The Boy Friend

Synopsis: The assistant stage manager of a small-time theatrical company (Polly Browne) is forced to understudy for the leading lady (Rita) at a matinée performance at which an illustrious Hollywood director (Cecil B. DeThrill) is in the audience scouting for actors to be in his latest "all-talking, all-dancing, all-singing" extravaganza. Polly also happens to fall in love with the leading man (Tony) and imagines several fabulous fantasy sequences in which the director is free to exercise his capacity for over-the-top visuals in this charming 1920's era flick.
Director(s): Ken Russell
Production: MGM
  Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.8
Rotten Tomatoes:
86%
G
Year:
1971
137 min
370 Views


1

WOMAN:
I COULD BE HAPPY

WITH YOU:

IF YOU COULD BE HAPPY

WITH ME:

I'D BE CONTENTED...

- HERE YOU ARE, POLL.

- OH, OH!

OH, HOLD ON, OH.

HERE YOU ARE.

YOU LOOK AFTER HER.

BUT WHAT ABOU MY MONEY?

HEY!

WHERE'S MY BABY?

SHE'S OVER THERE.

PUT IT ON THE SLATE.

I'LL GET THE SACK

IF THEY'RE LATE AGAIN.

WOMAN:
HURRY UP, THEN.

JUST ALONG THERE.

GOOD AFTERNOON,

MR. AND MRS. PARKHILL.

GOOD AFTERNOON,

LEN.

ALL FOR MRS. P, I'M AFRAID.

MUST BE BILLS, THEN.

THANK YOU, DARLING.

HAS MY OLD MAN SENT ME

MAINTENANCE ORDER, LEN?

I'LL HAVE

A LOOK, LUV.

OH, DEAR OLD PALS,

ENJOY YOUR COMPANY

DISGUSTING!

ALL FOR YOU, DEAR.

ARE YOU SENDING BY POS NOW, LUV?

BETTER THAN:

GIVING IT AWAY!

HELLO, GORGEOUS.

I SUPPOSE I SHOULD BE THANKFUL

FOR SMALL MERCIES. ANYTHING?

NOTHING FOR YOU:

THIS MORNING...

THEY ALL IN YET,

LEN?

ALL IN EXCEP RITA AND TOMMY.

HE WON'T BE LONG. YOU CAN HEAR

HIM COMING A MILE OFF.

PRACTICING, PRACTICING.

DON'T YOU EVER STOP DANCING?

CAN'T, TOOTS. I'M IN TRAINING

FOR MY SECOND BIG BREAK.

SECOND? YOU'RE KIDDING.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST?

DIDN'T YOU EVER HEAR

OF THE BABY TOAST OF BROADWAY?

TINY TOM,

THE TAPPING TOT?

(HUMMING)

HA HA! GREW UP,

DIDN'T YOU?

HA HA! OVERNIGHT.

AND WHO CAN USE A TINY

TOT WHO'S 10 FEET TALL?

HOW ABOU BARNUM & BAILEY?

(LAUGHING)

THEY ALREADY HAD ONE,

AND HE WAS A BEARDED

LADY TO BOOT.

SO I BOOKED:

A ONE-WAY TICKE ON A CATTLE BOA TO MERRY OLD ENGLAND.

BLIMEY! FROM BROADWAY

TO PORTSMOUTH?

BIT OF A COMEDOWN,

ISN'T IT?

A STEPPING STONE,

TOOTS...

A MERE STEPPING STONE

TO STARDOM.

HEY, NOT BAD.

(MUSIC PLAYS)

HERE'S YOUR

STOUT, LUV.

TA.

CHEESE AND CHUTNEY,

RIGHT?

OH, THANKS, POLL. PU IT ON THE SLATE.

TA.

I SEEM TO...

WHO SENT ME THE FLOWERS?

OH, l...

I FORGET.

I BOUGHT ONE APPLE

TOO MANY.

WOULD YOU LIKE IT?

NO, THANKS.

I HAD ONE ALREADY.

MAN:
DEE DEE DEE DA

DEE DEE DEE:

POLL...

I'LL HAVE IT IF

IT'S GOING BEGGING.

RIGHT, LUV.

HERE. YOU HAVE IT.

OH, TA.

5 MINUTES, EVERYONE.

MAN:
DEE DA

DEE DA DEE DAH:

DEE DEE DEE:

AFTERNOON.

HERE'S YOUR GIN.

DON'T YOU KNOCK WHEN YOU ENTER

THE STARS' DRESSING ROOM?

SORRY. THEY DIDN' HAVE SMOKED SALMON.

SO I GOT SALMON:

SHRIMP, ALRIGHT?

PASTE! SURELY YOU DON'T EXPEC MRS. P. TO EAT PASTE, DO YOU?

I'M SORRY, BUT IT WAS

THE NEAREST THEY HAD.

NEAREST THEY HAD!

OH, HARK AT THAT!

TAKE OFF, WILL YOU?

DON'T MIND, POLLY. I JUST NEED

A LITTLE SOMETHING TO SETTLE ME

BEFORE I GO ON.

ANYTHING WILL DO.

BUT IT WAS THE BEST THEY

HAD, MRS. P.

SHIPHAM'S.

BY APPOINTMENT.

THEY HAVE IT A BUCKINGHAM PALACE.

WHEN THEY'RE ENTERTAINING

THEIR COCKNEY HIGHNESSES,

IT'S THE PEARLY KING AND

QUEEN, I SUPPOSE.

HOW LONG WE GOT?

OH, 5 MINUTES, PLEASE.

THERE'LL BE SOME

CHANGE, THEN?

CRIKEY. I FORGOT. I OWE YOU

2 AND 11 PLUS 3 FARTHINGS.

IF I GIVE YOU A FARTHING,

YOU COULD GIVE ME 3 BOB, RIGHT?

OH, YEAH.

- POLLY!

- HMM?

OH, TA, MRS. P.

YOU SHOULDN'T.

WHY DO YOU:

ENCOURAGE HER?

OVERTURE,

BEGINNERS, PLEASE.

MY HATBOX RIBBON CAME

UNDONE YESTERDAY, POLLY.

OH, IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN,

MISS MAISIE.

OH, POLLY, HELP ME WITH

MY HOOKS.

HELLO, ROSIE.

OH, LOOK, I DO LIKE ME

FEATHER DUSTER:

HANGING OUT BESIDE ME DISMAL

DESMOND, POLLY.

DO TRY AND REMEMBER.

GOT A FAG, POLL?

OOH. AIN'T HE LOVELY?

(WHISTLE)

OH, POLLY, DON'T WHISTLE IN THE

DRESSING ROOM!

- WHY NOT?

- BECAUSE IT'S UNLUCKY,

THAT'S WHY. NOW GO OUTSIDE,

TURN AROUND 3 TIMES

AND KNOCK ON THE DOOR.

WHAT DO NURSING:

MOTHERS NEED?

EVERYONE:

MY-ROSE!

COME IN!

- NOW SWEAR.

- DAMN!

WHERE'S THA LAZY LADY?

SHE'LL TURN UP.

DON'T WORRY.

SHE'LL BE LATE FOR HER

OWN FUNERAL, THAT ONE.

HERE.

WHERE IS RITA?

OH, ISN'T SHE

HERE YET?

WELL, I DON'T EXPEC SHE'LL BE MISSED.

WELL, SHE IS THE STAR

OF THE SHOW.

DO YOU REALLY:

THINK SO?

SHE'LL BE FINED AGAIN

IF SHE AIN'T CAREFUL.

(FLORID PIANO INTRO)

THEY'RE ALL CALLED,

MR. MAX, EXCEPT RITA.

SHE AIN'T HERE YET.

NOT HERE?

PUT HER DOWN FOR A FINE!

IF YOU FINE HER AGAIN,

SHE'LL BE OWING YOU MONEY.

WITH THIS HOUSE,

I NEED IT.

WHY MUST THESE WRETCHED GARDEN

FETES ALWAYS COINCIDE

WITH OUR MATINEES?

NOT A CLOUD:

IN THE SKY!

LET ME KNOW THE MINUTE

SHE ARRIVES!

YES, MR. MAX.

BLIMEY! THERE'S

MORE ON THE STAGE

THAN IN:

THE BLOOMING AUDIENCE.

(BABY CRIES)

DOWN THERE.

(TELEPHONE RINGS)

ALLO? ALLO?

IS THAT GASTON,

THE COSTUMIER?

OH. IT IS

MADAME DUBONNET'S MAID.

DUBONNET.

DAY-OOH-BAY-OH-

ENNY-ENNY-EE-TEE.

MADAME DUBONNET OF THE

VILLA CAPRICE!

MR. MAX:

ACCENT!

ACCENT!

OH. HA HA HA!

(IN FORMAL FRENCH ACCENT)

ZEE SCHOOL FOR YOUNG LADIES.

I WISH TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE READY

THE COSTUME:

FOR MISS POLLY BROWNE.

B-L-O-DOUBLE D-N-A-AHVE-EE.

ACCENT!

WITH AN E. SHE WISHES I FOR ZEE CARNIVAL BALL CE SOIR.

HA HA HA.

YOU DO NOT COMPREHEND?

THEN GET ME:

MONSIEUR GASTON HIMSELF!

MMPH! MONSIEUR GASTON?

OH.

ALLO.

NO, NO, NO.

SHE'S NO MORE

FRENCH THAN I AM.

- RITA NOT HERE?

- NO, MR. MAX. NAUGHTY!

NOBODY ASKED:

FOR YOUR OPINION.

SHE WAS HAVING HIJINKS

IN THE HIGH STREE WITH A SAILOR

AROUND LUNCHTIME.

OPENING TIME, YOU MEAN,

DEAR. LET'S BE HONEST.

FINE PUBLICITY!

WELL, SHE'S NEVER

MISSED AN ENTRANCE YET.

MIND YOUR:

HATBOX, DULCIE.

MAID:
MADAME DUBONNE OF VILLA CAPRICE!

SHE'S NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE

I PROMOTED HER TO STAR BILLING.

WENT TO HER HEAD, TOTALLY. NO...

TELEPHONE, MR. MAX.

TELL THEM TO:

RING AGAIN!

HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO SPEAK

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes

Ken Russell

Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptations of existing texts, or biographies, notably of composers of the Romantic era. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he made creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for studios. He is best known for his Oscar-winning film Women in Love (1969), The Devils (1971), The Who's Tommy (1975), and the science fiction film Altered States (1980). Russell also directed several films based on the lives of classical music composers, such as Elgar, Delius, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Liszt.Film critic Mark Kermode, speaking in 2006, and attempting to sum up the director's achievement, called Russell, "somebody who proved that British cinema didn't have to be about kitchen-sink realism—it could be every bit as flamboyant as Fellini. Later in his life he turned to making low-budget experimental films such as Lion's Mouth and Revenge of the Elephant Man, and they are as edgy and 'out there' as ever".Critics have accused him of being obsessed with sexuality and the Catholic Church. more…

All Ken Russell scripts | Ken Russell Scripts

0 fans

Submitted on August 05, 2018

Discuss this script with the community:

0 Comments

    Translation

    Translate and read this script in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Boy Friend" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_boy_friend_19833>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest writers community and scripts collection on the web!

    Watch the movie trailer

    The Boy Friend

    Browse Scripts.com

    The Studio:

    ScreenWriting Tool

    Write your screenplay and focus on the story with many helpful features.