good old days while Virgil is robbing him. It turns out that his friend is now a cop, who arrests him. The movie ends with Virgil being interviewed from prison.

Take the Money and Run - Dave's Top Movies

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