The Boys in the Band (1970)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers:

Mart Crowley (play)
Mart Crowley (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 March 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

"The Boys in the Band" ...is not a musical.

Plot:

Tempers fray and true selves are revealed when a heterosexual is accidentally invited to a homosexual party.

Plot Keywords:

Party | Birthday | Apartment | Jewish | Gay

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Kenneth Nelson	...	Michael
Frederick Combs	...	Donald
Cliff Gorman	...	Emory
Laurence Luckinbill	...	Hank
Keith Prentice	...	Larry
Peter White	...	Alan McCarthy
Reuben Greene	...	Bernard
Robert La Tourneaux	...	Cowboy Tex
Leonard Frey	...	Harold

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-16 (1972) | Australia:R | UK:15 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:18 (1972) | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Iceland:12

Company:

Cinema Center Films

Trivia:

Stars all of the same actors from the original play. Producer/author Mart Crowley insisted that the entire original cast of the off-Broadway production be used in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When he arrives at the party, Cowboy's hairstyle is completely different than it was when he appeared in opening montage as street hustler just several hours earlier.

Quotes:

Michael: Show me a happy homosexual and I'll show you a gay corpse.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Indie Sex: Censored (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Take The Fifth Amendment

First Major Film To Portray Homosexuality in a Mature Way.

The Boys In The Band is my favorite all-time movie. It still sends a message and holds up well even in this decade. Every actor in this cast is perfect for the character they play. This film may have been the first major film to portray homosexuality in a mature way and still is the best film above all. This is not a disgusting film. It is honest and dramatic. I have seen this film several times through different ages and chapters of my life. I get more out of it each time. Sadly, most of the cast, Robert La Tourneaux, Leonard Frey, Frederick Combs, Keith Prentice, Kenneth Nelson and Cliff Gorman are no longer with us. All men should see this film. The best instrumental version of "The Look Of Love" by Burt Bacharach can be heard here. I wish "The Boys In The Band" could be restored and re-issued on VHS video and for DVD.