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 for its American release, reducing its runtime to 109 minutes. The truncated material was restored for a 1987 re-release. The Boy Friend was released on DVD on 12 April 2011.

Plot

In the late 1920s at the low-rent, provincial Theatre Royal in Portsmouth, HampshirePortsmouth is mentioned as the location of the theatre in a conversation with Tommy Tune early in the film, and "[t]he musical was filmed on location at the New Theatre Royal, 20-24 Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth, in the town centre." https://movie-locations.com/movies/b/Boy-Friend.php new assistant stage manager Polly Browne helps the company prepare for a Saturday matinée performance of The Boy Friend; there is only a small audience, and the show's star Rita Monroe is absent. Among the company are former American child dancer Tommy, and the handsome but distant Tony Brockhurst as the male lead. Learning that Monroe has broken her ankle, director Max Mandeville has Polly take her place as she knows the show by heart. The situation is further complicated by the arrival of Hollywood talkie director Mr. De Thrill, who is considering adapting The Boy Friend to film. The musical follows the romantic escapades of "Polly" after meeting the handsome "Tony" at a continental villa, both wealthy but pretending poverty to find true love; the events of the musical begin intertwining with backstage happenings.

De Thrill's presence makes Max anxious−prompting him to imagine parts of the musical as a lavish Hollywood production−and escalates existing tensions within the company, especially ambitious chorus girl Maisie. The nervous Polly is helped through the first act by sympathetic stage hands and fellow performers, and receives further encouragement from Monroe when she visits backstage. As "Polly" and "Tony" conduct their comedic romance on-stage, the real Polly and Tony show attraction for each other. At the intermission, Polly sings to a picture of him; she is heard by De Thrill, although Maisie sabotages his talk with her in an effort to ingratiate herself. When Polly sees Tony apparently flirting with chorus girl Dulcie, she assumes the worst and is heartbroken.

During the second and third acts, Polly remains depressed and suspicious of Tony. Tommy and the other men in the company take revenge on Maisie for her antics by ruining their joint number on-stage, and the attempts to impress De Thrill grow increasingly farcical. During the show's finale, the unhappy Polly—whose character is dressed as Pierrette for a party and bereft of her Pierrot-costumed lover—is comforted by Tony on stage in his role. In an unscripted section, Tony and Dulcie present Polly with a cake on which Tony declares his love for Polly. This brings both the real life and musical love stories to a happy conclusion.

As the show ends, Polly is congratulated by most of the company and notices a genuinely moved Monroe leaving the audience in tears, realizing that she has done well as an understudy. Ultimately De Thrill decides not to adapt the show, but leaves his card for Polly inviting her to Hollywood. Maisie is certain De Thrill will take her, but De Thrill recognizes Tommy as his long lost son and departs with him instead. Polly is given De Thrill's card, but decides to stay with Tony.

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.'Boy Friend' Musical Will Have Star Cast Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 26 February 1957: 22. In January 1958, they announced the film would be made that year with Debbie Reynolds."MGM to Make Huge Schedule of New Films", Los Angeles Times, 22 January 1958. 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."2 "Film Stars Post Busy Schedules: Debbie Reynolds, Stewart Granger 'Well Booked' – 2 Premieres Set Today", by Howard Thompson, New York Times, 8 February 1961.

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."Movies: A Sweet Young Thing or Two", by Peter Bart, New York Times, 17 July 1966: 81.Three Cheers for Ross Hunter," by Norma Lee Browning, Chicago Tribune, 28 April 1968.

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."EMI in £2M film deal with MGM", The Guardian, 27 June 1970. Robert Littman was head of MGM's European operations."Gower Firming a Musical Pulldown", by Joyce Haber, Los Angeles Times, 4 November 1970. 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."MGM, EMI Form Film Firm", Wall Street Journal, 22 April 1971."

Dan Ireland thought Russell was motivated to make the film in part in response to the controversy of The Devils (1971).Dan Ireland on The Boyfriend at Trailers From Hell accessed 2 August 2012 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."Director Russell With 'Boy Friend': Ogre in a Nursery? Blume, Mary. Los Angeles Times 19 September 1971: c18.

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 Throws Out Chest, Bravely Faces Film Career Dorsey, Hebe. Los Angeles Times 8 February 1968: d2. Twiggy had been one of the most famous models in the world, but had retired 18 months before the film.Twiggy: 'interviewing a daffodil': Hard to get an answer By Louise Sweeney. The Christian Science Monitor 4 Dec 1971: 18.

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.

MGM were concerned about Twiggy, but Russell said, "give me three months and I'll have her dancing like Ginger Rogers and singing like Judy Garland."

Her boyfriend and manager, Justin de Villeneuve, acted as producer. "Justin swears she can do anything," said Sandy Wilson before filming began, "and I would think he's probably right."It takes a worried man Woodward, Ian. The Guardian 14 September 1970: 8.

"The dancing nearly killed me," said Twiggy.Twiggy and Her Boy Friend Are Having the Last Laugh: Twiggy and Her Boy Friend By CHRIS CHASE. New York Times 2 January 1972: D9.

Christopher Gable The male lead was Christopher Gable, who, suffering from a chronic condition in his feet, had left the Royal Ballet to pursue a career in acting.

Gable recalled: "Twiggy was just great; she may be skinny but she's tough. The musical itself was not enjoyable. By a musical's very nature, one has to be relentlessly cheery, the kind of person who always smiles, and, therefore, always dances. After four months, you don't feel like it.""A dancer escapes", Stephen Godfrey, The Globe and Mail, 16 November 1977.

Music Sandy Wilson's 1920s-style music was arranged by Peter Maxwell Davies, who had provided the score for The Devils. Davies added music for a dream sequence. Russell added two numbers from Singing in the Rain especially for Twiggy, "You Are My Lucky Star" and "All I Do Is Dream of You".

Filming Filming took place over eighteen weeks, finishing in September. The big production numbers were shot at Elstree Studios in London and the rest at New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth.

"I know The Boy Friend will be one of the greatest musicals of all time," said Russell. "I only have 24 girls instead of 300, but the Busby Berkeley musical numbers and dream sequences will knock you out. I'm directing it like a tacky stage play in the provinces that is being visited by a big Hollywood director. You see the big fantasies as he visualises them in his head. It will be fantastic!"Russell--England's resident mad genius Reed, Rex. Chicago Tribune 12 December 1971: k7.

"His main problem is containing himself," said associate producer Harry Benn. "He has so many ideas going through that brain of his, his problem - and ours - is to contain himself."

Russell said during filming that de Villeneuve was feeling jealous and left out, affecting Twiggy's performance, so Russell tried to keep him away from the set. He says at one stage, de Villeneuve threatened to pull Twiggy out of the film. This caused tension between Russell and Twiggy, although they would eventually reunite while Twiggy ended her relationship with de Villeneuve in 1973.

When the film was over Russell said "I'd always wanted to do" a musical, "but never again. It's like trying to rebuild the pyramids when everyone's forgotten how they did it. The simplest things confounded us like those marvelous dark glossy Hollywood floors. We had to try so many materials to paint the floors. We'd get the color the girls would dance on them and they'd be ruined."The Oscar of His Dreams Is Wilde. Haber, Joyce. Los Angeles Times 30 April 1972: d15.

De Villeneuve wanted to star Twiggy and Tommy Tune in Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance, but the film was never made. Twiggy and De Villeneuve broke up in 1973. Twiggy and Tune re-teamed on the popular show My One and Only.

MGM edits James Aubrey, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, ordered 25 minutes be cut from the film for its U.S. release. Michael Laughlin, producer of the film Chandler, which also was cut by Aubrey, claimed Russell said he was going to Los Angeles to "murder Jim Aubrey". Russell denied this, claiming to have said he was going to Los Angeles to murder film critic Rex Reed (who had been critical of Russell), and pointed out he was making his next film, Savage Messiah, for MGM. He said if Aubrey wanted to cut the film that was his prerogative.

Among the material cut by MGM for the U.S. release was:

two songs: "It's Nicer in Nice" and "The You-Don't-Want-to-Play-with-Me Blues" a seven-minute sequence where the character played by Twiggy imagines the entire cast in a bacchanal a running gag involving the wife (Anne Jameson) of a two-timing actor

Russell wrote the cuts meant "all the relationships in the last reel became completely meaningless."