VICTOR/VICTORIA (1982)
Julie Andrews masquerades as a gay man in drag in writer/director Blake Edwards’ 1982 gender-bending musical comedy VICTOR/VICTORIA.
VICTOR/VICTORIA
1982. UK/USA.
Director: Blake Edwards
Screenplay: Blake Edwards
Music: Henry Mancini & Leslie Bricusse.
Based on: Victor and Victoria (1933 film) by Reinhold Schünzel
Starring: Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren, and Alex Karras
When soprano Victoria Grant (Andrews) can’t find work and is taken in by gay nightclub performer “Toddy” (Robert Preston) who has just been fired. The two devise a scheme to earn some money; Victoria will sing on stage in the guise of a ‘famous’ Polish drag performer named Count Victor Grazinski. Mayhem and hilarity ensue as ‘Victor’ becomes the toast of Paris.
On Victor’s path to stardom he catches the eye of wealthy American businessman King Marchand (James Garner), who is ‘confused’ as to why he finds a man attractive. Once King discovers Victor’s secret the two of them become an item, much to the dismay of his semi-girlfriend Norma (Lesley Ann Warren). The relationship becomes an issue because King’s business associates won’t tolerate the idea of him being queer…and Victoria could face jail time for fraud if she confesses her true gender publicly.
VICTOR/VICTORIA is based on a 1933 German film titled VIKTOR UND VIKTORIA. There were a number of other adaptations, prior to the 1982 version, from France (1934), UK (1935), and Germany, again in 1957.
The film was quite progressive for Hollywood in the 1980s. Despite being a queer movie made for a straight audience (the main romance is heterosexual) it surprisingly included a romantic subplot between two male characters (Toddy & Squash) and addressed queer themes and ideas most mainstream films of the time avoided. Though, this was also released in the early days of the AIDS pandemic so this step forward came to an abrupt halt through the rest of the decade in most studio film releases.
VICTOR/VICTORIA was well received by critics, garnered seven Academy Award nominations (winning for best song score), and Julie Andrews won the “Best Actress” Golden Globe for the role. A number of years later Andrews went on to perform the role on Broadway.
VICTOR/VICTORIA is available for rent/purchase through AppleTV & Amazon. It’s also available on DVD/Blu-ray – as is the 1995 Broadway stage adaptation, also starring Andrews.
