An LA-based friend of mine who works as a stylist told me he will go to the cinema this afternoon to watch the original widescreen director's cut of Ken Russell's 1971 musical extravaganza The Boy Friend at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
The screening will be particularly interesting because it will also feature a discussion on adapting and designing musicals for the screen with a panel including the film production designer Tony Walton (All That Jazz, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Murder On The Orient Express, The Wiz, Mary Poppins, Death of a Salesman).
Based on Sandy Wilson's 1954 eponymous hut musical, The Boy Friend follows a theatre company performing their matinée show - featuring shy stage manager Polly Browne (Twiggy) as a replacement for the leading lady who has an accident - in front of a Hollywood film director who is scouting for actors.
While various tragicomic disasters – including the members of the crew fighting for the attention of Cecil B. DeThrill's attention - threaten to ruin the show, romance erupts and Polly falls in love with the leading actor.
Fashion-wise this film is rather interesting for different reasons, from Shirley Russell's costumes and the Art Deco settings to the colourful choreographies inspired by Busby Berkeley and by assorted Hollywood musicals from the '30s, including gigantic flags and record players, huge golf balls and poker cards and girls on planes imitating the choreographies in Thornton Freeland's Flying Down to Rio (there's definitely more than just one photo shoot opportunity here, no wonder why my stylist friend is going...), scenes sparked by the powerful fantasy of young Polly and ambitious DeThrill.
After retiring from modelling, Twiggy became an actress and singer and actually won two Golden Globe awards with this film, as best newcomer and best actress in the musical/comedy category.
I recently re-watched this film and I would warmly recommend it to stylists and prop designers working in the fashion industry, but I would also suggest girls who would like to become fashion models (or who are working as fashion models at the moment) to watch it, since Twiggy's career from "clothes hanger" to actress and singer may be inspiring for them as well.
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Comments