Victor/Victoria (1982)

ridiculous rating

Purely Joyful Movie!

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

I was actually first drawn to this through an episode of "NCIS" known as "Dead Man Talking" where the team has to deal with a transgender suspect who kills one of their own. The movie was referenced in the very end when Abby talks to Tony about movies related to their case at hand and it just so happens that "Victor Victoria" comes up. I believe it was my brother who rented the movie from the library first and then we went from there.Victoria Grant (the legendary Julie Andrews) is a struggling singer who has problems earning money with her voice and is forced out of her home because she can no longer afford the rent. She comes upon Carole Todd (the late great Robert Preston), who is forced out of his job through no fault of his own. The two then become fast friends and eventually roommates. With an idea from Mr. Todd ("Toddy" to everyone), Victoria becomes "a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman." (Try to say that five times fast.) She lands her first gig without a problem and comes across King Marchand (the late great James Garner), his bodyguard (the late Alex Karras), and King's girlfriend Norma Cassidy (the ever-funny Lesley Ann Warren) during the opening performance. She wows everyone involved, particularly Norma...who doesn't know that Victoria is actually a woman. King shakes it off and later talks with "Victor" after the show. After the pleasantries are exchanged, King, his bodyguard and Norma head back to their hotel while Victoria heads back with Toddy to their room that just so happens to be in the same hotel. After some "performance issues" with King and Norma and her having a conniption fit, his bodyguard sends her back to the United States. In no time at all, Victoria becomes the talk of Paris in more ways than one. And then there comes a private investigator who is bound and determined to make the woman out to be a total fraud. Needless to say, he has some bad luck of his own (struck by lightning, gets his finger stuck in a closet door, etc.) along the way.Back in the States, Norma does a little performance of her own and then cries to one of King's friends, Sal. After faking tears, she tells the man that King is hooking up with another man and Sal is not too pleased to hear about it. In Paris, King eventually finds out that Victoria is not a man and falls in love with her. In the final 15-20 minutes, Norma, Sal, and a few other members of his entourage come to Paris to confront King about his "homosexuality." However, Victoria comes in and corners Norma in the bedroom, exposing that she is a woman and not a man. The reaction by Norma is priceless, to say the least. Shortly after that, Toddy takes the reins as "Victoria" and the real Victoria is safe to be with King as the woman that she is without being exposed by the sly P.I.Back in 1982, LGBT-related issues weren't so much of a hot topic as they are now. Blake Edwards nailed it perfectly without being blunt, as it were. As the title states, this is truly an LGBT-friendly comedy before its time. After all, Toddy is homosexual, King's bodyguard is homosexual, and Victoria is "a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman." I can say without a shadow of a doubt that you will laugh until you cry, fall over, or both. Enjoy this timeless classic because it is not going away anytime soon.

I was very shocked that my childhood icon Julie Andrews became a Drag King and like Christ, she was sexy! Although I was disappointed by the songs that were involved in this, they were pretty much songs to forget about and move on. As well as the songs being a disappointment, the storyline was a little out of place and underdeveloped. I didn't understand much of what purpose each character has to do. I know Julie Andrews' character was poor and became a drag king, but then why did she turn out to be a drag king? Yeah Robert Preston's character pursued her to go on stage but really, what for exactly?Also we should get to know more about his character, did he have a secret bf? Why did he become a performer? It would've been so interesting to see what his background involved. I give this a 3/10........

A down on her luck singer (Julie Andrews) in 1930s Paris suddenly hits the big time when she is advised by a gay cabaret performer (Robert Preston) to become a female impersonator. However, then having to also be a man pretending to be a woman adds its own set of complications, especially as she starts being wooed by night club owner King Marchand (James Garner), himself on the run from the Chicago mob.Funny, catchy and even a little portent-giving, Edwards' LGBT musical comedy is a true treat, and one of the man's finest hours as a director and writer. Leading the charge is an absolutely magnetic lead in Andrews, who reminds us why she was one of the great talents of her generation, deftly balancing comedy and drama while proving her singing chops, having to adopt a slightly masculine bass a number of times.That in turn brings us to the cheeky yet peppy songs by maestro Henry Mancini, which cover a nice variety of different styles with the highlight being the flamenco-spired 'Shady Dame From Seville' and often squeeze a good chuckle or nine in for good measure. Of course, the film's biggest ace is its smart and witty script, which offered a far more balanced look at homosexuality years than was considered even an acceptable thought at the time (especially given how close this was to things like the AIDS scare), as well as rather compelling gender satire that pokes fun at our constructs of what is masculine versus feminine and milks them for all they're worth. And of course, being an Edwards production there is some gut busting slapstick on display too, especially concerning the mob.Really, do I need to say more? Great people made a great movie about a great subject. Yeah, didn't think so. Just go see the damn thing.

Favorite movie quote - "Remember you're a drag queen." Hey! Are you ready for a 1980's movie about a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman?? Well, kiddies, here's Victor/Victoria for you in all of its gender-deception glory.Containing plenty of bitchy remarks, sarcastic banter, and some very choice moments of zany, slapstick comedy, Victor/Victoria is a sexual charade of sorts that, for the most part, held up fairly well considering its subject matter.Set in Gay Paree (Paris) in 1934, a couple of this film's absolute highlights were - (1) Watching Lesley Ann Warren chew up the scenery as the gold-digging, blond bimbo, Norma Cassady - and - (2) Julie Andrews, as the gay deceiver, Victoria Grant, really belting it out in the "Le Jazz Hot!" musical number.On the down side - This Comedy/Farce ran on for far too long at 2 hours and 13 minutes. And the unwelcome, cornball romance that got inserted into the story was basically all fizzle and no spark.