The Boy Friend ***** (1971, Twiggy, Christopher Gable, Max Adrian, Tommy Tune, Barbara Windsor) – Classic Movie Review 5,446

Twiggy captivates in her film début as Polly Browne in the 1971 British film The Boy Friend, Ken Russell’s delightful homage to Thirties Hollywood musicals.

Writer-director Ken Russell brings Sandy Wilson’s enchanting show spoofing Twenties stage musicals to the screen as a delightful 1971 British film homage to Thirties Hollywood musicals, particularly those of Busby Berkeley. It is based on the 1953 musical The Boy Friend by Sandy Wilson.

Twiggy captivates in her film début as Polly Browne, the talented young unknown performer, a small-time theatrical company’s assistant stage manager, forced to replace sick leading lady Rita Monroe (Glenda Jackson, uncredited) on opening night. Twiggy won two Golden Globes, as Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical and Most Promising Newcomer – Female. Christopher Gable also pleases as Polly’s leading man Tony, the stage partner she falls in love with. Gable is also the film’s musical choreographer.

There are also fun support turns from Max Adrian as the impresario Max, Vladek Sheybal as the Hollywood producer-director Cecil B DeThrill, Barbara Windsor as Hortense, and Tommy Tune as Tommy. Adrian was nominated posthumously for a Bafta as Best Supporting Actor

And all of Wilson’s smashing songs are here: ‘I Could Be Happy’, ‘A Room in Bloomsbury’, ‘It’s Nicer in Nice’ and ‘The You-Don’t-Want-to-Play-with-Me Blues’

But Russell added two numbers from Singin’ in the Rain for Twiggy, ‘You Are My Lucky Star’ and ‘All I Do Is Dream of You’ (both of them music by Nacio Herb Brown and  lyrics by Arthur Freed). James Aubrey, head of MGM, cut the two songs from the US release, as well as a seven-minute sequence where Twiggy imagines the cast in a bacchanal.

The critics mauled the film, and it didn’t make back its high costs. What more did people want? It’s ace.

Russell recalled: ‘Despite the big Busby Berkeley routines, the novelty value of the stage show, the great singing and dancing by the cast, plus the brilliant designs of Shirley Kingdon and Tony Walton, the film was a flop.’

Also in the cast are Moyra Fraser, Bryan Pringle, Murray Melvin, Georgina Hale, Brian Murphy, Antonia Ellis, Graham Armitage, Caryl Little, Sally Bryant and Anne Jameson.

It runs 137 minutes, 125 minutes in the short UK version, 140 minutes in the director’s cut, and only 109 minutes in the US release version (cut by MGM).

Release dates: 16 December 1971 (New York City) and 3 February 1972 (London).

The theatre Russell uses is The New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth. Filming took place over 18 weeks, finishing in September 1971. The big production numbers were shot at Elstree Studios in London.

In June 1970, MGM and EMI formed EMI-MGM Film Productions Ltd to make four films together, with each company putting in £1 million. They are Get Carter, The Go-Between, The Last Run and The Boy Friend. The Boy Friend was made after Get Carter and The Go Between but was the first released.

Filming started in April 1971, only ten days after Russell finished The Devils. He said the film was ‘supposed to be a holiday after The Devils – just entertainment. It’s turned out to be the hardest picture I’ve ever made.’

Twiggy, who was one of the most famous models in the world and had retired 18 months earlier, had seen a stage revival of The Boy Friend and suggested to her friend Russell that he direct her in a film version. ‘The dancing nearly killed me,’ said Twiggy. Gable recalled: ‘By a musical’s very nature, one has to be relentlessly cheery. After four months, you don’t feel like it.’

Sandy Wilson recalled in 1994: ‘I recognise some of the tunes. If it made a star out of Twiggy, well… but she’s faded out long since. To give Russell his due, it didn’t belong on the screen at all.’

The cast

The cast are Twiggy as Polly Browne, Christopher Gable as Tony Brockhurst, Max Adrian as Max Mandeville aka Mr Max / Lord Hubert Brockhurst, Bryan Pringle as Percy Parkhill / Percy Browne, Murray Melvin as Alphonse, Moyra Fraser as Moyra Parkhill / Madame Dubonnet, Georgina Hale as Fay, Sally Bryant as Nancy, Vladek Sheybal as Cecil B De Thrill, Tommy Tune as Tommy, Brian Murphy as Peter, Graham Armitage as Michael, Antonia Ellis as Maisie, Caryl Little as Dulcie, Anne Jameson as Mrs Peter, Catherine Willmer as Catherine Max / Lady Catherine Brockhurst, Robert La Bassier as chauffeur, Barbara Windsor as Rosie / Hortense, and Glenda Jackson (uncredited) as Rita.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5,446

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