New York Times Review Boys in the Band
Screen: 'Boys in the Band':Crowley Report of Male Homosexuality Opens
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March 18, 1970
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WATCHING the film version of Mart Crowley's "The Boys in the Ring," which opened yesterday at the Loew's Country I and Belfry East theaters, I experienced the same sensation I'd had when I saw the Off Broadway play ii years agone. It was a feeling of fourth dimension disorientation, equally if, in 1970, I were looking at a well-made Broadway play from the belatedly thirties or early on forties, something on the order of Clare Boothe's "The Women" or Joseph Fields's "The Doughgirls."This is in spite of the fact that "The Boys in the Band" is about male homosexuality, a subject that had to be treated with carefully metered ellipses in "The Light-green Bay Tree," and in spite of the fact that the film uses four-letter of the alphabet words that once (honest!) were more than shocking than glimpses of stocking.The reasons for this are two. 1 is obvious: "The Boys in the Ring" is a well-made play, a piffling too well-made, as well mechanical to be especially interesting. Non as obvious, perhaps, is the fact that many conventions of gimmicky stage direction (so evident in both the play and the film), equally well as the mannerisms of a certain kind of fake-elegant, American homosexual, are patterned after fashions set 30 or forty years ago on the Broadway stage.Thus one can sympathize why William Friedkin, the manager, has transferred the play's consciously archaic theatricality and then faithfully to the screen—with the original Off Broadway cast, and most every line of dyspeptic, simulated-elegant dialogue, intact. Friedkin, who directed the very pleasant "The Night They Raided Minsky's" and the extremely intelligent moving picture adaptation of Pinter's "The Birthday Party," was not hired to better "The Boys in the Band," merely to preserve it.This he has done, with the addition of a pre-title montage that serves to introduce the major characters in their natural habitats (bookstore, antique store, street).The flick and so opens with the ringing of a telephone and thereafter remains fixed in the time and place of the play—a Sat night birthday political party at Emory's duplex flat, fitted out with, amidst other things, an autographed poster of Marlene Dietrich and an boggling diverseness of toilet articles.In addition to Emory, a quondam Ivy League sort who is get-go to look like an aging queen, the celebrants include what is manifestly meant to exist a cross-section of homosexual types. They run a brusque gamut from seemingly direct to swish (including a token Negro), their one common denominator being their homosexuality. In the moving picture, equally in the play, the most interesting graphic symbol—the merely 1 who might have an identity across that as a homosexual—is Harold, a bitter, former professional ice-skater, whose birthday information technology is and who cooly describes himself as "a 32-year-old, ugly, pockmarked Jew fairy."Except for an inevitable monotony that comes from the apply of and so many close-ups in a confined infinite, Friedkin'south direction is clean and directly, and, under the circumstances, effective. All of the performances are good, and that of Leonard Frey, as Harold, is much improve than skilful. He's first-class without disturbing the ensemble.My reservations about "The Boys in the Ring" all accept to do with the source textile, which sounds likewise often as if it had been written by someone at the party. Crowley has a good, minor talent for one-act-of-insult, and for creating enough interest, past way of small character revelations, to maintain minimum suspense.In that location is something basically unpleasant, however, about a play that seems to take been created in an inspiration of love-detest and that finally does nothing more than exploit its (I assume) sincerely conceived stereotypes.Crowley's vision of the world would seem to have been attained from a vantage point about three millimeters above the heads of his characters. If I heard him correctly, between the lines, he's most funny when he thinks he's beingness serious. He'southward saying something to the effect that life can't be one, long, continuous matinee. Information technology's inexpensive sentiment, borrowed, I doubtable, from the Late Late Prove.
The CastTHE BOYS IN THE Band, directed by William Friedkin; screenplay by Mart Crowley, based on his own Off-Broadway play; cinematographer, Arthur J. Ornitz; produced by Mr. Crowley; a Movie theatre Center Films Presentation; released past National General Pictures. At Loew'south Country I, Broadway and 45th Street, and the Belfry Due east Theater, 72d Street and Third Avenue. Running time: 120 minutes. (The Motion Film Association of America's Product Lawmaking and Rating Administration classifies this film: "R—restricted, persons under 17 require accompanying parent or developed guardian.")Donald . . . . . Frederick CombsHarold . . . . . Leonard FreyEmory . . . . . Cliff GormanBernard . . . . . Reuben GreeneCowboy . . . . . Robert La TourneauxHank . . . . . Laurence LuckinbillMichael . . . . . Kenneth NelsonLarry . . . . . Keith PrenticeAlan . . . . . Peter White
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