Funny Face (1957)

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writer:

Leonard Gershe (written by)

Release Date:

13 February 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

Presented in a Real New Dimension in Motion Picture Entertainment.

Plot:

Fashion photographer Dick Avery, in search for an intellectual backdrop for an air-headed model, expropriates a Greenwich Village bookstore...

Plot Keywords:

Fashion | Photographer | Bookstore | Modeling | Fashion Magazine

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Audrey Hepburn	...	Jo Stockton
Fred Astaire	...	Dick Avery
Kay Thompson	...	Maggie Prescott
Michel Auclair	...	Prof. Emile Flostre
Robert Flemyng	...	Paul Duval
Dovima	...	Marion
Suzy Parker	...	Specialty Dancer (Think Pink Number)
Sunny Hartnett	...	Specialty Dancer (Think Pink Number)
Jean Del Val	...	Hairdresser
Virginia Gibson	...	Babs
Sue England	...	Laura
Ruta Lee	...	Lettie
Alex Gerry	...	Dovitch
Iphigenie Castiglioni	...	Armande
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Geneviève Aumont	...	French Actress (uncredited)
Fern Barry	...	Southern Wife (uncredited)
Paul Bisciglia	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Nesdon Booth	...	Southern Man (uncredited)
Nina Borget	...	Assistant Hairdresser (uncredited)
Jan Bradley	...	Crying Girl (uncredited)
Peter Camlin	...	Male Buyer (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Frenchman at Flostre's Party (uncredited)
Jerry Chiat	...	Man on Head (uncredited)
Gabriel Curtiz	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Albert D'Arno	...	Beautician (uncredited)
Marcel De la Brosse	...	Seedy Man (uncredited)
George Dee	...	Seedy Man (uncredited)
Diane DuBois	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Carole Eastman	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Roger Edens	...	Sidewalk Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Guest at Duval's Fashion Show (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Woman at Duval's Fashion Show (uncredited)
Louise Glenn	...	Junior Editor (uncredited)
Albert Godderis	...	Seedy Man (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Guest at Aborted Fashion Show (uncredited)
Heather Hopper	...	Junior Editor (uncredited)
Bruce Hoy	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Guest at Aborted Fashion Show (uncredited)
Nancy Kilgas	...	Melissa (uncredited)
Donald Lawton	...	Airport Clerk (uncredited)
Jerry Lucas	...	Bruiser (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Guest at Aborted Fashion Show (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Man at Duval's Fashion Show (uncredited)
Karine Nordman	...	French Girl (uncredited)
Elsa Peterson	...	Female Buyer (uncredited)
Don Powell	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Cecile Rogers	...	Junior Editor (uncredited)
Karen Scott	...	Gigi (uncredited)
Elizabeth Slifer	...	Madame La Farge (uncredited)
Paul Smith	...	Steve (uncredited)
Emilie Stevens	...	Assistant Beautician (uncredited)
Baroness Ella Van Heemstra	...	Sidewalk Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Marilyn White	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
Dorothea Wolbert	...	Minor Role (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Donen

Writing credits
Leonard Gershe		(written by)

Produced by
Roger Edens	....	producer

Cinematography by
Ray June		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Frank Bracht

Casting by
Gary Fifield		(uncredited)
Bill Greenwald		(uncredited)
Edward R. Morse		(uncredited)
Tony Regan		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
George W. Davis
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair style supervisor
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor
Dean Cole	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Robert Dawn	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Frank McCoy	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Frank Caffey	....	production manager (uncredited)
Harry Caplan	....	unit production manager (uncredited)
Curtis Mick	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William McGarry	....	assistant director
Gary Nelson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bob Adams	....	stand-by laborer (uncredited)
Joe Cowan	....	leadman (uncredited)
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
George Leverett	....	sound recordist
Winston H. Leverett	....	sound recordist (as Winston Leverett)
Bill Wistrom	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Avery	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Roger Shearman	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Tish Morgan	....	secretary to casting director (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hubert de Givenchy	....	wardrobe: Miss Hepburn, Paris
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator
Adolph Deutsch	....	conductor
Adolph Deutsch	....	music adaptor
Stanley Donen	....	song staging
Roger Edens	....	composer: additional music
Skip Martin	....	orchestrator
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator
Van Cleave	....	orchestrator
Alexander Courage	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Kay Thompson	....	vocal arranger (uncredited)
Van Cleave	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Fred Astaire	....	choreographer
Richard Avedon	....	main title backgrounds
Richard Avedon	....	special visual consultant
Eugene Loring	....	choreographer
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Françoise Bouchez	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (special edition)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (50th anniversary edition)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Mono

Certification:

France:Unrated | Spain:13 | Netherlands:AL | Ireland:G | Italy:T | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-16 | Finland:S (1966) | UK:U | USA:Unrated | West Germany:6 | Peru:PT

Filming Locations:

Chantilly, Oise, France

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Many of the production staff usually associated with MGM musicals went to Paramount especially to work on this film, so it is, essentially, an MGM musical made at Paramount.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the darkroom scene, the print is left in the fixer for an insufficient amount of time; an experienced photographer, like Dick Avery is supposed to be, would not make this mistake.

Quotes:

Dick Avery:You are mad, aren't you?
Jo Stockton:No, I'm not mad. I'm hurt, and disappointed, and... and mad.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Christmas Tale (2008)

Soundtrack:

He Loves and She Loves

Gershwin, Paris, Astaire, Audrey Hepburn, Richard Avedon, and John-Paul Sartre

This 1957 musical is a little odd. It has a title based on an original 1920s Gershwin musical (that included the title song) which starred Fred and Adele Astaire. It was a musical and scenic valentine to France (but only one tune in it deals with France - "Bonjour Paris!". It is a spoof on the modern fashion magazines, fashions in general, and advertising - but the spoof while sharp at times is never pushed. The opening sequence, "Think Pink," describes how Kay Thompson plans a campaign to make the American woman go for "pink" clothes, accessories, toothpaste, etc., only to admit to her assistant she personally loathes the color. It takes full advantage of the attractive face and features of Hepburn, who is convinced to be a model and help push a new line of fashions in Paris. And it makes two characters into imitations of Richard Avedon the photographer (Astaire as Dick Avory) and Jean-Paul Sartre (Michel Auclair as Prof. Emile Flostre).

Avedon was a rarity - a fashion photographer who became a great artistic portrait photographer. Astaire never is shown taking pictures of great or famous people in the film but several times he demonstrates a refinement that separates him from the rest of Kay Thompson's entourage (most of whom don't care what havoc they cause, as long as they get their jobs done). He also has enough sense to question Hepburn's accepting of "empathicalism", and it's viability. Witness his moment in the bistro pouring wine to the two old codgers who are quite pleasant to him while he insults them in English. Hepburn, of course, is so insistent on the validity of her philosophical beliefs that she rejects Astaire's warnings, and jeopardizes the fashion show.

The final blow (seemingly) to the Astaire - Hepburn relationship is when he confronts Flostre at the author's home. He knocks out the Professor, and his brutality demolishes the relationship with Hepburn. But within minutes Hepburn sees another side to Flostre which is unexpected, and suddenly realizes that Astaire may be right after all.

The character of Flostre is obviously based on that of Jean-Paul Sartre, the founder of "existentialism". Based on in some details, but not in theory. "Empathicalism" has to do with trying to empathize with others so as to have a proper response to their needs and aspirations. "Existentialism" has to do with: "An introspective humanism or theory of man which expresses the individual's intense awareness of his contingency and freedom; a theory which states that the existence of the individual precedes his essence." This is from Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. Sartre has a more complex view of man and society, and one can plow through BEING AND NOTHINGNESS to try to understand it. In fact some critics have wondered if the Nobel Prize Winner eventually got very wrong headed about his theory. But he certainly seems a meatier philosopher than his celluloid copy.

But Flostre does have the trappings of Sartre on him. He is revered by his followers world wide (such as Hepburn). He is a man with sexual appetite (as Sartre was with his long time companion and fellow writer Simone Beauvoir). And there is some traces of an anti-capitalist, even anti-American attitude in him. It is not definitely pushed, but when Astaire and Thompson break into his house during a party, they pretend they are American share cropper singers whom Flostre had brought to France to perform for his guests. Now, we never hear what this actual pair actually would sing, but judging from their background they would have to throw in some protest songs. Sartre was very critical of the U.S.A. and capitalism (today his fans have to explain Sartre's willingness to accept Russian imperialist moves under Communism in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s - they find it very hard to do so).

On the whole the parts of the film work well, so I give it seven stars. Kay Thompson is best recalled for being the creator of the little girl at the Plaza "Eloise", but she shows here a highly entertaining performance as Maggie Prescott, the editor who pushes and loathes pink. The film would have been better if somehow Avedon's portrait photography had been brought into the story, possibly in a final scene with Flostre as his subject. However, even without such a sequence the film is rewarding to watch, especially in the musical numbers. Astaire does equally well with Thompson and with Hepburn as his partners here.