Briefly: For many fans of film, one of the most delightful film’s of 2011 was Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. Now an audio clip has surfaced, suggesting Allen got the inspiration for the film from a stand-up routine he performed 50 years ago!

For those familiar with Midnight in Paris, this routine – recorded in the 1960’s – has a premise which was prominently featured in the film. Take a listen to the routine, entitled Lost Generation, below:

Read the transcription below:

“I was in Europe, I was in Europe many years ago with Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway had just written his first novel, and Gertrude Stein and I read it, and we said that it was a good novel, but not a great one, that it needed some work, but it could be a fine book. And we laughed over it, and Hemingway punched me in the mouth.

That winter, Picasso lived on the Rue de Bach. And he had just painted a naked dental hygienist in the middle of the Gobi Desert. Gertrude Stein said it was a good picture, but not a great one. And I said it could be a fine picture, and we laughed over it, and Hemingway punched me in the mouth.

I remember Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald came home from their wild new year’s eve party. It was April. Scott had just written Great Expectations, and Gertrude Stein and I read it, and we said it was a good book, but there was no need to have written it, because Charles Dickens had already written it, and we laughed over it, and Hemingway punched me in the mouth.

That winter we went to Spain to see Manolete fight. And he looked to me 18, and Gertrude Stein said no he was 19, but that he only looked 18, and I said sometimes a boy of 18 will look 19, and other times, a 19-year-old can easily look 18, and that’s the way it is with a true Spaniard. And we laughed over that, and Gertrude Stein punched me in the mouth.”

From this it’s easy to gather just how passionate Allen is about this concept, which is a major reason why Midnight in Paris worked so well – not to mention it’s a great idea to begin with. What do you think of this revelation?

Thanks to Nerdist for discovering this! Transcripts available thanks to FilmDrunk.