Broadway Danny Rose Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Broadway Danny Rose Blu-ray Movie Review

"I find 'em, I discover 'em, I breathe life into 'em and then they go."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown June 15, 2025

Writer/director Woody Allen's sweet, genuinely funny 'Broadway Danny Rose' was originally released on Blu-ray by Twilight Time in 2014 as part of the label's Screen Archives Entertainment Exclusive Limited Editions. That version, limited to 3,000 copies, has since gone out of print. Enter Sandpiper Pictures, who brings 'Broadway Danny Rose' back to Blu-ray with excellent video and strong audio, albeit with the same barebones supplemental package as the Twilight Time version. The film stars Allen as the titular Danny, alongside Mia Farrow, Nick Apollo, Sandy Baron, Frank Renzulli, Howard Storm, Milton Berle, Michael Badalucco, Howard Cosell, Corbett Monica, Jackie Gayle, Morty Gunty, Will Jordan, Jack Rollins, Paul Greco, Gina DeAngeles, Peter Castellotti, Robert Weil, Maurice Shrog, Ronald Maccone, Camille Saviola, John Doumanian, Sammy Davis Jr. and Danny Aiello.

Art, it seems, has proven itself resilient to accusation. How could anyone so beloved, so talented, be a monster? For those who are impervious to this distraction, a film like Broadway Danny Rose can survive the test of time and live on, regardless of who or what is behind the camera. For others, unfortunately like myself, it's a chore to separate an artist from his art, and even more difficult to set aside the unsavory to enjoy a slice of fiction that may or may not serve as an escape for the depraved or the criminal. And I'm certainly not the first or last to write about it. What is our responsibility as an audience? Does it simply come down to personal preference, belief or tolerance? Is reasonable doubt enough to erase the reputation that hangs around the neck of a genius? Are we able to draw a line between the accused and their talent? Or are we left with little to do other than question Allen's guilt, perhaps turn a blind eye, and selfishly indulge in what we enjoy? I can't answer any of these questions, but every time a Woody Allen film crosses my desk, I'm distracted to the point of deferring to another reviewer, who isn't so unsettled by such things. I can see the excellence in Broadway Danny Rose. It's nearly objective. But subjectively? I can't thing of anything beyond the possibility that everything Allen is accused of may be true. Art, as it turns out, doesn't hold sway over me as much as I'd like it to.

The entire story of Broadway Danny Rose is told as an anecdote shared among comedians as they have a gabfest around a diner table one day, and it's evident that all of them have a soft spot for Danny (Allen), even as they realize he may not have been the most formidable talent agent of all time. The main anecdote, however, concerns Danny's dealings with Lou Canova (Nick Apollo Forte), and specifically with one integral period of Canova's career when a chance meeting between Danny and Milton Berle on a Manhattan street corner potentially paves the way for a major career renaissance for the erstwhile fifties heartthrob. Canova isn't quite as twitchy as Danny is, but he's just as neurotic in his own way, beset by both insecurities and delusions of grandeur, both of which play into his somewhat bifurcated response to this "big break". Lou is absolutely insistent that his surreptitious girlfriend Tina (Mia Farrow) be at his audition for Berle, though he wants Danny to act as a "beard", pretending to be Tina's boyfriend so as not to draw attention to Lou. Unfortunately for Danny, his act is only all too believable, especially for Tina's mobster ex- boyfriend Johnny Rispoli (Edwin Bordo). Tina is upset because Lou has been "cheating" on her (with his wife), and so is reluctant to support her lover, and in fact has been engaging in some rather heated arguments with Lou. This of course makes Danny's job of getting Tina to Lou's concert challenging to begin with, a challenge that is only escalated when a bunch of mobsters start chasing the pair.

Click here to read the rest of Jeffrey Kauffman's review of Broadway Danny Rose, which he calls a film of surprises, "the biggest surprise [undoubtedly being] Mia Farrow, in one of the most unusual, and best realized, performances of her career." Adding, "Broadway Danny Rose is certainly one of the better films from this era of Allen's filmography. It's routinely laugh out loud funny, but there's also a notable sense of schmaltz (in a good way) that informs this sweet and ultimately endearing outing."

Broadway Danny Rose Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Broadway Danny Rose boasts a striking, near-perfect 1080p/AVC-encoded black-and-white video transfer; one I found even more impressive than my colleague, who reviewed a similar presentation in 2014. Contrast is vibrant and lovely, with deep, inky black levels and bright, crisp whites. Mid-range grays are just as handsome, without anything in the way of banding or blocking to muck up the proceedings. Detail is exceptional too, with crisp edges, beautifully refined textures and a veneer of grain that's as filmic as it is consistent and pleasing to the eye. The only issues you could even raise with the presentation is a bit of ever-so-slight crush and a handful of instances where faint ringing is visible. Neither proves to be much of a problem at all, and the whole of the image looks as if it's been granted a brand spanking new master from an impeccable source, even though it's undoubtedly just an excellent transfer from several years past.

Broadway Danny Rose Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Broadway Danny Rose only offers a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix but it matches the tone and tenor of the black and white photography nicely. Dialogue is clear, intelligible and perfectly prioritized, musical numbers sound great, and effects are given a deceptive amount of weight and presence that defies the lack of surround channels and LFE support.

Broadway Danny Rose Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only extra included on the Blu-ray release of Broadway Danny Rose is a theatrical trailer.

Broadway Danny Rose Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you're one of the lucky cinephiles who are able to separate art from the accusations surrounding the artist, Broadway Danny Rose proves itself to be another excellent Woody Allen picture. Sandpiper's Blu-ray release is terrific too, with a near-perfect video transfer and a solid DTS-HD Master Audio mono mix. The only extra is a theatrical trailer, but seeing as Allen isn't keen on special features, it hardly matters. Recommended.