The Boy Friend is a 1971 British musical comedy film written and directed by Ken Russell, based on the 1953 musical of the same name by Sandy Wilson. The film stars Twiggy, Christopher Gable, Tommy Tune, and Max Adrian, with an uncredited appearance by Glenda Jackson. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made extensive edits to the film for its American release. The missing material was restored and the film was re-released in 1987. The Boy Friend was released on DVD on 12 April 2011.
Plot
The plot is divided into three levels.
First there is the frame story, where, in the south of England in the 1920s, a struggling theatrical troupe is performing a musical about romantic intrigues at a finishing school for young women in the south of France. As well as weathering ongoing backstage dramas, and audiences that are smaller in number than the cast, two extra stressors arrive: a famous Hollywood film producer turns up to see the show, and Polly, the mousy assistant stage manager, is forced to go on when the leading lady breaks a leg. As Polly struggles to keep her cool while acting opposite the male lead whom she secretly loves, the rest of the company backstab each other as they try to impress the impresario.
Next there is the musical itself. Four of the girls at the school are very forward and acquire boy friends, but Polly is shy and has nobody to take her to the carnival masked ball that night. Tony, a messenger boy from a dress shop, brings her a costume and the two young people are struck with each other. They meet again in the afternoon and reach an understanding, she pretending to be only a secretary, so as not to seem above him socially. He comes to the ball and, when unmasked, is recognised as a peer's son. So Tony and Polly are both rich and can marry openly.
Thirdly, there are extensive fantasy sequences in the film, during which the characters' dreams and hopes are enacted in music and dance without words.
Cast
Production
Development
The musical premiered on stage in November 1954 and had been a notable success, running for over five years in London and helping make a star of Julie Andrews. MGM bought the film rights in February 1957. Ernie Martin and Cy Feur were attached to produce with the cast to include either Debbie Reynolds or Carol Channing. New songs were to be added, and some of the script changed. In January 1958, they announced the film would be made that year with Debbie Reynolds. However the film was not made.
In February 1961, Reynolds said the project was one of three at MGM she would "love to do" (the others being Jumbo and The Elsie Janis Story) but "they're just not making musicals these days."
A few years later, Ross Hunter, who had tried to buy the project originally but had been outbid by MGM, offered to buy the rights from the studio but it wanted $450,000 for it. Hunter decided to make his own musical in the same vein resulting in Thoroughly Modern Millie.
In June 1970, MGM and EMI announced they would make four films together, with each company putting in £1 million. The movies were Get Carter, The Go-Between, The Last Run and The Boy Friend. Robert Littman was head of MGM's European operations. The film was made after Get Carter and The Go Between and was the first movie from the newly formed EMI-MGM Film Productions Ltd.
Dan Ireland thought Russell was motivated to make the film in part in response to the controversy of The Devils (1971). Russell admitted he did it "to prove to people I'm not totally deranged. I love the innocence and charm of musicals."
Filming started in April 1971, only ten days after Russell finished work on The Devils. During filming Russell 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."
Leads
Twiggy
Ken Russell was friends with the model Twiggy, who wanted to get into films—in 1968 they announced she would star in The Wishing Tree directed by Russell but it was not made. Twiggy had been one of the most famous models in the world but had retired 18 months before the film.
Twiggy had seen a revival of The Boy Friend and suggested that Russell direct her in a film version. Russell says he told a journalist as a joke that he was doing it, and an executive from MGM contacted him saying they had the rights for years but could never figure out how to do it. The executive felt that the "twenties stylisation" of the musical worked on stage but not on film. "It's mannered and stilted and the cardboard characters never come alive". They asked Russell if he was interested in trying an adaptation and he agreed. "Honestly that's how it all came about," said Russell.