This is my final of 3 entries in the Gender-Bending the Rules Blogathon being hosted by Chris of Angelman’s Place and Quiggy of The Midnite Drive-In.
Tnx for letting me partake Guys!
“Oh, god… there’s nothing more inconvenient than an old queen with a head cold. ” – Toddy
Number of Times Seen – 1 (20 Sep 2018)
Brief Synopsis – A down on her luck female singer is given the opportunity to pretend to be a man masquerading as a woman in a hit musical.
My Take on it – I’ve always been a fan of Blake Edwards’ comedies and was quite interested in seeing what he would do with a plot like this one.
He actually manages to keep the idea funny the whole time and even gets crazier and crazier as things move along.
The cast is spectacular and even actors who aren’t known for their comedic work truly shine here.
Julie Andrews, Robert Preston and James Garner are all great in this film as the comedy of errors gets more complicated and complicated.
The choice to set this in the 1930’s works really well here because it allows them to feature the idea of gangsters in Chicago which helps highlight the whole premise of macho/anti-macho characters and how they stand with regard to the themes depicted.
The music and songs are fine here, but there are so many other memorable things in this film that stand out much more.
Bottom Line – Funny idea that gets crazier and crazier as things move along. Spectacular cast helps keep this enjoyable and Andrews shines in the lead role. The use of a 1930’s backdrop helps the story because it is able to feature the ideas of Chicago and gangsters which helps highlight the macho/anti-macho stance of this film. The music and songs are passable, but are far from being as memorable as some of the non musical scenes of this film. Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Director Blake Edwards admitted in an interview that he “chickened out”, and added the scene in which King Marchand (James Garner) discovers that Victoria (Julie Andrews) is indeed a woman. Originally, he was to fall in love with Victoria before he was sure about her gender, hence his line “I don’t care if you are a man” before he kisses her. (From IMDB)
Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)
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MovieRob 
I’m excited you liked this movie so much, Rob, since it’s one of my all-time favorites. In my opinion it’s Blake Edwards’ masterpiece, combining the sentimentality and love of Breakfast at Tiffany’s with the laugh-out-loud farcical elements and sight gags of a Pink Panther. Though Dame Julie doesn’t look enough like a man here to believe the gag, it’s still very effective, and I had the honor to see Miss Andrews perform this show live on Broadway before her voice gave out. It was an incredible experience!
Thank YOU so much for your prolific contribution to our blogathon event! I love your blog, and your taste in film.
-Chris
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The first time I saw this movie was the year of its original release. My mom and I attended and I don’t believe I’ve ever laughed so hard in public. A few weeks ago the hubby and I shared it with our daughter for the first time and it was fun to see it through new eyes again. And the laughs are just as hearty as all those years ago.
If you get the opportunity to check out my post for this event you can read about one of Edwards’ inspirations for the movie.
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