Play It Again, Sam

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Play It Again, Sam

PG

1972

1h 27m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

97%

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37 Reviews

89%

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10,000+ Ratings

Overanxious film critic Allan (Woody Allen) sinks into a depression after his wife leaves him. Concerned, his married friends Dick (Tony Roberts) and Linda (Diane Keaton) encourage him to meet new women. Inspired by Humphrey Bogart's dark persona, Allan attempts to emulate him in flirting with women. However, his frail personality ensures that his every attempt blows up in his face. His hapless romantic life reaches catastrophic levels when he develops feelings for Linda.

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Derek Adams

Time Out

Jun 24, 2006

The working out of the parallels with Casablanca are masterly, and there are plenty of good sight gags and one-liners.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Oct 23, 2004

3/4

Maybe the movie has too much coherence, and the plot is too predictable; that's a weakness of films based on well-made Broadway plays. Still, that's hardly a serious complaint about something as funny as Play It Again, Sam."

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William Gallagher

BBC.com

Apr 17, 2001

3/5

This is very much one of Allen's earlier, funnier films.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 18, 2025

3.5/4

“I’m turning into an aspirin junkie. Next thing you know, I’ll be boiling the cotton at the top of the bottle to get the extra.” That’s one of the opening salvos in this hilarious comedy starring Woody Allen and Humphrey Bogart (well, sort of).

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Frank J. Avella

The Contending

Feb 17, 2025

B+

The Allen-Keaton sparks are off the charts. There’s a reason they would go onto highly successful ‘70s collaborations...No surprise, Keaton is the heart of the pic. Her magical comedic gifts help elevate the silliest moments...

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Dick Lochte

Los Angeles Free Press

Jan 8, 2020

Allen has the uncanny knack of magnifying our most unguarded, embarrassing, selfish and just plain silly moments into a blossoming garden of neuroses and phobias.

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Huntin P

@PaxVobiscum80 Oct 1, 2026

This is easily the best adaptation of a stage play written by Woody, and it is probably for the best that Woody himself, still very new at directing in 1972, didn't direct it. Woody is insanely critical of his own stuff, and he speaks quite dismissively of this comic masterpiece, which shows you what he knows. This movie has cringe-comedy before the term was invented, and how! Allan, newly divorced, is thrust back into the dating saddle by his friends Dick & Linda, and cue a series of bad dates. Allan's attempts to be cool, especially on his date with Sharon, will have you gnawing your knuckles off. Meanwhile, he is getting advice on how to be suave from the shade of Humphrey Bogart, his hero (Allan is a film critic). The movie ends with a recreation of the Casablanca finale which rivals the original for charm. Very funny and impossible not to love. One of the most essential Woody movies, even if it isn't one he directed. His words, his genius.

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Linda G

@Goldy78 Oct 30, 2025

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton at their best.

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Dan F

@Dan_Frazier Oct 18, 2025

Sometimes funny. More often awkward or anxiety producing. I don't feel the story is very satisfying, though there is more of a story than with some of Allen's other films. What the film does best is capture some of the insecurity many people feel about starting new relationships. It also captures something of the time period in which it was filmed, a time before cell phones and dating apps.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Oct 15, 2025

Funny in 1 hour and 27 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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alan g

@agenser Jul 28, 2025

OK if you like Casablnca. BTW Bogart never said that. He simply said at the end of his speech, "play it."

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Bradley S

@RT52236733 Mar 5, 2025

His best true comedy particularly if you like Casablanca and relate to the awkwardness of being in relationships.

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Herbert Ross

Director

Woody Allen

Allan Felix

Diane Keaton

Linda Christie

Tony Roberts

Dick Christie

Jerry Lacy

Humphrey Bogart

Susan Anspach

Nancy Felix

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Synopsis

Overanxious film critic Allan (Woody Allen) sinks into a depression after his wife leaves him. Concerned, his married friends Dick (Tony Roberts) and Linda (Diane Keaton) encourage him to meet new women. Inspired by Humphrey Bogart's dark persona, Allan attempts to emulate him in flirting with women. However, his frail personality ensures that his every attempt blows up in his face. His hapless romantic life reaches catastrophic levels when he develops feelings for Linda.

Director: Herbert Ross
Producer: Arthur P. Jacobs
Screenwriter: Woody Allen, Woody Allen
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Rollins-Joffe Productions, APJAC Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 4, 1972, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Runtime: 1h 27m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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