The Boy Friend (1971 film)
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Founder | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, EMI |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Films (including The Boy Friend) |
The Boy Friend is a 1971 British musical comedy film both written and directed by Ken Russell, adapted from the 1953 stage musical of the same title by Sandy Wilson. The cast features Twiggy, Christopher Gable, Tommy Tune, and Max Adrian, with Glenda Jackson making an uncredited cameo.
For its release in the United States, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer significantly shortened the film’s length to 109 minutes; however, the original version was reinstated for a 1987 reissue. The movie became available on DVD on 12 April 2011.
Plot
Set in London during the late 1920s, assistant stage manager Polly Browne takes over as lead actress when Rita Monroe is injured during rehearsals of The Boy Friend. The cast includes former American dancer Tommy alongside leading man Tony Brockhurst. The arrival of Hollywood director Mr. De Thrill, who is contemplating adapting the musical into a film, stirs tension within the troupe, especially affecting ambitious chorus girl Maisie.
As Polly performs, romantic entanglements develop both behind the scenes and onstage. Despite interference from Maisie’s schemes, genuine affection grows between Polly and Tony. The company’s lively behavior escalates during De Thrill's visit, culminating in an emotional finale where Tony openly professes his love for Polly.
Ultimately, De Thrill opts not to pursue a film adaptation but extends an invitation to Polly for Hollywood. Recognizing Tommy as his son, he chooses to leave with him instead. Polly decides to stay in London with Tony, affirming her dedication to the theatre group and their relationship.
Development
The original musical premiered in November 1954 and enjoyed a successful run exceeding five years in London, notably launching Julie Andrews's career. In February 1957, MGM secured film rights with producers Ernie Martin and Cy Feur attached and considered casting options such as Debbie Reynolds or Carol Channing. The plan included adding new songs and revising the script. Although production was announced for 1958 with Reynolds set to star, the project did not materialize.
By 1961, Reynolds expressed willingness to participate but noted a decline in MGM's musical output. Later, producer Ross Hunter, who had initially lost out to MGM for the rights, contemplated acquiring them but declined due to MGM’s asking price of $450,000; he instead went on to produce Thoroughly Modern Millie.
In June 1970, MGM and EMI formed a partnership investing equally £1 million each into four films: Get Carter, The Go-Between, The Last Run, and The Boy Friend. This collaboration marked the inaugural release from EMI-MGM Film Productions Ltd., led by Robert Littman in Europe.
Director Russell reportedly chose this project partly to counterbalance the controversy surrounding his earlier work The Devils (1971), intending to highlight his appreciation for musicals’ innocence and charm. Filming began in April 1971 soon after completing The Devils. Despite its seemingly lighter tone, Russell described it as "the hardest picture I've ever made."
Twiggy
Model Twiggy, a friend of Ken Russell, was interested in pursuing a career in film. In 1968, they announced that she would star in a Russell-directed project titled The Wishing Tree, which ultimately never materialized. At that time, Twiggy had already stepped away from modeling for about a year and a half.
After attending a revival of The Boy Friend, Twiggy proposed that Russell direct its film adaptation. When Russell joked about taking on the project, MGM—holding the rights but struggling with the musical’s 1920s stylization—approached him. MGM believed the show succeeded on stage but lacked cinematic appeal due to its stylized presentation and one-dimensional characters. Russell agreed to attempt the adaptation.
Although MGM doubted Twiggy’s talents, Russell assured them he would have her "dancing like Ginger Rogers and singing like Judy Garland" within three months. The film was produced by Twiggy’s boyfriend and manager, Justin de Villeneuve. Prior to production, Sandy Wilson expressed confidence in Twiggy’s capabilities.
Twiggy later commented, "The dancing nearly killed me."
Christopher Gable
Christopher Gable, cast as the male lead, left the Royal Ballet because of a persistent foot injury to focus on acting.
Gable described Twiggy as "just great" and "tough," though he found the musical demanding due to its nonstop cheerful tone, requiring constant smiling and dancing throughout four months of filming.
Music
Sandy Wilson’s music, evoking the 1920s style, was arranged by Peter Maxwell Davies, who also composed additional pieces for a dream sequence. For Twiggy specifically, Russell included two songs from Singing in the Rain—"You Are My Lucky Star" and "All I Do Is Dream of You".
Filming
The shoot lasted eighteen weeks, wrapping up in September. Principal musical numbers were filmed at Elstree Studios in London, while other scenes took place at the New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth.
Russell regarded The Boy Friend as one of the finest musicals and approached directing it as if it were a deliberately tacky provincial stage production imagined by a Hollywood filmmaker. The film featured Busby Berkeley-inspired choreography and dream-like sequences. Associate producer Harry Benn remarked that Russell faced the challenge of restraining his numerous creative ideas during filming.
Conflicts emerged when de Villeneuve, feeling sidelined and jealous, threatened to withdraw Twiggy from the production, which affected her performance. Russell intervened to keep de Villeneuve away from the set. Twiggy and de Villeneuve ended their relationship in 1973; she later worked with Tommy Tune on My One and Only.
Reflecting on the production difficulties, Russell compared making the musical to reconstructing the pyramids without guidance. One technical challenge involved perfecting glossy Hollywood-style floors for dance numbers.
De Villeneuve had plans to cast Twiggy alongside Tommy Tune in Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance, but this project never came to fruition.
MGM edits
James Aubrey, then head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, demanded a 25-minute reduction for the film’s U.S. release. Producer Michael Laughlin alleged that Russell threatened Aubrey; however, Russell denied this claim, clarifying that his comments were directed at critic Rex Reed. Russell accepted MGM’s right to edit since they financed the movie.
The cuts removed two songs ("It's Nicer in Nice" and "The You-Don't-Want-to-Play-with-Me Blues"), a seven-minute bacchanal fantasy featuring Twiggy’s character, and a recurring comedic subplot involving an actor’s wife.
Russell stated that these edits made the relationships in the final reel incomprehensible and criticized MGM’s heavy-handed approach. He admitted he should have shortened the script earlier but wanted to remain true to the original stage production.
This situation reflected broader frustrations among directors regarding MGM and Aubrey’s editing practices during that period.
In 1994, Sandy Wilson expressed dissatisfaction with the film, acknowledging Twiggy’s fame but feeling that the musical did not translate effectively to cinema.
Russell’s 1994 memoir The Lion Roars revealed that despite strong musical numbers and design elements, the film failed due to exaggerated performances, forced humor, and sluggish pacing.
A restored version reinstating the cut 25 minutes was released in 1987.
Reception
The film debuted simultaneously in London and New York, with its Southeastern premiere taking place at Atlanta's Cherokee Theater, where models displayed period costumes inspired by the movie.
Box office
By January 1972, reports from the Los Angeles Times indicated strong box office performance in both New York and Los Angeles. Although director Ken Russell later remarked that "no one went to see it," the film had accumulated $3 million in US earnings by October 1972. Jack Haley Jr. of MGM observed in 1974 that the film produced "several hundreds of thousands of dollars" in profit, benefiting from its modest $2.2 million budget and economical production in England. Haley estimated that a comparable Hollywood production would have cost over $5 million and probably resulted in a financial loss.
Critical reception
Variety described the film as “a beautiful vehicle for Twiggy” and considered it “delightful entertainment.” Roger Greenspun of The New York Times praised its cleverness, lively cast, and faithful rendition of Sandy Wilson’s musical score. In contrast, Roger Ebert criticized the movie for employing a "joyless" cinematographic style that weakened several scenes.
Fred Astaire disapproved of the film’s portrayal of classic cinema but reportedly admired Twiggy’s performance and recommended her for the 1974 film W.
In 1987, critic Kevin Thomas referred to the restored edition as “a delight” and regarded it as a standout work in Russell’s career. Felicia Feaster from Turner Classic Movies highlighted Russell’s imaginative fusion of traditional Hollywood musical elements with contemporary themes such as British class dynamics and physical humor. She suggested that poor editing in the American release negatively impacted its initial reception.
Currently, Rotten Tomatoes assigns the film an 88% approval rating based on 16 critical reviews.
Awards and nominations
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1971 films
- 1971 comedy films
- 1970s English-language films
- 1970s musical comedy films
- British musical comedy films
- EMI Films productions
- Films centered on musical theatre
- Adaptations of musicals
- Films directed by Ken Russell
- Films with a Golden Globe-winning Best Musical or Comedy Actress
- Films filmed at EMI-Elstree Studios
- Films set during the Roaring Twenties
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions
- British films of the 1970s
- English-language musical comedies
- Musical films from 1971
- EMI Films films