Monthly Archives: July 2012

Set on the French Riviera during the roaring 20′s, Sandy Wilson’s smash 1954 London musical production ran for 2,078 performances to great acclaim. Julie Andrews made her Broadway debut in the starring role the same year, but when Ken Russell mounted his 1971 film version he chose current pop culture icon Twiggy for the lead, and she gave an unexpectedly charming and delightful performance. However, notorious MGM honcho James Aubrey reduced the US running time from 136 to 109 minutes. In 1987 MGM/UA’s Mike Schlesinger engineered a reissue of the uncut version, which is now available on DVD from Warner Archive.

Here’s the original trailer.

Oscar-nominated Gary Busey lost 32 pounds to play doomed rocker Holly, who weighed 146 at the time of his death. Busey had previously been slated to play Crickets drummer Jerry Allison in an aborted earlier attempt to dramatize Holly’s life called Three Sided Coin, which was cancelled by 20th Century Fox over rights issues. Director Steve Rash made a splash with this, his first feature, that was never to be repeated.

Click here for the original trailer.

Socially committed filmmaker Cornel Wilde (who often specialized in directing showcases for his wife, Jean Wallace) depicts a future societal breakdown brought on by global famine and pollution. In today’s genetically engineered Frankenfood society it’s only a matter of time before someone pounces on this one for a remake, as it features all the sensational elements that make for commercial prospects today.