In 1964 Blake Edwards had directed his wife Julie Andrews in her film debut The Americanization Of Emily which James Garner costars with her and Henry Mancini wrote a fine title song for the film. The film was sort of a trial run before Andrews was launched full blast by Walt Disney in Mary Poppins.
This fine team reunited 18 years later for the gender defying comedy Victor Victoria and Mancini wrote a few songs for Julie Andrews and Robert Preston and Lesley Ann Warren to do. A decade later Julie Andrews had it adapted to the Broadway stage for her.
Andrews is starving in Paris, poor as a match girl, ready to lick the spaghetti sauce off a bib when she falls in with gay performer Robert Preston who is equally on his uppers. With conventional acts, neither is getting anywhere. But when Preston gets the idea to pass Andrews off as a man who is a female impersonator, they are a success. They even pretend to be lovers to keep the masquerade going.
It all starts to unravel when visiting American gangster James Garner and his moll Lesley Ann Warren drop in to the nightclub. Andrews gets his hormones going and he's not sure why.
Going in drag is an old movie story. Everyone from Katharine Hepburn to Gabby Hayes has done it on the screen. But the questions about sexual identity and gender attraction were never so provocatively raised before until Victor Victoria.
Andrews and Preston were both in Blake Edwards immediately preceding film SOB and both had a pair of outrageous parts in that one also which I highly recommend. Andrews and Preston got rewarded with Oscar nominations, she for Best Actress and Preston for Best Supporting Actor. Julie lost to Meryl Streep for Sophie's Choice and Preston lost to Lou Gossett, Jr. for an Officer And A Gentleman.
But saddest for me was Lesley Ann Warren who did a marvelous job recreating a throwback role from all those old gangster films of the Thirties. Her part was just the kind you used to see Joan Blondell or Glenda Farrell play to perfection. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but lost to Jessica Lange for Tootsie.
In fact Victor Victoria was nominated for Best Costume Design, Best Art &Set Direction and Best Adapted Screenplay. It did win in a category that seems like it was created for the film, Best Adapted Music and Musical Score. That was a new one on me when I saw it.
Over 25 years after it was made Victor Victoria is still one fresh and naughty item. And a milestone in the mainstream for GLBT themed films.
This fine team reunited 18 years later for the gender defying comedy Victor Victoria and Mancini wrote a few songs for Julie Andrews and Robert Preston and Lesley Ann Warren to do. A decade later Julie Andrews had it adapted to the Broadway stage for her.
Andrews is starving in Paris, poor as a match girl, ready to lick the spaghetti sauce off a bib when she falls in with gay performer Robert Preston who is equally on his uppers. With conventional acts, neither is getting anywhere. But when Preston gets the idea to pass Andrews off as a man who is a female impersonator, they are a success. They even pretend to be lovers to keep the masquerade going.
It all starts to unravel when visiting American gangster James Garner and his moll Lesley Ann Warren drop in to the nightclub. Andrews gets his hormones going and he's not sure why.
Going in drag is an old movie story. Everyone from Katharine Hepburn to Gabby Hayes has done it on the screen. But the questions about sexual identity and gender attraction were never so provocatively raised before until Victor Victoria.
Andrews and Preston were both in Blake Edwards immediately preceding film SOB and both had a pair of outrageous parts in that one also which I highly recommend. Andrews and Preston got rewarded with Oscar nominations, she for Best Actress and Preston for Best Supporting Actor. Julie lost to Meryl Streep for Sophie's Choice and Preston lost to Lou Gossett, Jr. for an Officer And A Gentleman.
But saddest for me was Lesley Ann Warren who did a marvelous job recreating a throwback role from all those old gangster films of the Thirties. Her part was just the kind you used to see Joan Blondell or Glenda Farrell play to perfection. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but lost to Jessica Lange for Tootsie.
In fact Victor Victoria was nominated for Best Costume Design, Best Art &Set Direction and Best Adapted Screenplay. It did win in a category that seems like it was created for the film, Best Adapted Music and Musical Score. That was a new one on me when I saw it.
Over 25 years after it was made Victor Victoria is still one fresh and naughty item. And a milestone in the mainstream for GLBT themed films.