A Miramax release. In movies, dawn means the opening credits, and with Woody Allen films, the plain black and white words that precede the color images give you the familiar, comfortable feeling that it's going to be a good day. The credits' music sets the tone. The story is set in the New York of the Roaring Twenties. David is dead cert that his latest, ponderously socially relevant effort is a masterpiece.
Olive is more a pit than a pip.
Allen and McGrath have engineered the familiar amalgam of mounting a play, rehearsals and oddball characters in a Damon Runyonesque world. But they added a wonderfully original dimension. A second major twist occurs later. It cannot not be revealed. Aside from this the movie is a most amusing and knowing comedy about stage people and others.