This film is treated something like the lost child in the canon of director Woody Allen's career.  As if he would have to apologize for this instead of, say, "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion".  What Allen attempted here in his directorial debut is groundbreaking.  This is the first example I can recall of a director telling his film in mock-documentary style, later employed by Albert Brooks and perfected by Christopher Guest.  Allen proves himself to be not only a great comic visualist but there are great verbal puns here as well.  The conceit of the film is a gas.  We're supposed to believe that Allen's Virgil Starkwell, an inept dweeb of a criminal, if not among the FBI's most wanted does cause Mr. Hoover some sleepless nights.  The gags here are rapidfire but I wouldn't spoil it for those who are uninitiated.  My favorite being,though, is Virgil orchestrating a prison break with a gun he's fashioned out of soap during a rainstorm.  All this failed effort leaves him with is a hand full of soap lather.  Also, noteworthy in the cast is the late Janet Margolin as Virgil's faithful wife.  Margolin basically plays straight woman to Allen but it's a shame this gifted actress who was so good in "David and Lisa" didn't have a more substantial film career.