Funny Face |
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Funny Face Cast |
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Movie Highlights |
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Other InformationAwardsBest Classic DVD Satellite Awards [2007] (Won/Nominated: Nominated) Best Written American Musical Writers Guild of America, USA [1958] (Won/Nominated: Nominated) Top Male Musical Performance Laurel Awards [1958] (Won/Nominated: Nominated) Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Directors Guild of America, USA [1958] (Won/Nominated: Nominated) Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen Academy Awards [1958] (Won/Nominated: Nominated) Best Costume Design Academy Awards [1958] (Won/Nominated: Nominated) Best Cinematography Academy Awards [1958] (Won/Nominated: Nominated) Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Academy Awards [1958] (Won/Nominated: Nominated) Golden Palm Cannes Film Festival [1957] (Won/Nominated: Nominated) Plot SummaryThis filmed version of the 1927 George Gershwin Broadway musical Funny Face utilizes the play`s original star, Fred Astaire, and several of the original tunes, then goes merrily off on its own. Astaire is cast as as fashion photographer Dick Avery (a... Tagline`S Wonderful! `S Marvelous! Presenting a Real New Dimension in Motion Picture Entertainment. DiscographySinglesMarche Funèbre S` Wonderful Clap Yo` Hands On How to Be Lovely He Loves and She Loves Let`s Kiss and Make Up Bonjour Paris How Long Has This Been Going On? Think Pink Funny Face |
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Full Cast and Crew |
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Actor CreditsNon Actor Credits |
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Photo Gallery |
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Trivia |
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Trivia and QuotesQuotes Dick Avery: You are mad, aren`t you?
Jo Stockton: No, I`m not mad. I`m hurt, and disappointed, and... and mad. Jo Stockton: I was taught that I ought not expose my inner senses... Dick Avery: When I`m done, you`ll look like...
Dick Avery: What do you call beautiful? A tree. You`ll look like a tree. Dick Avery: Let me show you something.
[Serving wine and speaking in a friendly tone]
Dick Avery: Gentlemen: may I take this opportunity to tell you that you look like a mess of worms? And that you not only look like a mess of worms, but you ARE a mess of worms. And I`ll bet you`ve been sitting at this table all these years because if you ever left it you`d be picked up on a vagrancy charge.
Old French men: [Nod and smile in enthusiastic agreement]
Dick Avery: Your defense rests. Dick Avery: Every girl on every page of Quality has grace, elegance, and pizzazz. Now what`s wrong with bringing out a girl who has character, spirit, and intelligence?
Dovitch: That certainly would be novel in a fashion magazine. Jo Stockton: Take the picture, take the picture! Maggie Prescott: Let`s give `em the old pizazz! Maggie Prescott: She put herself in your place - all you have to do is put yourself in her place, and you`re *bound* to bump into each other in somebody`s place.Trivia Worked closely with photographer Richard Avedon in the 1950s and became one of the world`s top fashion models. When the musical Funny Face (1957) was produced based on Avedon`s career, Dovima was given a role in the film. Landed a two-minute cameo in Funny Face (1957) after photographer Richard Avedon had recommended her for a part. In order to secure Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire on the cast, producers told each the other was already signed, figuring they would not pass up the opportunity to work together. The Audrey Hepburn character was inspired by Suzy Parker, who made a fashionable cameo appearance in the film (her first film) in the "Think Pink" sequence. The little white car that Dick and Maggie drive to the beatnik club is called a VELAM Isetta. They were made between 1955 and 1958. VELAM (Vehicular Leger a Moteur [light vehicle with motor]) was a French company. The French nicknamed the car the "yoghurt pot" because of its looks. It was also known as a "bubblecar." 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. Much has been written about the crew having to contend with rainy weather in Paris during production. For a comparison of how the film might have looked if the sun hadn`t appeared from time to time, compare the Bonjour Paris number from the film - mostly shot in brilliant sunshine - with alternate footage shot on a rainy day that is featured in the trailer. The plot of this movie is actually that of Leonard Gershe`s unsuccessful Broadway musical "Wedding Bells" - apparently the studio bought the rights to the title just so they could use the song. The original plot of the musical was scrapped, and Gershwin songs from other musicals replaced several numbers originally written by Gershe himself for "Wedding Bells". These numbers were tweaked so that they could fit into the main storyline, and one of them - of course - was "Funny Face". The studio may have felt that the original plot of "Funny Face" could not be properly adapted into a movie as it was an "ensemble" musical with people dropping out and parts changing all the time. Cyd Charisse was offered the lead role, but declined. Audrey Hepburn`s agent initially rejected the film, but Hepburn overrode the decision after reading the script. Audrey Hepburn was offered the lead role in Gigi (1958) but turned it down to make this movie. Ditzy model Marion`s interest in comic books was inserted into the film to reflect actress-model Dovima`s real life passion for them. Audrey Hepburn`s terrier appears as the dog in the basket during the "Anna Karenia" train shot. Fred Astaire also starred in the original 1927 Broadway version of George Gershwin`s and Ira Gershwin`s "Funny Face". Although he was the male lead in the show, he did not play the same character he does in the film, and the storyline of the original stage musical was entirely different from the one in the film. Both play and film used many of the same songs. Ditzy model Marion is played by Dovima, who was one of the top fashion models of the day and often worked with Richard Avedon. Audrey Hepburn did not want to be separated from her husband Mel Ferrer, so filming of the Paris scenes was timed to coincide with Ferrer`s filming of Elena et les hommes (1956) with Ingrid Bergman. Paris` unseasonably rainy weather had to be worked into the script, particularly during the balloons photo shoot scene. During filming of the Paris scenes, much of the crew and cast were on edge because of riots and political violence that were gripping the city. The soggy weather played havoc with the shooting of the wedding dress dance scene. Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn were continually slipping in the muddy and slippery grass. Hepburn sings several songs. Her next full musical, My Fair Lady (1964), would see her voice overdubbed, much to her disappointment. Audrey Hepburn filmed this back-to-back with Love in the Afternoon (1957). Cameo: [Baroness Ella Van Heemstra] Audrey Hepburn`s mother as a sidewalk cafe patron. Fred Astaire`s character is based on photographer Richard Avedon. In fact, it is Avedon who set up most of the photography for this film, including the famous face portrait of Audrey Hepburn unveiled during the dark room sequence. | ||
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