The Boy Friend

Dir. Ken Russell

UK 1971 | Colour | 125 mins | Cert U | Comedy | Hollywood Classics | Musical

Cast: Twiggy, Christopher Gable, Barbara Windsor

Based around Sandy Wilson’s musical stage play of the same title, Russell’s extravagant fantasy is an exuberant pastiche of 1920’s stage musicals and Busby Berkeley’s film musicals of the 1930s. Supermodel Twiggy plays Polly Browne, nervous stage manager of a production of ‘The Boyfriend’ who is obliged to take the place of injured leading lady Rita. Russell’s film follows the performance, which is a disaster onstage and off, as the cast competes for the attention of De Thrill, a Hollywood director in the audience.

Available on: 35mm