THE RECENT case of Allen v. Doumanian was a heady 15 minutes of fame for the commercial division of the New York State Supreme Court. Woody Allen, the city’s most famous film director, got on the stand to offer a glimpse into his life and craft, crack jokes, and spar good-naturedly with the judge.

By all accounts, the nine-day trial, prompted by Mr. Allen’s $14 million lawsuit against his former friend and partner, Jean Doumanian, was filled with entertaining moments.