Sextette is a 1978 American musical comedy film directed by Ken Hughes, and starring Mae West in her final film, alongside an ensemble cast including Timothy Dalton, Dom DeLuise, Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, George Hamilton, Alice Cooper, and Walter Pidgeon.
Produced by Daniel Briggs, Robert Sullivan, and Harry Weiss for the production company Briggs and Sullivan, the screenplay was dramatized for the screen by Herbert Baker, from West's final stage performance play of the same title, later renamed Sextet, which West herself had written (based on a story idea by Charlotte Francis) and originally performed in 1961."Sextet"stage program, by The Kenley Players, Ohio, August, 1961 Costumes were designed by Edith Head.
Filmed at Paramount Studios, Sextette was West's final film, as well as that of Pidgeon and Moon. Featured were cameos by Rona Barrett, Regis Philbin, and George Raft, all of whom appeared as themselves. The film was a major box-office bomb, grossing just $50,000 against an estimated budget of $4–8 million.
Plot American actress and sex symbol Marlo Manners has just married for the sixth time. She and new husband Sir Michael Barrington depart for a honeymoon suite at a posh and exclusive London hotel reserved for them by her manager, Dan Turner. The hotel is also the location of an international conference, where leaders have come together to resolve tensions and problems that threaten the survival of the world. As chairman Mr. Chambers tries to call the meeting to order, the delegates are crowding to the windows in an effort to catch a glimpse of Marlo's arrival.
As they enter the lobby, Marlo, now Lady Barrington, and her husband, a knight, are swarmed by admirers and reporters. Once inside their suite, the couple are unable to consummate due to the constant demands of Marlo's career, such as interviews, dress fittings, and photo sessions, as well as the various men, including some former husbands, diplomat Alexei Andreyev Karansky, director Laslo Karolny, gangster Vance Norton, and an entire American athletic team, all of whom want to have sex with her.
Meanwhile, Turner desperately searches for an audiotape containing his client's memoirs to destroy it. Marlo has recorded extensive details about her affairs and scandals, with a lot of dirt about her husbands and lovers. Ex-husband Alexei, Russian delegate at the conference, threatens to derail the intense negotiations unless he can have another sexual encounter with her. Marlo is expected to work "undercover" to ensure world peace.
Cast
Production Source material The film was based on a play by West, which she was talking about having written in 1954.Looking at Hollywood: Hank Williams' Tragic Story to Be Filmed with Star Cast Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune; 24 June 1954: b4. The play debuted in 1961.Mae West Opening Tuesday Chicago Daily Tribune; 02 July 1961: d8. Alan Marshall and Jack La Rue played her leading men.Mae West Still a Show Stopper Willis, Thomas. Chicago Daily Tribune; 08 July 1961: n11. Marshall died during the run of the show after suffering a heart attack on stage during a performance of the play.ALAN MARSHAL, ACTOR, 52, DEAD: Stage and Film Performer Appeared in 'Wagon Train' New York Times; 10 July 1961: 21.
Development In 1969, James Aubrey of MGM commissioned Leonard Spigelgass to write a script. In August 1969, West was filming Myra Breckinridge. She said she wanted Christopher Plummer to play one of her husbands in Sextette.When the Producer Came Up to See Mae About 'Myra': Producer Came Up to See Mae Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times 31 Aug 1969: j1. However, filming did not proceed. Funds were eventually raised by Danile Briggs, daughter of a Stauffer Chemicals heiress.Mae West Keeps Up Hoopla By ALJEAN HARMETZ New York Times; 14 May 1977: 11.
In March 1976, Sextette reportedly would be produced for $4.8 million, with West receiving $1 million.Tempo/People: Tower Ticker Gold, Aaron. Chicago Tribune 04 Mar 1976: b2. Four months later, in July 1976, the film was reported in fact to be made for $1.5 million, with West getting $250,000 and 20% of the profits. Irving Rapper was to direct and Universal had first right of refusal as distributor.Mae West to Star Opposite Six Leading Men: Mae West Is Coming Back, Fellas By TOM BURKE. New York Times; 25 July 1976: 45.Ted Shawn's 'Polonaise' Is Set at Jacob's Pillow New York Times; 05 July 1976: 6.
West said Baker worked as the screenwriter "An' puttin' in the camera shots. I can do that myself, but it's tedious work. He's not writin' my lines, though. Nobody can do that." AJ Palmerio said he wrote the script that got the film financed, but he is not credited on the movie.CORRESPONDENCE: How the West Film Was Won Palmerio, A J. Los Angeles Times 20 Feb 1977: s2.
Casting West was reportedly in search of a leading man along the lines of Cary Grant, with whom she had co-starred in She Done Him Wrong. Filming was to start in August.MOVIE CALL SHEET: A Purely Coincidental 'Tycoon' Lee, Grant. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); 16 June 1976: g11. About 150 unknowns auditioned on one day.'Come Up and See Me Sometime': And 150 Unknowns Take Up Mae West's Movie Role Bid Harvey, Steve. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); 01 July 1976: 3. Over a thousand men ended up auditioning.MOVIE CALL SHEET: Mae West at Goldwyn Corral Lee, Grant. Los Angeles Times 3 July 1976: b6. In August, Timothy Dalton was cast after West saw him in Wuthering Heights; 18 smaller roles went to the auditionees.FILM CLIPS: Zaentz to Look at Indians Today Kilday, Gregg. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); 04 Aug 1976: e5. "I do the role I always do," said West. "I do Mae West... You see me. I take care of myself don't drink or smoke. I've kept my looks." "The script is very funny," said Dalton. "It really is a celebration of Mae West."
Pre-production Two weeks before filming began, Ken Hughes replaced Irving Rapper as director.MOVIES; Acting Had Nothing to Do With It; How was it to direct Mae West in her final film? Don't ask.: Home Edition Hughes, Ken. Los Angeles Times; 23 Feb 1997: CAL, 28:1.
Filming Principal photography finally commenced in December 1976 at Paramount Studios. The film soon became the source of several urban legends. One such persistent rumor is that the then-83 year old West could not remember any of her lines and had to wear a concealed earpiece under her wig to have her lines fed to her. Tony Curtis later commented that West could not hear well, thus requiring the earpiece. Creatively rewriting the story for dramatic effect, in an episode of the program The Dame Edna Experience, he said that because of the frequency of her earpiece, she accidentally picked up police-radio frequencies, and at one point mistakenly stated, "There's a 608!", September 16, 1989
In reality, West wore an earpiece so Hughes could feed her lines. Hughes had rewritten most of the dialogue because West and he both felt the script was weak. As a result, West had no time to study the script to memorize her lines. Hughes repeatedly debunked the urban legend that West's earpiece picked up police signals and that West repeated them.
Hughes later stated that with hearing loss, West was unable to take direction, which caused problems in filming. He recalled one incident involving a scene of West in an elevator, which took an entire day to film. After its completion, Hughes wrapped for the day. West was not within hearing range to hear Hughes's call to wrap and remained in the closed elevator for half an hour before being let out.
Dalton had mixed feelings, but complimented West. "I admired her nerve, and enjoyed working with her - I was even interviewed by Rona Barrett in the picture! It was a real stretch for me, and frankly, after making love to a woman in her mid-80s, I knew I could handle any assignment!"Glenn Fuller. "Introducing Timothy Dalton". Prevue Magazine. 1987
George Raft, who played himself, had been the star of West's first film, Night After Night, in 1932.
Music The film features eight songs, seven performed by the cast: "Marlo's Theme" (Van McCoy) – McCoy "Hooray for Hollywood" (Richard A. Whiting, Johnny Mercer) – Mae West and Chorus "Love Will Keep Us Together" (Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield) – Timothy Dalton and West "Honey Pie" (Lennon–McCartney) – Dom DeLuise "After You've Gone" (Turner Layton, Henry Creamer) – West "Happy Birthday Twenty-One" (Sedaka, Greenfield) – West "Baby Face" (Benny Davis, Harry Akst) – West "Next Next" (McCoy) – Alice Cooper
Release
Soon after filming ended, difficulty arose in finding a major distributor. As a result, several highly publicized sneak previews were scheduled to garner support. The first was held on the Paramount Pictures' lot and the second at the Fox Bruin Theater, where West received a standing ovation.
The producers ultimately decided to self-distribute. Sextette premiered at the Cinerama Dome in March 1978. West was moved when she was greeted by thousands of young fans there and in San Francisco. Arthur Knight wrote in The Hollywood Reporter about "a kind of odd gallantry in the octogenarian Mae's loyalty to her public".Eells-Musgrove biography of West p. 304-306Maurice Leonard biography of West p. 399-401
Home media Sextette was released on VHS by Media Home Entertainment in 1982. In April 2011, Scorpion Entertainment released the film on Region 1 DVD in the United States.
In July 2011, Sextette was released as part of Mill Creek Entertainment's Dangerous Babes, a budget-priced, three-DVD set that includes 11 other Crown Pictures films.
Reception Critical response Upon its premiere, most critics panned the film. Variety dubbed it "a cruel, unnecessary, and mostly unfunny musical comedy."Sextette Review Variety, 1 January 1978 The New York Times''' critic Vincent Canby called Sextette "embarrassing", and said, in reference to West, that "Granny should have her mouth washed out with soap, along with her teeth." Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times said it "will be cherished by her fans."MOVIE REVIEW: More Maehem in 'Sextette' 'SEXTETTE' Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times 2 Mar 1978: f1. Stanley Eichelbaum of the San Francisco Examiner called the film "a foolish, vulgar, quite vulgar, but awfully funny musical comedy (the songs, too, are mostly old), in which West does more than a self-parody. She's a travesty of Mae West in an outlandish wardrobe by Edith Head."