![]() Blake Edwards' trademark ability to combine lush romanticism with immitable slapstick comedy was here matched by a wonderful score by his longtime collaborator Henry Mancini, "Voila!" - we're back in the early sixties again. ****ĭespite all of its gender-bending commentary on sexuality, both hetero- and homo-, "Victor/Victoria" looked and sounded in 1982 (year of "ET" and "The Road Warrior") as if it were made in 1962 - and that was a good thing. The film is a solid hit for the cast and lays the foundation of it become a classic. His Chicago girlfriend Norma Cassady (Lesley Ann Warren) become jealous and informs other hoodlums to come to Paris. Complications arise however, the least of which is a visiting gangster named King Marchand (James Garner) who takes a liking for Victoria. With the help of Andre Cassell, (John Rhys Davies) a night club owner they hope to get rich with the unusual act. This fact became the inspiration for the film "Victoria/Victoria." In the movie, a talented female singer (Julie Andrews) named Victoria Grant (aka Count Victor Grezhinski) schemes with an out of work cabaret singer, Carroll 'Toddy' Todd (Robert Preston, who is fantastic in this role) to create a female impersonation act. Her success was due to the fact that she was not a woman after all. She traveled throughout Europe and remained a novelty for years. In the 1930's a singer created quite a sensation when her fabulous show became the toast of Paris. Many social innovations, have often as not originated in France. "Victor/Victoria" is an expressive, fun, one-of-a-kind musical garden party that easily makes my list of top fifty films ever made. But, this is a minor issue, one that I raise only in my grasping-at-straws attempt to find something to complain about. The 132 minute runtime is a tad long maybe, and so a few scene deletions here and there might have rendered a slight improvement in the pace. If the film has a flaw, it might be in the editing. Preston is likable throughout, and is a hoot in the film's finale. But it is music man Robert Preston who leads this top notch Hollywood talent parade. And in support roles, Lesley Ann Warren adds sexy spunk as Norma, and Alex Karras is surprisingly effective as Marchand's bodyguard. I cannot imagine anyone other than Julie Andrews as Victoria. And Henry Mancini's wistful and slightly melancholy original score adds melodic balance to the flashy stage numbers. Even the restrained "You And Me" is satisfying, with its old fashioned charm. The colorful song "The Shady Dame From Seville" is memorable as a cultural classic. With consummate verve, Andrews sings the lively "Le Jazz Hot", a stage performance that has been mimicked by, it seems, one in ten talent competitors in the Miss America Pageant for the last twenty years. The film's music alone is enough to make "Victor/Victoria" a winner. Blake Edwards converts the film's clever concept into a film of true cinematic flair and panache. ![]() Toddy (Robert Preston), a gay performer, persuades Victoria (Julie Andrews), a struggling singer, to change her appearance to that of a man so that she can pose on stage as a female impersonator. Set in 1934 Paris, and filmed in luscious color, the film tells the story of two down and out friends who carry out an ingenious plan to get rich. ![]() Dazzling art direction, lavish costumes, funny dialogue, a fabulous soundtrack, and Robert Preston make "Victor/Victoria" one of filmdom's most entertaining musicals of all time.
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