French Dressing (1964)

A drab little English seaside town tries to improve its image - and increase its revenues - by holding a film festival. When a famous continental star agrees to attend, things get out of hand.

Director:

Ken Russell (as Kenneth Russell)

Writers:

Peter Brett (screenplay), Ronald Cass (original screenplay)

Stars:

James Booth, Roy Kinnear, Marisa Mell

Cast

Credited cast:
James Booth	...	Jim Stephens
Roy Kinnear	...	Henry Liggott
Marisa Mell	...	Françoise Fayol
Alita Naughton	...	Judy
Bryan Pringle	...	The Mayor
Robert Robinson	...	Himself
Germaine Delbat	...	French woman
Norman Pitt	...	Westbourne Mayor
Henry McCarty	...	Bridgemouth Mayor
Sandor Elès	...	Vladek
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lucille Soong	...	Starlet

Storyline

A drab little English seaside town tries to improve its image - and increase its revenues - by holding a film festival. When a famous continental star agrees to attend, things get out of hand.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1964 (UK)

Also Known As:

Abbigliamento francese

Filming Locations:

Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), Kenneth Harper Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min 100 min (Original Workprint)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is held in the National Film and Television Archive in the UK and had been also theatrically released in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany and Japan. In the home video market the film had only previously been released on VHS in Japan but eventually was released in the UK in 2015 on DVD.

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Connections

Referenced in Having a Wild Weekend (1965)

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Soundtracks

Turtle Dove
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

French Dressing is not cinematic salad

This has always been a weakness of mine: one of Ken Russell's earliest made-for-cinema efforts after a prestigious early career in TV documentaries. It stars one of my favourite minor British actors, James Booth, who went on to appear so memorably in 'Zulu' the year after, the late Roy Kinnear as a corpulent side kick, as well as the irreplaceable Bryan Pringle, as the corruptible and egoistical Mayor. The weaknesses, and charm, can be put down to its time and some of Russell's own uncertainties on a larger canvas: EG the awkward apeing of some Nouvelle Vague mannerisms for outside shots, and the varying tone - psrtly due to Russell's attempts to reconcile so many disparate elements. But to offset that, his surreal vision of a small English sea-side resort (Herne Bay), seeking to raise its cultural and tourist profile was (and remains) delightful to anyone who was familiar with the run down, determinedly unsexy reality at the time. Its a film a long way from the later Russell's variable excesses and, although sometimes awkward, is never heavy handed. He works well in black and white, maintaining a narrative interest and drive which only falters at the end, even if wide boy Booth is unable to project the warmth and passion his character's infatuation ultimately needs. This is one of those rare British films in which the imported continental talent - in this case, Marissa Mell (who plays 'Francoise Fayol', clearly modelled on Bardot) 'works' as a character - her exotic sexuality, so out of place in drab Gormley-on-Sea, is the point of a film that pointedly contrasts expectations, then results, throughout. And, as a view of small town municipal life, 'French Dressing' would bear some closer investigation by British critics than it has hitherto received. It's good too to see a falling out of opinions on IMDb's hallowed pages about this film - a sure sign that it is alive and kicking...