French Dressing (1964 film)
| French Dressing | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Ken Russell |
| Produced by | Kenneth Harper |
| Written by |
Peter Brett Ronald Cass Peter Myers Johnny Speight |
| Starring |
James Booth Roy Kinnear Marisa Mell |
| Music by | Georges Delerue |
| Cinematography | Kenneth Higgins |
| Edited by | Jack Slade |
|
Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Warner-Pathé Distributors |
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Release date
|
April 1964 |
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Running time
|
86 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
French Dressing is a 1964 British comedy film directed by Ken Russell, his first feature film, which stars James Booth, Roy Kinnear and Marisa Mell. Its plot concerns a deckchair attendant in the run-down seaside resort of Gormleigh-on-Sea who is promoted to publicity officer. In an effort to drum up interest in the town he organises a film festival and invites a major French film star. The event is soon thrown into chaos by the machinations of jealous mayors from rival towns.
Jim Stephens is a deckchair attendant working in the flagging seaside resort town of Gormleigh in a job secured for him by his friend, the entertainments manager, Henry Liggott. Jim enjoys his easy life in the town with his girlfriend, Judy, a young reporter on the local paper. Things are soon turned upside down when Judy writes an article at Jim's suggestion calling for a film festival featuring Brigitte Bardot to revitalise the town and bring in tourists.
The three of them are summoned to see the Mayor to explain Jim's conduct the following morning. When Jim admits he can't get Bardot the Mayor threatens him with dismissal. This leads Jim to suggest that instead of getting Bardot, they try and secure the French film star, Françoise Fayol, whose latest New Wave film Pavements of Boulogne is premiering in Boulogne. With the Mayor's approval, Stephens and Liggott travel across the Channel to persuade her to attend the planned film festival.
Once in France they spend a great deal of time trying to locate her before eventually running into her by accident. They find that Fayol is frustrated by being typecast as a sex symbol rather than being given more intellectual roles and wishes to break free from her domineering mentor. The two Englishman are able to win her friendship by helping to destroy a large consignment of inflatable replica models of her which she hates. She accompanies them back to Britain, where the people of Gormleigh organise a pageant to welcome her which quickly descends into farce.
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Wikipedia