While still a young man, Woody Allen began writing jokes for such TV comics as Sid Caesar, Art Carney, and Garry Moore.

Apparently recognizing how much Ralph Rosenblum's recutting did to save Take the Money and Run, Allen hired him as editor on his next film, Bananas (1971), and four future projects: Sleeper (1973), Love and Death (1975), Annie Hall (1977), and Interiors (1978).

Virgil and his chain gang watch a movie within the film, "Trout Fishing in Quebec," which is credited as a Rollins-Joffe Production, using the real-life names of Allen's managers and producers.

Executives of Palomar Pictures, the production company that backed Take the Money and Run, sat stone-faced on their first screening of the finished product and didn't want to release it. Charles Joffe persuaded them to make two prints and let it open at the 68th Street Playhouse, a small art cinema in Manhattan, in August 1969. The film ended up breaking all records for ticket sales at the theater, and after some positive reviews, was given a wider release.

Playing on only 18 screens in 15 cities nationwide, Take the Money and Run performed quite well. It also was a surprise box office hit in Greece.

United Artist executives were so impressed by Take the Money and Run that they approached Charles Joffe with a deal substantially better than their original paltry rejected offer of $750,000. Joffe asked for a $2 million budget per film, total creative control once the studio green-lighted the idea, and a three-picture contract. The studio agreed.

Janet Margolin made her first big mark as a teenager when she was nominated for a Tony Award, leading to her critically acclaimed work as the schizophrenic girl in her film debut David and Lisa (1962). That performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination as Most Promising Newcomer and Best Actress award at the San Francisco Film Festival. Major film roles eluded her, however, and she did most of her work in television guest spots. Allen used her again as one of his ex-wives in Annie Hall (1977). Her last feature appearance was in Ghostbusters II (1989). She died of ovarian cancer in 1993 at the age of 50.

The narration in the film is spoken by Jackson Beck, who had a long, successful career as an announcer and voiceover artist. His first film job was as both narrator and the voice of Perry White in the animated movie Superman (1941). In the 1940s, he was heard on the March of Time newsreels, and throughout that decade and into the 50s, he was the voice of the arch-nemesis Bluto in more than 100 Popeye cartoons and also "appeared" occasionally as Little Lulu's father. In the 1960s, he was back working with Superman again as narrator, Perry White and Lex Luthor on various animated TV series, and he was a narrator for the G.I. Joe cartoon series into the 1980s. His last film work was with Allen again, providing the off-screen voice of a reporter in Radio Days (1987). He died in 2004 at the age of 92.

Allen thought of using his then wife, Louise Lasser, for his leading lady (who is called Louise in the story), but she was a screen unknown, having appeared only on the TV soap opera The Doctors, in an uncredited bit in the Allen-scripted What's New, Pussycat? (1965), and as a voice in his What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966). He did, however, cast her in a comic interview scene in the picture as a neighbor stunned to learn that the "idiot" she knew was actually a criminal mastermind. Although they were divorced in 1969, she later appeared in his films Bananas (1971) and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* But Were Afraid to Ask (1972). She is perhaps best known for the title role in the long-running TV soap opera spoof Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

Co-scripter Mickey Rose appears as one of the men on the chain gang.

Rollins and Joffe have produced all 36 of Allen's feature film releases to date, as well as some of his work for television. They have also produced television specials, the documentary The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell (1982), and the film version of Allen's play, Don't Drink the Water (1969), which was directed by Howard Morris. On his own, Joffe produced Herbert Ross's film of Allen's second play, Play It Again, Sam (1972), featuring Allen and Diane Keaton, and the non-Allen comedy Arthur (1981).

Marvin Hamlisch also wrote the very effective and memorable score for Allen's second picture, Bananas. He has won or been nominated for many ASCAP, Grammy, Emmy and Academy Awards, among others, and won three Oscars in one year for both the original dramatic score and title song to The Way We Were (1973), and for Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation for The Sting (1973).

After firing Fouad Said, Allen tried to hire veteran Italian cinematographer Carlo Di Palma, who had shot Antonioni's Red Desert (1964) and Blow-Up (1966), but Di Palma was not available. He eventually came to work for Allen nearly 20 years later on Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). He shot 11 feature films and one TV movie with Allen between that first assignment and Deconstructing Harry (1997).

Memorable Quotes from TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN:

MUSIC TEACHER (uncredited): (referring to Virgil's cello lessons) He had no conception of the instrument. He would blow into it.

VIRGIL (Woody Allen): (taking a Rorschach blot test) That looks to me like two elephants making love to a men's glee club.

VIRGIL: I knew I was in love. First of all, I was very nauseous. ... Real beauty makes me want to gag.

VIRGIL: I was so touched by her that after 15 minutes I wanted to marry her. And after a half hour, I completely gave up the idea of snatching her purse.

VIRGIL: The psychiatrist asked me...do I think sex is dirty. I said it is if you're doing it right.

VIRGIL: (reading his hold-up note aloud) I'm pointing a gun at you.
TELLER (uncredited): That looks like "gub."

JOB INTERVIEWER (uncredited): Have you ever had any experience running a high-speed digital electronic computer?
VIRGIL: Yes, I have.
INTERVIEWER: Where?
VIRGIL: My aunt has one.

VIRGIL: I used to manufacture escalator shoes for people who get nauseous wearing elevator shoes.

NARRATOR (Jackson Beck): Virgil complains and he is severely tortured. For several days, he is locked in a sweatbox with an insurance salesman.

NARRATOR: Food on the chain gang is scarce and not very nourishing. The men get one hot meal a day-a bowl of steam.

LOUISE (Janet Margolin): You know he never made the Ten Most Wanted list. It's very unfair voting. It's who you know.

Compiled by Rob Nixon