Bananas

Bananas. 1971 United Artists.
Starring: Woody Allen, Louise Lasser, Carlos Montalban, David Ortiz, Natividad Abascal
Special Appearance: Howard Cosell
Director: Woody Allen
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Fielding Mellish (Allen) is a neurotic blue collar type wanting to impress a social activist named Nancy (Lasser). Visiting San Marcos during an uprising, he tries to assist the local people, but nearly gets himself killed before being saved by the revolutionaries. Mellish feels indebted to help them, and he clumsily goes through training. Later, while making an effort to feed the troops, he goes into a restaurant, and orders thousands of deli sandwiches (including one special order), and wheelbarrows full of coleslaw on the side.

The revolution is a success, the leader goes insane, ordering everyone to wear their underwear outside their clothes, among other edicts. Mellish is made President of San Marcos, and he soon returns to America to seek financial aid, but is exposed when he reunites with Nancy. In court, Melling tries to defend himself from a series of incriminating witnesses, including J. Edgar Hoover in drag. He is given a suspended prison sentence, on the condition that he doesn't move into the judge's neighborhood. Only then does Nancy agree to marry Fielding.

Bananas is bookended by two absurd sequences. The first is ABC's Wide World of Sports covering a live assassination, complete with Howard Cosell ("It's all over for El Presidente!") trying to interview the recently deceased, as well as the mastermind behind the murder. The other is Fielding's honeymoon with Nancy, which plays out like a boxing match.

You really can't go wrong with early Woody Allen, so let's just say this is highly recommended.

Special news bulletin: The Astronauts have landed safely on the Moon, and have erected the first all protestant cafeteria.