Hair (1979)

Claude Bukowski leaves the family ranch in Oklahoma for New York where he is rapidly embraced into the hippie group of youngsters led by Berger, yet he's already been drafted. He soon falls in love with Sheila Franklin, a rich girl but still a rebel inside.

Director:

Milos Forman

Writers:

Gerome Ragni (musical book), James Rado (musical book)

Stars:

John Savage, Treat Williams, Beverly D'Angelo

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Savage	...	Claude Hooper Bukowski
Treat Williams	...	George Berger
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Sheila Franklin
Annie Golden	...	Jeannie Ryan
Dorsey Wright	...	Lafayette aka Hud
Don Dacus	...	Woof
Cheryl Barnes	...	Hud's Fiancee
Richard Bright	...	Fenton
Nicholas Ray	...	The General
Charlotte Rae	...	Lady in Pink
Miles Chapin	...	Steve Wright
Fern Tailer	...	Sheila's Mother
Charles Denny	...	Sheila's Father
Herman Meckler	...	Sheila's Uncle
Agness Breen	...	Sheila's Aunt

Storyline

This movie, based on the cult Broadway musical of the 60s, tells a story about Claude, a young man from Oklahoma who comes to New York City. There he strikes up a friendship with a group of hippies, led by Berger, and falls in love with Sheila, a girl from a rich family. However, their happiness is short because Claude must go to the Vietnam war.

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Plot Keywords:

breasts | buttocks | sexual harassment | horseback riding | trick horseback riding | 

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Taglines:

Let the sun shine in . . . all over again!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

West Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 May 1979 (France)

Also Known As:

Kosa

Filming Locations:

Barstow, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$15,284,463

Company Credits

Production Co:

CIP Filmproduktion GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song "Frank Mills," performed by Crissy in the stage version, was filmed, but cut from the movie. Suzette Charles, who played Crissy, was dismissed when the song was cut. Five years later, Charles became Miss America after Vanessa Williams was disqualified. The old RCA two-record soundtrack doesn't say who sang what in the film, but the souvenir program for the movie included a removable plastic extended play recording of selected songs from the film that does list the singers. The E.P, includes "Frank Mills," and Charles is credited as the vocalist.

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Goofs

When Berger starts his dance on the table at Sheila and Steve's engagement party, Hud is turned towards Sheila's end of the table and smiles at someone, with no cord in his hair. After a cut, he looks toward the near end of the table and his hair is tied back.

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Quotes

Woof, Hud, Berger: [singing] Oh say, can you see my eyes? If you can, then my hair's too short.

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Connections

Referenced in Un bonheur n'arrive jamais seul (2012)

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Soundtracks

Somebody to Hold
Written by James Rado (as Rado),Gerome Ragni (as Ragni) & Galt MacDermot (as MacDermot)

User Reviews

A sketchy Broadway musical becomes an amazing screen musical

The 1979 film musical of HAIR was loosely based on the infamous 1960's Broadway musical that became famous because of its infamous nude scene. The stage musical isn't really much more than a group of skits strung together with some amusing musical numbers; however for the film director Milos Foreman (who won an Oscar for directing ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST) and the writers have taken the basic premise of the play and the score and constructed a real story to make the show more "user friendly" for the big screen. In the film, naive farm boy Claude Hooper Buchowski (John Savage) is about to go into the army and decides to spend a couple of days in New York where he meets a group of aging hippies (Treat Williams, Dorsey Wright, Annie Golden, Don Dacus)who get him involved in a group of nutty misadventures, including the pursuit of a snooty society girl (Beverly D'Angelo). The story divides into a series of vignettes that range from the ridiculous to the sublime, but it is all gorgeously photographed with a clever use of NYC locations and imaginatively staged musical numbers (outstandingly choreographed by the legendary Twyla Tharp). Treat Williams lights up the screen as Berger, the unconventional and free-spirited hippie who does his best to get Claude to loosen up and is matched scene for scene by Savage as Claude, who brings a lovely sweetness to the role of Claude. Annie Golden is a charmer as Jeannie, the pregnant hippie who is pregnant by Wright or Dacus, doesn't know which one is the father and doesn't seem to care. There is one outstanding musical number after another here..."Aquarius" is a tour through Central Park which includes dancing horses...Treat Williams disrupts a fancy dinner party in "I Got Life"..."Black Boys/White Boys" features the late Nell Carter and Ellen Foley extolling the ethnic virtues of men and "Easy to be Hard" is a powerful rendering of one of the best songs in the show by original cast member Cheryl Barnes, who plays Wright's ex-girlfriend and mother of his child. This is a beautifully photographed, well-acted sung, and danced psychedelic acid trip of a movie that must be seen and once seen, will initiate multiple viewings as this dazzler has to much to offer to catch it all in one showing.