The Riviera | The Boy Friend | Warner Archive

The Boy Friend (1971) #WarnerArchive #WarnerBros #TheBoyFriend

Working at the height of his formidable powers, Ken Russell braids a whole new layer of story onto the hit stage musical that made Julie Andrews a star and opens it up to some astonishing flights of fancy. Wrapping a narrative frame around the original - a seaside theatrical company mounts a production of the '20s musical spoof The Boy Friend - allows Russell, in turn, to explore and parody the conventions of '30s musicals with elaborate fantasy sequences, slapstick, and sentiment. This is the restored 'director's cut'/roadshow presentation!

Directed By Ken Russell
Starring Twiggy, Christopher Gable, Max Adrian

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[marcelohughes]

Only Ken Russell could made a masterpiece like this !!!!

[troygaspard]

Russell was on a roll at this point in his life. Women in Love, The Devils, and The Boyfriend. All three great films that are not at all alike.

[tommoncrieff]

Such a brilliant concept of Ken Russell's to take The Boyfriend and stick it in a two-bit provincial theatre with an amateurish stand-in for the lead and then see it all through the eyes of a Busby Berkeley-type Hollywood movie director. The result is one of the most charming, endearing, quintessentially English and enjoyable films ever.

[mattbynumfilms]

This is one of my favorite musicals! I first watched it in the 1970s on late night television, it might have been the CBS Friday Night Movie.

[chrishintz]

Halcyon daze. Ken Russell fever dream. Nice to see. Tony Walton, kudos.

[diegoandres]

One of my favourite films! So brilliant

[xannaduu]

This scene is so trippy and I love it!!!

[paulbrennan]

a completely magical adorable hilarious film.

[MrGeneralWei]

I read an interview of Vladek Sheybal (De Thrill the Hollywood director) talking about his time working on Ken Russells movies. He mentioned the pants that he wears in this scene are actually Cecil B DeMilles own jodhpurs.

[johntyjp]

dear Sandy Wilson, this was the only hit musical he really had! A year or two back he was still alive and living in the West Country of the UK, might still be!! Twiggy certainly worked hard to sing and dance, having never done it before. Lovely lady!!!

[theoctobercountry]

Really fun number---a spoof of the "Varsity Drag" song that appeared in "Good News."

[zah]

Love this film to death, thank you for posting. I could you be happy with you dahling :p

[lizzieallen]

Magical, fun, OTT, camp, sparkling & joyful...it's a shame the rest of the film wasn't (except for a few other production numbers)

[ritawing]

Wonderful film! And the music arranged by Richard Rodney Bennett, if I am not mistaken?

[isammolina]

Hay q verla varias veces para apreciar tanta cosa!!!...La vi de chica -un par de veces-en blanco y negro...me encanto😄👌🌹🍃🌹🍃🌠💎🌠💎.

[dc_]

This is one of the most wtf moments in musical history

[jamesa.fitzpatrick]

This isn't the song "The Riviera"

[joseveintegenario-nisu]

The Man watching the show, and smoking, has same look as Putin would have had when he drove a tiny car.
He should had never been allowed jumping to a more complex machine driving seat.