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Woody Allen:
A Research Pathfinder


Introduction and Scope

Woody Allen's career as a writer, comedian, actor, and filmmaker has spanned over three decades, and shows no signs of waning. A prolific artist involved in nearly fifty films to date, Woody Allen has masterfully used both humor and drama to explore such common themes as love, death, anxiety, illusion, identity and integrity. His work is admittedly a matter of taste, his success best measured not by box office receipts but by the unique artistry he employs in telling the stories he creates. The complexity of his work, and the broad range of critical opinion on it, make Woody Allen a likely subject of serious study.

Much has been written about Woody Allen, and he will undoubtedly remain the subject of analysis and criticism for years to come. This pathfinder offers an introduction to the types of sources that the beginning researcher can consult for information about Allen's themes and artistic process. While it is intended as a bibliographic aid for those researching Woody Allen from a scholarly perspective, this pathfinder can also serve as a guide for fans of his work. Furthermore, it can be adapted to research and inquiry on others in the entertainment industry. This should not be considered an exhaustive bibliography of available literature, but rather a tool to help direct the research process.


Key to Locations

This pathfinder is designed specifically for students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; as such, the sources have been limited to those located on, or accessible from, the UNC-CH campus. Locations within the UNC-CH library system are abbreviated as follows:


LC Subject Headings

The following Library of Congress subject headings may be useful when searching the UNC online catalog for relevant research material.

Works specifically about Woody Allen can be found under the following headings:

  • Allen, Woody
  • Allen, Woody - Criticism and interpretation
  • Allen, Woody - Interviews
  • Allen, Woody - Pictorial works

Works dealing with various aspects of Woody Allen's career can be found under the following headings, which may be further subdivided by geography, by more detailed subject area, or by type of work. Often, a search on the broadest term will produce "search also under" references which can help direct your query.

  • Comedians
  • Comedy films
  • Comedy films - History and criticism
  • Motion picture actors and actresses
  • Motion picture producers and directors
  • Motion pictures
  • Motion pictures - Plots, themes, etc.
  • Screenwriters


Browsing Areas

It is often worthwhile to simply browse the library shelves for pertinent material; the following areas would be good places to start.


Frequently Mentioned Works

The following works are often cited in research material on Woody Allen.


Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

These sources are excellent starting points for film study in general and Woody Allen in particular.


Bibliographies

These bibliographies are valuable for guiding the researcher through the profusion of literature available on Woody Allen, his films, and the motion picture industry.


Abstracts and Indexes

While in different formats -- print, web-based, and CD-ROM -- all of these resources will lead you to scholarly writings on Woody Allen and his films, and may assist you in evaluating which works will be most useful to your research.


Journals

As a search of any indexing tool will indicate, the following journals frequently publish articles, aside from film reviews, on Woody Allen's work. These journals are also excellent sources for general research into the art of the cinema.

Current issues of these periodicals can be found in the Davis Library Serials Department; call numbers given are for bound issues located in the Davis Library Stacks.


Film Reviews

No study of a filmmaker would be complete without reference to critical analyses of his work. The following compilations will provide and/or direct you to both scholarly and popular film reviews.


Biographical Sources

Numerous biographical sketches of Woody Allen have been written in both book and essay form. Listed below are some considered to be of value for research purposes. An index to biographical material is also included for further reference.


Works of Scholarship and Criticism

Woody Allen and his films have been and will continue to be the subject of significant critical study. Each of the texts listed here offers a unique perspective on Allen's work.


Interviews

References to interviews with Woody Allen can be found in many of the works cited elsewhere in this pathfinder. Three of the more recent and/or comprehensive interview sources are listed below.


Works by Woody Allen

Many of Woody Allen's print and film works can be found in the libraries of UNC Chapel Hill, via an author search of the online catalog (search on allen, woody). For example:


WWW Resources

The following links will provide not only hours of amusement for Woody Allen fans, but also fairly comprehensive listings of his films, as well as works both by and about him.


This pathfinder and webpage was created by Christine Stachowicz,
Graduate Student in Library Science, in conjunction with coursework in the
School of Information and Library Science,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Please send comments or questions to: stacc@ils.unc.edu.


Created December, 2000
Last updated June 30, 2002
All links were active as of that date.