The Boys in the Band

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This article is about the film. For the play, see The Boys in the Band. For the DVD released by the rock group The Libertines, see Boys in the Band.

The Boys in the Band is a 1970 American drama film based on the off-Broadway play of the same name.

Mart Crowley adapted his play for the screen. Directed by William Friedkin, the ensemble cast, all of whom also played the roles in the play's initial stage run in New York City, includes Kenneth Nelson as Michael, Peter White as Alan, Leonard Frey as Harold, Cliff Gorman as Emory, Frederick Combs as Donald, Laurence Luckinbill as Hank, Keith Prentice as Larry, Robert La Tourneaux as Cowboy, and Reuben Greene as Bernard.

[edit] Plot summary

The film is set in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where six of Harold's closest friends are throwing him a birthday party. One of his presents is "Cowboy," an attractive but obviously unintelligent male prostitute, since Harold, increasingly morose about losing his youthful looks, claims he no longer can attract cute young men. The other characters are Michael, the host and a lapsed Roman Catholic alcoholic undergoing psychoanalysis; Donald, a conflicted friend who has moved from the city to spurn the homosexual lifestyle; Bernard, an African-American who still pines for the wealthy white boy in the house where his mother worked as a maid; Emory, who is extremely flamboyant and the most stereotypical of the group; and Larry and Hank, a couple living together but disagreeing on the issue of monogamy. An unexpected party guest is Alan, Michael's allegedly straight college friend, who is in town and anxious to tell Michael something -- but hesitant to do so when he sees the group.

During the party the self-deprecating humor takes a nasty turn as the nine men become increasingly inebriated. The party culminates in a game where each man must call someone and tell him he loves him. Michael, believing that Alan has finally "outed" himself when he makes his call, is stunned to discover that it is Alan's wife on the line when he grabs the phone away from Alan. The audience never learns what Alan intended to discuss with Michael, but is left with the possibility that his decision to reveal his homosexuality was averted by his repulsion for the behavior he witnessed throughout the evening.

Songs featured in the movie include "Anything Goes" performed by Cole Porter then by Harper's Bizarre during the opening credits, "Heatwave" performed by Martha and the Vandellas during a "camping" routine, and an instrumental version of "The Look of Love" by Burt Bacharach.

[edit] Critical reaction

Critical reaction was, for the most part, cautiously favorable. Variety said it "drags" but thought it had "perverse interest." Time described it as a "humane, moving picture." The Los Angeles Times praised it as "unquestionably a milestone," but ironically refused to run its ads. Among the major critics, Pauline Kael, who disliked Friedkin and panned everything he made, was alone in finding absolutely nothing redeeming about it [1].

Nelson was nominated for a Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer. The Producers Guild of America Laurel Awards honored Gorman and Frey as Stars of Tomorrow.

[edit] DVD

There is a strong rumour that William Friedkin has begun working on a DVD release. Initially the disc was to be released in June of 2008 but has since been pushed to a December 2008 date. Material is said to include rehearsal footage, screen tests, audio commentary, and a complete copy of the 1968 Broadway play audio which was released as a double LP in 1969. As of early 2008, the movie has not been released commercially on DVD and any editions stating DVD are actually copies made to recordable DVD sources from the original 1982 VHS/Beta release. A laserdisc edtion of the movie was released as well although it, and the VHS/Beta version, is out of print.

[edit] External links

• The Boys in the Band at the Internet Movie Database

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