Customer Reviews

Victor, Victoria

5 star:		(104)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In the age of "Moulin Rouge" audiences would do far better by rediscovering this musical comedy gem, starring the incomparable Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, Leslie Ann Warren and James Garner. Rarely has Hollywood captured the essence of great music with outstanding performances as it has in "Victor/Victoria." There are literally a dozen or so scenes that will leave you hysterical, as in gasping-for-breath hysterical, something many films aspire to, but few ever deliver on. But more than funny, this is a poignant, character driven film where every principal is allowed to shine.

Andrews permanently sheds her "Sound of Music" virginal skin in the title role, embodying the man-pretenting-to-be-a-woman-pretending-to-be-a-man part in a way noone has ever done before or since. Of course, the audience is in on the joke, but it never becomes tired or anything less than fresh. Robert Preston is the antithesis of his former "Music Man" personna, a gay-Paree emcee who discover's Victor's startling 8-octave vocal range and turns him/her into the rage of Paris. These two performances, along with Leslie Ann Warren's unforgettable floosy - all three Oscar-nominated - are drop dead fabulous. These are actors at the very height of their form....funny, passionate, real and endearing. The musical highlights are truly phenomenal, certainly better than other "best loved" musicals like "Singing In the Rain" or "An American In Paris." Andrews scores on "Le Jazz Hot" and shows an indelible comic flair few people knew she was capable of in the legendary cafeteria sequence, which literally had the audience I viewed this with ROLLING in the aisles. It's a movie where even the insects - cockroaches in this case - are memorable. But more so, its also a lesson in what Hollywood USED to do so well in its tradition of movie musicals....and what its forgotten to do over the past two decades since Victor/Victoria was released. In a nutshell, Hollywood forgot that the power of song and music is their ability to HUMANIZE a character and progress the plot, but also lend depth and color to the principals. For me, "Victor/Victoria" IS Hollywood's last great musical, and certainly one of the most visually stunning, fully realized films of our time. This ranks far and away as Blake Edward's crowning masterpiece - high above SOB or the Pink Panther flicks. And the supporting performances are some of the best ever caqptured. Just try and forget Warren's cooing to James Garner ("pooookie....I'm horny) or Alex Karras' gay gangster falling in love with Preston. From roaches to royalty, "Victor/Victoria" is quite simply one of the best films of the 80's or any other decade.

I am anxiously awaiting its release on DVD, and secretly hoping that the currently available Broadway show version silently goes away as it cannot hold a candle to the film. Rent it, buy it, LOVE IT.

This is most definitely musical gender-bending at it's best!

Not many musical/comedies are produced nowadays, let alone good ones like Rocky Horror Picture Show & Little Shop Of Horrors to name a few that come to my mind.

This 80's musical/comedy is set in 1934 GAY and I DO MEAN GAY Paree! This film is quite unparalled in the fact that Victor/Victoria was a movie BEFORE it made it to The Great White Way. Julie Andrews played Victor/Victoria in both movie and on stage.

Great songs in - Julie's "Le Jazz Hot" & Lesley Warren's bimboesque "Kings Can-Can". The sexual chemistry is A+++ between Andrews & a sexually confused James Garner who plays "King Marchand" a Chicago club owner, who is so TOTALLY out of his element in Paris, let alone being sexually frustrated and confused over his crush on the beautiful, stylish and gay, Victor.

Great cast, great songs and a greater storyline with lots of slapstick comedy make Victor/Victoria a classic of it's time!

Happy Watching!

Blake Edwards created a musical, comical, award-winning masterpiece with his film "Victor/Victoria", starring Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, James Garner, Lesley Ann Warren and Alex Karras.

Julie Andrews received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her portrayal of Victoria Grant/Count Victor Grezhinski, a divorced, American lounge singer struggling to make ends meet in 1934 Paris. Unable to pay for rent or food, she decides to use a ruse at a restaurant to earn a free meal. There she meets Carroll Todd ("Toddy"), played by Robert Preston who earned Best Actor nominations for both the Oscar and Golden Globe. Also having financial difficulties, Toddy is inspired by Victoria's somewhat masculine-sounding voice when she gets angry to have her pretend to be gay male drag queen. She agrees and she becomes an overnight success after her first performance at one of the most upscale nightclubs in Paris. In the audience are King Marchand (James Garner), his girlfriend Norma Cassady (Lesley Ann Warren, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for both the Oscar & Golden Globe) and his bodygaurd Squash Bernstein (Alex Karras).

What makes this film such a masterpiece is not just the excellent comedic writing by Blake Edwards, but also the Oscar-winning music composed by Henry Mancini. Count Victor Grezhinski (Julie Andrews) sings two of the most memorable songs "Le Jazz Hot" during her first nightclub performance and "The Shady Dame from Seville" during another nightclub performance. She also sings the theme song "Crazy World" during a tear-felt nightclub performance. Robert Preston as Toddy sings the fun song "Gay Paree" during a gay nightclub performance and does a hilarious reprise of "The Shady Dame from Seville" at the conclusion of the film. He also sings "You and Me" with Victor at an impromptu performance at the same gay nightclub. Another hilarious performance comes from Lesley Ann Warren singing "Chicago, Illinois" at King Marchand's nightclub in Chicago.

The rendering of the film onto DVD is superb, as is the Dolby 5.1 sound quality. You simply cannot go wrong owning this DVD because you will be able to enjoy it for years to come!

This Blake Edwards film is a sort of valentine to the many gifts of his amazing wife Julie Andrews more than ten years since her last musical, and wouldn't you know it, it was a gigantic hit. It helped that the book poked a great deal of fun at the homophobia of the nascent Reagan era, that James Garner, Alex Karres, Robert Preston and (especially) Lesley Ann Warren (in her funniest role ever, as the idiot dancehall bimbo Norma). But the real reason the film takes off is because of Julie Andrews. She may be utterly unbelievable passing as a man, but she does get to show her great gift for dry humor, and she sings several fine, fine songs, including what may be one of her absolute careeer highlights, "Le Jazz Hot." No one has ever been less appropriate for a jazz number than Julie--she of course sings every single note exactly on the beat, and with her signature perfect diction--, but she gives the number so much zing and warmth and excitement it just doesn't matter. When she's up there in her Josephine Baker outfit snapping her fingers and smiling expansively, and showing off her astonishing and perfect vocal range, she is every bit as showstopping and iconic as when she was spinning round the Salzburg mountaintops in THE SOUND OF MUSIC: she's up there in movie history heaven. And if that weren't enough, you also get to hear her pronounce the word "heterosexual" (several times!) like no one before or since.

Blake Edwards had a unique style of film; all the films seemed to have a certain atmosphere while each maintaining an individual character. Of course, Julie Andrews was a frequent actress in his films - Edwards and Andrews are married, and have been since 1969, an astonishing longevity for Hollywood.

In 'Victor/Victoria', Edwards returns to a Parisian settings familiar to fans of his work in the Pink Panther series - there is some minor elements of slapstick (the clutzy waiter, the bumbling detective, perhaps a nod in the direction of the Pink Panther films), but the real narrative plot is drawn along by the stylish comedy of Julie Andrews (Victoria Grant/Victor) and Robert Preston (Carroll Todd), in one of his last films.

The film is actually based on a much older piece, from 1933, written by Reinhold Schünzel, a German actor and writing, known in Europe primarily from the 1920s to the 1950s (perhaps English-speaking audiences would know him best from his role in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Notorius'). This was not the first, nor the last remake of this piece.

Preston plays an aging, gay, musical theatre man-about-town, who we take it is various a performer, talent scout, and director. Through a strange set of circumstances, he happens to be in a restaurant with a down-on-her-luck singer, who has just flopped at her last audition, and was willing to sell her virtue to the hotel manager for a meatball. She has captured a cockroach, and intends to plant the bug in the salad, thus avoiding payment of the bill - Carroll Todd ('Toddy' to his friends) and Victoria escape the restaurant, and come to share a room together while figuring out what to do.

Toddy comes up with the idea of dressing up Victoria as a man to then present her as the greatest drag queen, with the absurd name of Count Victor Grezhinski, a gay Polish count. 'Who would ever believe it?' Victoria protests. 'A woman pretending to be a man pretending to be woman.'

'It's perfect!' Toddy insists.

'Everyone will know he's a phony,' Victoria insists.

'Exactly! Everyone will know HE's a phony.'

Victoria as Victor auditions for Andre Cassell (John Rhys-Davies), the greatest talent and booking agent in Paris. He schedules Victor to open in a grand venue, and the deception seems complete. That is, until King Marchand (James Garner), a Chicago gangster and nightclub owner, arrives, complete with bodyguard (Alex Karras) and moll in tow (Leslie Ann Warren). He doesn't believe the act, and is determined to discover the truth.

While Victor/Victoria is not a musical in the sense of 'Cats' or 'Showboat', it does have some really stunning musical numbers, as one would expect from a Julie Andrews production. 'Le Hot Jazz' and 'The Shady Dame from Seville' are excellent numbers (Preston does his own reprise of 'The Shady Dame' for the big finale), and other numbers are fun; Leslie Ann Warren does her own over-the-top tribute to Chicago. The original music is done by Henry Mancini, and thus another Pink Panther connection.

The costumes (done by Patricia Norris, a very experienced and wide-ranging costumer) are perfect, both for the stage production numbers (dramatic and with flair, as might befit a drag queen, then or now), and off the stage - the period setting of inter-war Paris, with the genteel poverty of some and the opulence of others side-by-side is very well done.

This is the first film in which I recall major gay figures - it was a popular film in part because the primary actors were well know, and the issue of gay life was presented both in a distant and a non-controversial manner. If there are politics in it at all, it is that sex shouldn't be a political issue. King Marchand, a bit upset at being identified as someone who might date a man (Victor) has one scene in which he re-affirms his masculinity (by going to a seedy bar and picking a fight), only to discover that people aren't always what he thought they were.

This could be a theme throughout the whole film - people are never what you think they are, and life never turns out as expected. The tone of the film is rather lighthearted throughout, and the situations play very well. Does King Marchand get the girl/guy? Does Carroll Toddy become the toast of Paris? Does Chicago get an airport?? See the film and find out.

Julie Andrews plays the gender-bending Victoria Grant in husband Blake Edwards' musical comedy gem VICTOR/VICTORIA.

Victoria Grant is a penniless soprano in Paris circa 1934, when she meets Toddy (Robert Preston - THE MUSIC MAN), a gay nightclub entertainer. She spends the night at his flat. An unexpected caller triggers the accidental discovery that with the right clothes and voice, Victoria could become "Count Victor Grazinski", a gay Polish female impersonator!

Soon Victoria (or "Victor") is the toast of Paris, when American impresario King (James Garner - MOVE OVER DARLING, THE THRILL OF IT ALL) and his moll Norma Cassidy (Lesley Ann Warren - THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE), come close to blowing the ruse.

Things become even more complicated when Victoria finds herself falling for King, and Toddy falls in love with King's bodyguard Squash!

With Andrews, Preston and Warren in fine musical form, the story fairly brims over with delightful songs, hilarious quips and top-notch performances.

This movie is a throwback to all the great 40's musicals and showcases the talents of all the performers with the great music of Henry Mancini. Julie Andrews in the title roles gives one of the strongest performances of her career. In a perfect comic counter point is James Garner as her love interst and lovable Chicago club owner. Robert Perston gives a virtuoso performance as her best friend / manager. With all the gender bending and misdirection of the characters, this is a loveable feel good movie for everyone. The wonderful sets and great period feel of the film don't hurt either! Enjoy!

Victor/Victoria is easily Blake Edwards' best film. In fact, Victor/Victoria is probably one of the top 10 best films of the 1980s. From the lighting, to the art direction-set decoration, to the superb acting, to the screenplay, to the cinematography, and to the late Henry Mancini's remarkable score (he died in 1994), this film is the epitome of top notch and smart entertainment.

After the release of Victor/Victoria, the movie musical died, except for some of the Disney animated features released since Victor/Victoria (i.e., the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, the Lion King). The recent release of "Moulin Rouge" could be the beginning of a trend to bring back the movie musical with live actors. There also appears to be a current trend for movies (and some television shows) to incorporate musical numbers for laughs (i.e., Austin Powers, some Mel Brooks movies, Will & Grace, a recent episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

One of the factors that made Victor/Victoria a successful musical for its time is the manner in which Blake Edwards structured and directed all of the film's musical numbers. The "break-out-and-sing musicals" with an imaginary orchestra in the background (i.e., My Fair Lady, Sound of Music, Hello Dolly!) were already outdated when Victor/Victoria was released in 1982 (and in my opinion, I think that the "break-out-and-sing" element is what made "Evita" and "Moulin Rouge" a bit cheesy). Blake Edwards made the right decision to incorporate all of the musical numbers as stage performances to audiences WITHIN the movie, making the movie more realistic to audiences WATCHING the film.

All in all, the film received 7 Oscar nominations. It only won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score. The acting and the chemistry of the actors were superb. In my opinion, Leslie Ann Warren (Best Supporting Actress nominee), Julie Andrews (Best Actress nominee), and the late Robert Preston (Best Supporting Actor nominee) all should have received acting Oscars. Even Alex Karras (a former college football player who was a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy in 1957) delivered a fantastic and funny performance as King Marchand's (played by James Garner) closeted bodyguard named Squash. Incredibly, Victor/Victoria was not nominated for Best Picture or Best Director. Ghandi, E.T., Tootsie, the Verdict, and Missing were all nominated for Best Picture (all were also nominated for Best Director, except for Missing), with Ghandi being the big winner. In my opinion, Victor/Victoria was the best picture for 1982.

My favorite element of the film is Henry Mancini's remarkable score and original songs, with lyrics written by Leslie Bricusse. As I mentioned above, Mancini (who died in 1994) and Bricusse received the Oscar for Best Original Song Score. "Le Jazz Hot", the first song Andrews sings in the movie as a "drag queen", is a showstopper. The movie version of "Le Jazz Hot" is far superior to the Broadway version of the same song. "Crazy World" is a fantastic ballad, and many female concert performers have added this song to their repertoire. Clearly, Mancini's Victor/Victoria score far exceeded any other film score he ever wrote during his lifetime.

As for the DVD itself, the video transfer and the re-mastered soundtrack are superb. What boggles my mind is why it took MGM so long to release the movie on DVD. This is the type of movie that DVD players were made for! With the exception of one theatrical trailer and a feature-length audio commentary with Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards, the film has no additional "extra features". It would have been fun to see some of the film's deleted scenes, some of the film's outakes, a documentary of the making of the film, and updated cast interviews. Because of Mancini's remarkable score and original songs, a "music-only" audio track should also have been included on the DVD.

Julie Andrews talks a lot more than Blake Edwards during the feature-length audio commentary. Blake Edwards is relatively quiet after the first 15 minutes of the commentary. He admitted during the commentary that he got caught up in viewing the movie (it sounds like he had not seen it for some time). In any event, the husband and wife team provides behind the scenes information that is interesting and occassionally funny, although not as comprehensive as the viewer may have expected.

Although Victor/Victoria is 20 years old, the movie could be released today as it was originally filmed. This is because the story takes place in Paris in 1934 and because Blake Edwards directed Victor/Victoria with style and artistic qualities that make the movie relevant and modern enough to watch in 2002. Victor/Victoria is more than just a musical comedy. It is a story about sexuality, gender, and becoming comfortable living in your own skin. Victor/Victoria teaches us to seek out our dreams and happiness, even if achieving these things requires us to make sacrifices and take risks. Any fan of Blake Edwards, Henry Mancini, Julie Andrews, musical comedies, or just good, quality movies should buy Victor/Victoria for his or her DVD library.

Victor Victoria is a comedic masterpiece. I have seen it several times and never fail to be entertained. I am not really a Julie Andrews fan but she is priceless in this film. She is surrounded by a cast that is beyond superb. Everyone shines in this!! Robert Preston is hilarious as Toddy and that last scene in the movie when he is dressed up like a Spanish senorita is a scream. There is nice work from both James Garner as a Chicago gangster and Alex Karras as his closeted bodyguard. Leslie Ann Warren nearly steals the picture as James Garner's screechingly loud blonde girlfriend who can't understand his attraction to a Polish drag queen. I am anxiously awaiting my copy of this movie on DVD and reccommend that you add it to your collection.

Hats off to Warner Home Video for this glistening, beautiful DVD edition of Blake Edwards' magnificent VICTOR/VICTORIA. It's hard to believe that this film is 20 years old, because its humor and excellece are fresh as ever. It is a testament to the wondrous talents of Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, James Garner and Lesley Ann Warren.

This DVD hits the bullseye with a stunning film-to-video transfer that captures the look of the film with exceptional accuracy. The 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is crisp and an exact reproduction of the original theatrical experience.

The best thing about this release is the wonderful commentary by Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards. One of the most personal and heartwarming I've ever heard on a DVD. I'm thrilled with this disc, and I can't wait 'til tomorrow when I can purchase the new expanded CD soundtrack album. When I can't watch the movie, I'll want to keep listening to those great songs. Bravo Warner! Bravo Julie! (or should I say 'Brava'?)