La cage aux folles (1978)

The manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and his star attraction, are a gay couple. Madness ensues when his straight son brings home a fiancée and her ultra-conservative parents to meet them.

Director:

Édouard Molinaro

Writers:

Jean Poiret (play), Francis Veber (screenplay)

Stars:

Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Serrault, Claire Maurier

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ugo Tognazzi	...	Renato Baldi
Michel Serrault	...	Albin Mougeotte dit Zaza Napoli
Claire Maurier	...	Simone Deblon
Rémi Laurent	...	Laurent Baldi
Carmen Scarpitta	...	Louise Charrier
Benny Luke	...	Jacob
Luisa Maneri	...	Andréa Charrier
Michel Galabru	...	Simon Charrier
Venantino Venantini	...	Le chauffeur de Charrier
Carlo Reali	...	Le videur
Guido Cerniglia	...	Le médecin
Angelo Pellegrino	...	Un assistant de la boîte de nuit
Nicola D'Eramo
Vinicio Diamanti
Liana Del Balzo	...	Mme Charrier

Storyline

Two gay men living in St. Tropez have their lives turned upside down when the son of one of the men announces he is getting married. They try to conceal their lifestyle and their ownership of the drag club downstairs when the fiancée and her parents come for dinner.

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Plot Keywords:

fairy | transvestite | transvestism | homophobia | quarrel | 

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Taglines:

The comedy that comes out of the closet!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

13+

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Broadway musical based on this movie opened on Aug 21, 1983 at the Palace Theatre, ran for 1761 performances and won the 1984 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Book and Score.

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Quotes

Renato Baldi: Poor Mme. Charrier is holding our lord in her arms.

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Alternate Versions

The version originally dubbed into German and released here obviously runs a couple of minutes shorter than the international. Some additional scenes have been dubbed by different German actors more than 20 years later for the DVD release.

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Connections

Referenced in Curse of the Queerwolf (1988)

User Reviews

C'est drole!

This cult classic deserves its reputation. I saw it many years ago at a film festival and have loved it ever since.....I grabbed up a video as soon as it became available. It appears, that in the last few years, some critics are finding fault with the film but in my opinion it has held up well.

The two main characters and the actors that play them are priceless. Ugo Tognazzi, one of my favorite Italian actors,is so suave and world-weary as Renato, the stronger of the couple. Michel Serrault is a nervous, overwrought, insecure prima donna who squeals and minces his way through life and will have you falling off the couch with delight. Although there is not a lot of affection shown between the two, the underlying strength of their relationship is evident.

One warning......do not see the dubbed version of this film!! It is most unsatisfactory. The sub-titled version at least retains the voices of the actors which is part of the appeal of the film. If you speak French, please see the original...many of the lines do not translate well to English and contain nuances that are not present in the translation. Whichever version you see (sub-titled or original), it will be a viewing experience that will bring tears of laughter....it's a joy!

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

2 April 1979 (Canada)

Also Known As:

La cage aux folles

Filming Locations:

Villa Giovanelli, Roma, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

FRF7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,709, 1 April 1979

Gross USA:

$20,424,259

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,424,259

Company Credits

Production Co:

Da Ma Produzione, Les Productions Artistes Associés

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 91 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1