Bananas (film)

Bananas is a 1971 American comedy film directed by Woody Allen and starring Allen, Louise Lasser, and Carlos Montalban. Written by Allen and Mickey Rose, the film is about a bumbling New Yorker who, after being dumped by his activist girlfriend, travels to a tiny Latin American nation and becomes involved in its latest rebellion. Parts of the plot are based on the book Don Quixote, U.S.A. by Richard P. Powell. Filmed on location in New York City, Lima, Peru, and Puerto Rico, the film is number 78 on Bravos 100 Funniest Movies.

Mellish is a neurotic blue collar man who tries to impress social activist Nancy Louise Lasser by trying to get in touch with the revolution in San Marcos. He visits the republic and attempts to show his concern for the native people. However, nearly killed by the local caudillo, only to be saved by the revolutionaries, he is then indebted to help them. Mellish clumsily learns how to be a revolutionary. When the revolution is successful, the Castrostyle leader goes mad, forcing the rebels to place Mellish as their President.When traveling back to the U.S. to obtain financial aid, he reunites with his activist exgirlfriend and is exposed. In a classic courtroom scene, Mellish tries to defend himself from a series of incriminating witnesses, including a reigning Miss America and a middleaged AfricanAmerican woman who facetiously claims to be J. Edgar Hoover and is taken seriously by the whole court. One of the witnesses does provide testimony favorable to Mellish, but the court clerk twists it to make him appear thoroughly dishonest. Mellish is eventually sentenced to prison, but his sentence is suspended on the condition that he does not move into the judges neighborhood. Nancy then agrees to marry him. The film ends with the betweenthecovers consummation of their marriage, an event that was over much more quickly than Nancy had anticipated. Like the opening scene, it was accompanied by Cosell providing commentary. ........

Source: Wikipedia