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Books

Woody Allen: a life of jazz, laughter, depression —and a few misdemeanours

As Allen completes his 47th film, two new biographies pay tribute to his genius as a director on the eve of his 80th birthday

26 September 2015

8:00 AM

26 September 2015

8:00 AM

Woody Allen: Film by Film Jason Solomons

Carlton, pp.256, £25, ISBN: 9781780976730

Woody Allen: A Retrospective Tom Shone

Thames & Hudson, pp.287, £29.95, ISBN: 9780500517987

Woody Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg), the prolific, Oscar-winning auteur, New Orleans-style jazz clarinettist, doyen of New York delicatessen society, moralistic nihilist and icon of nebbishes everywhere, will be 80 on 1 December. He says he hopes to sleep through the occasion, but he is already completing next year’s film, his 47th, and preparing a series of programmes for television.

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'Woody Allen: Film by Film', £22 and 'Woody Allen: A Retrospective', £26.95 are available from the Spectator Bookshop, Tel: 08430 600033

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