The Boys in the Band
Short description
Based on Mart Crowley's play of the same name, The Boys in the Band centers on a birthday gathering that Michael has arranged for his friend Harold. The guests are a group of gay men in New York City, among them a couple, a man recently separated from his wife, and a friend who insists he is not gay. A heterosexual college acquaintance of Michael's arrives without an invitation, and as the drinking continues, long-suppressed resentments and buried feelings rise to the surface, turning the celebration toward confrontation.
William Friedkin directed the film, the first of sixteen features in his career, followed by The French Connection in 1971. Mart Crowley wrote the screenplay from his own stage work, and Kenneth Utt, Robert Jiras and Crowley produced. Kenneth Nelson plays Michael, Leonard Frey plays Harold, and Peter White, Cliff Gorman, Frederick Combs and Reuben Greene appear as Alan, Emory, Donald and Bernard.
Released in March 1970, the film had a budget of 6 million dollars and took 4 million dollars worldwide. It holds a 7.6 rating on IMDb from 6,400 votes and a 7 on TMDB from 119 votes, while critics gave it 7.1 from 20 reviews, a critical score close to the audience response.
What's left behind the scenes
- The role of the Cowboy is played by Robert La Tourne (1940-1985). Despite having no acting experience, he was cast in the role because the character had only about ten lines. La Tourne later became addicted to drugs and died of AIDS.
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