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Category:    Home > Reviews > Drama > Comedy > Urban > Gay > The Boys In The Band (1970/CBS/Umbrella Entertainment/PAL Region Four/4/DVD Import)

The Boys In The Band (1970/CBS/Umbrella Entertainment/PAL Region Four/4/DVD Import)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: C+     Extras: B     Film: B

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: This DVD can only be operated on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Four/4 PAL format software and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the website address provided at the end of the review.  A U.S. DVD from CBS has been issued since as well as a new documentary Making The Boys, as noted below with its own link.

 

 

 

On the verge of becoming one of the top directors in Hollywood, William Friedkin was always willing to take risks and try something different and that is exactly what he did by making Mart Crowley’s groundbreaking play The Boys In The Band into a feature film back in 1970.  The tale of gay men living and maybe loving in the New York of the period was like nothing that had ever been made before.  Following the commercial and critical watershed success of John Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy (1969, both produced by the late, great Kenneth Utt), it makes for a solid companion piece, yet has been lost for years.

 

Part of the CBS’ Cinema Center catalog holdings, the film is presented here in a remarkable edition that shows real pride on the part of all involved.  The film sports a fine cast of great actors, some of whom originated their roles here in the original stage version.  Cliff Gorman (Hoffa, Night & The City), Leonard Frey (Tattoo), Kenneth Nelson (The Brute), Frederick Combs, Robert La Tourneaux, Keith Prentice (Crusing), Peter White (Armageddon) and Laurence Luckinbill co-star and are totally convincing as friends, persons who have to deal with issues in the gay community of the time and all works to great effect.  And yes, that is Maud Adams as a model!

 

The subject matter may still be too much for some people to take, even as society and new technologies have made it easier for gay males to integrate into society, but so much here remains relevant about relationships and it is a landmark like Midnight Cowboy and A Very Natural Thing that deserves to be rediscovered and acknowledged as the groundbreaker it is.  For more on the history of the play and film, we recommend the documentary Making The Boys, which you can read more about at this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11313/Dahling:+A+Tribute+To+Zsa+Zsa+Ga

 

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is an amazingly restored print that began with a great point, then was built into what Friedkin and Director of Photography Arthur J. Ornitz (House of Dark Shadows, The Anderson Tapes, Possession Of Joey Delaney, Serpico) intended and then some.  Friedkin explains it on the commentary on how he used a black and white copy to back a color copy that he could then adjust to look as excellent as it does here.  Like The Exorcist and To Live & Die In L.A., here is another top rate transfer and New York City looks good too.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono has been cleaned up nicely and sounds good for its age, with little distortion and an interesting selection of hit music along with the good dialogue and sound recording.  This should make for a great Blu-ray too.

 

Extras include a thorough three-part featurette on the play, film and people who made it all possible, plus a feature length audio commentary by Friedkin delivering another one of his great commentaries, followed by Crowley who has all kinds of interesting things to say and stories to tell.  A terrific special edition all around.

 

 

As noted above, you can order this PAL DVD import exclusively from Umbrella at:

 

http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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