FILMS… S.O.B. (1981)

#1980s #AllPosts

 

Hollywood or bust?

 

A successful film director after a recent flop at the box office takes a big gamble.

 

Julie Andrews

Holden and Hagman

S.O.B. (1981) Official Trailer – Julie Andrews, Blake Edwards Comedy HD, Movieclips Classic Trailers and photos © Paramount Pictures

 

To explain the acronymic title of this film title S.O.B (1981) – this (sadly) occurs (too) late on in the movie. This is when a character explains S.O.B. stands for “Standard Operational Bullshit”.

Wikipedia adds Standard Operational Bullshit is defined as that spreading false information is normal. This theme was suggested by the film plot and shown by many of the characters throughout this movie. This subject seems all the more relevant now with it nowadays defined as fake news.

This was a black comedy film produced by Lorimar,  the company that brought you TV’s Dallas (1978-91). In S.O.B., I believe William Holden played the best character of a bunch of a starry lineup of acting talent. The cast includes Richard Mulligan, Robert Preston, Shelley Winters and Julie Andrews.

When I watched this the first time, the cast was super appealing as it included two of my then fave pin-ups – Robert Vaughn and Larry Hagman. The satire in the plot went over my head, I accepted it more as a slapstick comedy.

The initial scrolling screen text for this film tells of a highly successful film producer, Felix Farmer (Mulligan). Farmer is now down on his luck after his latest (and most expensive to date) movie, Night Wind is a flop.

He falls into an immediate catatonic depression. His actress wife, Sally Miles (Andrews) leaves him. taking the kids and her entourage with her. Farmer then attempts suicide, as Sally contemplates if a divorce will harm her film career as America’s sweetheart.

Meanwhile, the studio is now almost bankrupt. The studio head, David Blackman (Vaughn) is not a happy man. He holds a meeting with the film’s director (and Farmer’s friend) Culley (Holden). Culley is dispatched by him, to talk with Farmer about this situation.

En route, Culley picks up some young girl hitchhikers. As Farmer sleeps off his sedation, his friends who initially came to see him out of concern – Doctor Finegarten (Robert Preston), Culley and others – are now holding a party in Farmer’s home. This party rather quickly turns into an orgy.

After trying and failing to kill himself a third time, the morose Farmer accidentally falls through a carpet covered hole in the floor (which was the end result of suicide attempt no 2, after he tried to hang himself unsuccessfully from the rafters) finding himself at the party.

All are oblivious to him being there. Covering himself up with the carpet, Farmer gets ready with a handy gun for attempt number 4. A young lady in her knickers then joins him under the carpet. Shortly after this, he throws off his carpet with an excited yelp of joy. Farmer at his most exuberant stops all in their tracks.

Following a moment of creativity, he’s decided to buy his movie back from the studio. He intends to reshoot scenes and make this film an X-rated movie musical. He immediately meets with Blackman and his cronies and buys back the film at a major loss.

With everything at stake, needless to say, Sally is not happy with any of this, as both his wife and Night Wind’s leading lady. She believes this film will tarnish her squeaky clean, child-friendly film career. Then the studios get wind that the X-rated film may be a success…

Black comic scenes show a side to Hollywood’s film industry where there seem to be no redeeming characters. Everyone from those in the film industry to doctors to cops, security guards and hitchhikers seem to be conniving, two-faced, out for themselves, shameless and no one can be trusted.

Many of the characters are shown as phoney as hell and this shows Hollywood as a grotesque nightmare. Film-making roles in the entertainment industry are delivered with some OTT performances from the ensemble acting cast.

Richard Mulligan as Farmer doesn’t utter a word for the first hour of the film. But his stance, gait and facial expressions easily show Farmer’s low mood. Later in the film, Farmer turns more maniacal then stiffer in character, these contrasting sights are suggested by the script.

Loretta Swit plays an irritating gossip writer. Her character is injured after Farmer falls through the ceiling on her after his failed hanging attempt. Swit is an actress I remembered as a more pleasing character in M*A*S*H (1972-83). But here she took her malicious annoying journalist character to extreme levels.

This film has Holden in a starring role as Farmer’s producer friend. His character Culley reminds me of Holden’s similar supportive role to a depressed friend in Network (1977). In S.O.B., Holden gives a solid, natural, calm and measured performance in this slapstick farce of a movie. He comes into his own as the most genuine character in the film, even confessing about lying to Farmer on occasion.

His part in the final half-hour or so of the film is expanded and shows his character as the most likeable. His grounded character sets him apart from the more zany performances of others. I was sad to hear this was the last of Holden’s movies with him passing away shortly after this film wrapped.

Robert Vaughn as the film studio head Blackman may be seen as a more nasty piece of work. His character seen as one with a penchant for dressing up in girly undies was allegedly based on a well-known name. He was also made sympathetic as he was under telephone orders from an unseen superior and with his girlfriend (Marisa Berenson) cheating on him.

This girlfriend hoped her other lover would be cast as Blackman’s latest leading man. Much praise has been given to Robert Preston’s performance as Farmer’s doctor in this film. Others worth a mention are Robert Webber, Shelley Winters and Larry Hagman. These are for their small fun and comic roles as a studio executive, agent and press agent respectively.

In this scathing comic and reportedly biographical story, many of the characters including the studio head, the gossip writer and Farmer and his wife based on real-life Hollywood big names. The events are reportedly based on Edwards and Andrews’ joint movie, Darlin Lili (1970).

This film was the first of Andrews’ more adult-themed films and one which went over budget and flopped. This film flop was at great expense to Paramount Studios, with the then Head Edwards reportedly almost bankrupting them. The film was then completed following studio interference. Studio editing also occurred in another of Edwards’ movies and reportedly without his consent. Sound familiar?

Edwards wrote S.O.B’s tongue in cheek script following these events. There are more hints of the similarities between Edwards and Andrews in the film. Shelley Winters as Miles’ casting agent tells how Miles is known as America’s darling and of Miles wearing nun habits – as Andrews did in The Sound of Music (1965) –  in movies. Andrews pokes fun at her family-friendly musical roles in the opening credits.

The opening credits scene is later revealed as a scene from Farmer’s failed film. This scene is shown later when rewritten with more adult themes. The first is with Andrews singing her wee heart out whilst playfully interacting with life-sized toys and is very child friendly.

The scene after the rewrite is darker with an adult theme, with many of these initial characters now in more erotic attire and Julie not singing. This cumulating with the rewritten dance scene for the film has Andrews baring her chest. Along with a more eerie version of the tune. This appears to allude that Andrews should be taken more seriously in other non-singing and adult-friendly roles.

This film has many more parallels to Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews’ film careers. Sally Miles, as Farmer’s wife –  with Andrews’ Blake Edward’s real-life wife – is an actress known for her wholesome image on-screen. Andrews is the star of many a family-friendly musical.

Andrews, as seen in her most fun scene in S.O.B. is one with a verbal fight between Miles and Farmer mocking this fact. As Farmer, Mulligan talks to the fourth wall, with a joyful commentary as she swears, shouts and screams at him.  It is interesting to see that Edwards cast Andrews (his wife) in a number of those roles in successful adult-orientated films.

This with Andrews in more sensual parts in his movies with sex thimbles and starlets (10 (1979) with Dudley Moore and Bo Derek) and sexy seventies studs (Burt Reynolds in The Man Who Loved Women (1983), these a contrast to her musicals that included Mary Poppins (1964) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967).

My final thoughts on this, and surely it’s not just a coincidence, but her name is Sally Miles in this film. When you put this name abreast next to Andrews’ most well-known musical, The Sound of Music. Then look at the initials for both of these, you have the initials S and M. Just saying…

 

Weeper Rating:  0 /10

Handsqueeze Rating:   🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂/10

Hulk Rating: ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎/10

 

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Fourth Golden Boy,  William Holden Celebration 2019, No 20

This film was added to The Wonderful World of Cinema, The Flapper Dame and Love Letters to Old Hollywood. Fourth Golden Boy,  William Holden Celebration. Other films with this cast include William Holden in The Bridge on the River Kwai, Omen II and Network. Larry Hagman stars in Dallas, The Return of the World’s Greatest Detective and McMillan. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music and The Princess Diaries. Shelley Winters in The Devil’s Daughter, Buona Sera Mrs Campbell and He Ran All the Way. Loretta Swit also appeared in MASH. Robert Vaughn in The Man from U.N.C.L.E, The Five Daughters Affair S3 Ep28 and 29  / The Karate Killers and his tribute HERE.

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