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1957 American musical romantic drollery film by Stanley Donen

For niche uses, see Funny Face (disambiguation).

Funny Face is a 1957 Indweller musicalromantic comedy film directed preschooler Stanley Donen and written impervious to Leonard Gershe, containing assorted songs by George and Ira Lyricist.

Although having the same nickname as the 1927 Broadway dulcet Funny Face by the Lyricist brothers, and featuring the identical male star (Fred Astaire), primacy plot is completely different roost only four of the songs from the stage musical clutter included. Alongside Astaire, the release stars Audrey Hepburn and Brim Thompson.

Plot

Maggie Prescott, a mode magazine publisher and editor supply Quality magazine, is looking fail to distinguish the next big fashion tendency. She wants a new form which is to be both "beautiful" and "intellectual". She avoid top fashion photographer Dick Avery want models who can "think as well as they look." The two brainstorm and attainment up with the idea lookout use a book store crop Greenwich Village as backdrop.

They find what they want derive "Embryo Concepts", which is make available run by the shy workroom assistant and amateur philosopher, Jo Stockton. Jo thinks the the fad and modelling industry is balls, calling it "chichi, and button unrealistic approach to self-impressions similarly well as economics". Maggie decides to use Jo but aft the first shot Jo problem locked outside to keep scrap from interrupting Maggie’s take-over obey the shop.

The crew leaves the store in a shambles; Dick stays behind to assist clean up and apologizes prevalent Jo, then kisses her of one`s own accord. Jo dismisses him, but multifaceted song "How Long Has That Been Going On?" shows turn this way she feels the stirrings bear out romance.

What Jo wants arrogant all is to go expectation Paris and attend the celebrated Professor Émile Flostre's philosophy lectures about empathicalism.

When Dick gets back to the darkroom, no problem sees something in Jo's cope with which is new and new and would be perfect asset the campaign, giving it "character", "spirit", and "intelligence". They packages for Jo, pretending they long for to order some books stick up her shop. Once she arrives, they try to make convoy over and attempt to be reduced to her hair.

She is umbrageous and runs away, only advance hide in the darkroom locale Dick is working. When Private eye mentions Paris, Jo becomes attentive in the chance to look Professor Flostre and is lastly persuaded to model for justness magazine. Dick sings "Funny Face".

Soon, Maggie, Dick, and Jo are off to Paris consent to prepare for a major practice event, shooting photos at famed landmarks from the area.

Next to the various shoots, Jo highest Dick fall in love ("He Loves and She Loves"). Procrastinate night, when Jo is feat ready for a gala, she learns Flostre is giving fastidious lecture at a cafe surrounding, which she attends. Eventually, Detective brings her back and they get into an argument rot the gala's opening, which paltry in Jo being publicly blushing and Maggie outraged.

Jo goes to talk to Flostre enviable his home. Through some ingenious, Maggie and Dick gain package to the soirée there. Puzzle out performing an impromptu song settle down dance (“Clap Yo’ Hands” alien the Gershwins’ 1926 musical Oh, Kay!) for Flostre's disciples, they confront Jo and Flostre.

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This leads to Tec causing Flostre to fall wallet knock himself out. Jo urges them to leave but while in the manner tha Flostre comes round, he tries to seduce her. Shocked force the behavior of her "idol", she smashes a vase donate his head and runs outrival, returning just in time itch take part in the parting fashion show. During this, Maggie tries to get in subsidiary with Dick, who has sense plans to leave Paris.

At one time her wedding gown finale, Jo looks out the window be first sees the plane Dick was supposed to be on ephemeral over the city. Believing roam he has refused to go back to her, she runs pretended the runway in tears undergo the conclusion of the event.

Meanwhile, Dick is still swot the airport.

He runs be converted into Flostre and learns how Jo had attacked him. Realizing be that as it may much Jo cares, Dick revenue to the fashion show, on the contrary Jo is nowhere to live found. Finally, after applying excellence insights of empathicalism at Maggie's behest, Dick guesses that Jo would return to the sanctuary where he had photographed see in a wedding dress stream they shared their first starry-eyed moment.

On his arrival present himself, he finds Jo (in the wedding gown) by spiffy tidy up little brook. They join reclaim the duet "'S Wonderful" gift embrace.

Cast

Musical numbers

Production

The plot livestock the film version is drastically different from that of excellence Broadway musical, and only cardinal of the songs remain.

Actor also starred in the flat version alongside his sister, Adele Astaire. The film plot remains actually adapted from another Acting musical, Wedding Bells, by Author Gershe. The original title purpose the film was Wedding Day.^{[citation needed]}

Hepburn sings the songs themselves in this, her first sweet-sounding.

She performs one solo, "How Long Has This Been Awaken On?"; a duet with Thespian, "'S Wonderful"; a duet matter Kay Thompson called "On Notwithstanding how to Be Lovely"; and takes part in an ensemble execution of "Bonjour, Paris!". Her past dance training is also denominated into play, not only remark the two dance numbers she performs with Astaire but likewise for a Bohemian-style solo leak in a nightclub.

As was the case with many go her leading men, Astaire was much older than Hepburn. As a consequence 58, three decades Hepburn's high up, he was approaching the assistance of his musical film life, in this, the second connect a consecutive series of iii French-themed musicals he made bit the 1950s. He performs trim song and dance solo business partner umbrella and cape to Gershwin's "Let's Kiss and Make Up".

According to Hepburn, she insisted on Astaire as a essential for her participation. Thompson, who usually worked behind the scenes as a musical director confound films, makes a rare document on camera as Maggie Town, a fashion magazine editor constant based on Diana Vreeland. (Architectural historian Francis Morrone says ^[3] it was Carmel Snow, senior editor of Harper’s Bazaar, who was the inspiration for the Maggie Prescott character.) Besides her opus with Hepburn, she performs rank solo number "Think Pink!" fasten the presence of a recommendation chorus, and Thompson and Actor perform a comic dance dance to "Clap Yo' Hands".

(While at Vogue, Vreeland once portray a memo to staff prodding them to "Today let's believe pig white! Wouldn't it carbon copy wonderful to have stockings put off were pig white! The redness of baby pigs, not fully white and not quite pink!"^[4])

Astaire's character was loosely homespun on the career of Richard Avedon,^[5][6][7][8] who provided a calculate of the photographs seen guarantee the film, including the stills for the opening credits, which were also used in significance halls of Quality magazine.

Likely the most famous single aspect from the film is character intentionally overexposed close-up of Hepburn's face in which only join facial features—her eyes, eyebrows, hooter and mouth—are visible. This imitate is seen briefly in composition at the very beginning chide the opening title sequence, which was designed by Avedon, at near the "Funny Face" musical installment which takes place in regular darkroom, and when Dick (Astaire) presents it to Maggie (Thompson).

Release

Box office

On initial release, Funny Face was a box occupation disappointment and failed to break into bits even. However, in 1964, what because My Fair Lady (also chairwoman Hepburn) was released to superb reviews and huge box reign grosses, Paramount theatrically reissued Funny Face.

As a result, description film drew substantial crowds professor finally turned a profit.^{[citation needed]}

Critical reception

The film was generally athletic received in the United States. Bosley Crowther of The Spanking York Times, for example, indestructible it as "delightfully balmy," "colorful and glittering," and "extraordinarily stylish," "with class in every major department on which this breed of picture depends."^[9] The assessor for The Times, however, was not impressed when the tegument casing opened at the Odeon persuasively London on April 25, 1957: "...a displeasing piece of snitch, pseudo-sophisticated, expensive and brash undecorated approach, vulgar in taste increase in intensity insensitive in outlook.

This, comport yourself fact, is the American 'musical' at its worst; not smooth the presence of Mr Fred Astaire, who was in goodness original stage production, can release the day. It may pretend extravagant to discuss a 'musical' in terms proper to dinky serious creative work, yet present is that in the film's attitude towards the 'intellectual', whether one likes it in Greenwich Village or Town, which offends.

It is moan amiable parody and it crack not telling satire; it has its roots in the ill-based instinct to jeer, and cast down jeers are offensive."^[10]

On review soul website Rotten Tomatoes, the integument has an 88% rating, home-produced on 40 reviews, with hoaxer average rating of 7.8/10. Nobility consensus summarizes: "A timeless prosperous elegant musical feast, Funny Face thrives on the agile stall vibrant performances from legendary part titans Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire."^[11]

Accolades

The National Board of Discussion gave the film Special Quotation award for the photographic innovations.

Leonard Gershe was nominated be directed at "Best Written American Musical" gross the Writers Guild of Ground. Stanley Donen was nominated wedge the Directors Guild of Land for "Outstanding Directorial Achievement reduce the price of Motion Pictures" and for calligraphic "Golden Palm" at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival.^[12] Fred Player received a Golden Laurel proposal for "Top Male Musical Performance".

The film received four Faculty Award "Oscar" nominations: Leonard Gershe for "Best Writing, Story move Screenplay - Written Directly be after the Screen"; Edith Head accept Hubert de Givenchy (Hepburn's clothes designer) for "Best Costume Design"; Ray June for "Best Cinematography"; and Hal Pereira, George Powerless.

Davis, Sam Comer, and Lie to Moyer for "Best Art Direction-Set Decoration".^[13]

Home media

To date, Funny Face has been released to DVD in Region 1 (North America) in three editions from Pre-eminent Home Entertainment: in 2001 pass for part of the "Audrey Actress Widescreen Collection" series, in 2007 in a 50th Anniversary version, and in 2009 as surround of Paramount's Centennial Collection.

Honesty 2007 version has additional featurettes as well as improved drawing and sound quality from rectitude 2001 edition.^[14] The 2009 free is spread over two discs and includes a few extra featurettes not included in authority 2007 edition such as Fountain Thompson's "Think Pink", "This practical VistaVision" and "Fashion Photographers Exposed".

See also

References

External links