S.O.B. (1981)

Lemme start by saying that this film is by no means a perfect movie. As a product of it's time, a lot of the freewheeling sex and casual/rampant alcohol and drug use seem rather dated. In fact, it feels decidedly late-70's in that regard, despite it being a film that came out in 1981. But setting all of this aside, it's probably one of the best skewers of the Movie Industry you'll ever see. It's funny, raucous, profane, lewd, many things you would normally expect from a brilliant comedic director like Blake Edwards. But it also has it's bitter-sweet and tender moments, and it's packed-full of stars from the 60s thru the 80s giving some of their best performances in years...so much so that it feels more legitimate and honest in it's examination of the insanity and pretentiousness of Hollywood than any other film I've seen about the industry yet. I've often had folks argue with me that "The Player" is a better critique of the Hollywood machine than this film is. They may think that, but I really enjoyed this movie so much more. It's not nearly as self-congratulatory or as overtly ironic as "The Player"...I love Tim Robbins and what he does in that film, but I'd take 5 minutes of William Holden (in his final performance) over ANY actor in "The Player" any day of the week. If you are a Blake Edwards fan, I must warn you that this is NOT like his Pink Panther films. In fact, I think folks that aren't fans of his work might enjoy this film even more, because then you won't walk into this with any pre-conceived notions of what kind of humor to expect. Don't get me wrong, there's some serious slap-stick gags in this films, ones I still remember to this day. But it's real humor comes from it's hilarious dialogues and conversation, something you don't get nearly as much from his Pink Panther films. You cannot go wrong watching this film. Especially if you love Hollywood.

One of the curious things about S.O.B. is that while it has an incredibly good name cast, there is no real star of the film. Julie Andrews gets first billing because she's the director/producer's wife and after her William Holden has the biggest marquee name so he's second. But if there's a star in this film it's Richard Mulligan because it's on his troubles that the plot of S.O.B. turns.Mulligan came in for a lot of criticism as the frantic film producer who after a string of hits, totally loses his mind. So much so that his movie star wife, Julie Andrews, is leaving him. The first half of the film involve some hilarious attempts at suicide, the best being when he falls through the floor of his beach house trying to hang himself and flattens nosy gossip columnist Loretta Swit. Julie Andrews is basically cast as a movie star like Julie Andrews who gained her fame and popularity with wholesome entertainment like Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. During an orgy/party that his good friend, cheerfully hedonistic director William Holden has at Mulligan's house while on suicide watch, Mulligan gets a brainstorm and decides to redo his last G rated film as soft core porn with Julie Andrews displaying her glockenspiels. Mulligan gets crazier and crazier as the film now becomes a battle between him and studio head Robert Vaughn for control of the film. It all ends quite wildly indeed. A lot of people say Richard Mulligan overacts and chews the scenery. But that's what the part calls for. He no more does it here than Robin Williams or Jonathan Winters at their zaniest. A little fine tuning in his performance might have helped, but the director who should have done this was busy elsewhere.Instead of Blake Edwards doing it himself, he should have begged Billy Wilder to do this film. S.O.B. is the greatest Billy Wilder film that Billy Wilder never directed.Besides those mentioned such luminaries as Shelley Winters, Robert Webber, Marisa Berenson, Stuart Margolin, Craig Stevens, Paul Stewart, Larry Hagman and Robert Loggia play various Hollywood types. But the best by far in the cast is Robert Preston as the Doctor Feelgood to the stars. It's a variation on the conman Harold Hill he played in The Music Man only he's far more cynical. When Preston is on screen, he dominates the film.S.O.B. was the farewell performance of William Holden. Knowing the senseless way Holden died after completing the film, you twinge when you hear him cheerfully tell Richard Mulligan how he drank enough booze to kill a dozen healthy livers. Still S.O.B. was a good film to leave on for him.I enjoy what Blake Edwards did with the talented bunch he assembled for this film. It would have been perfect if Billy Wilder had done it though.

I first saw S.O.B. in its original theatrical release in 1981, when I was 15 (yes, we snuck in). Not having cultivated a taste for dark comedy yet, I thought the film was in extremely bad taste, including the "defloration" of Julie Andrews.Well, 24 years later (was it REALLY that long ago?), I picked up a used and badly battered copy of the videotape at a junk sale and watched it again. How could I have completely missed such subtlety? It's "Sunset Boulevard" on laughing gas, complete with William Holden in his last screen appearance.The setting is then-contemporary Hollywood and its environs, which in and of itself adds a few unintended laughs. After a big-budget family film flops, and its director's suicide attempt and nervous breakdown are treated with barbiturates, the director seizes upon the brilliant idea to re-cut the film to suit the adult tastes of the average viewing audience.As in "Boulevard", "The Player" and myriad other movies about the inner workings of the film industry, a tapestry of cross-allegiances begins its delicate ballet, first to blackball the errant director, then to woo his wholesome actress-singer wife into a nude scene, and finally, when the re-cut film is a smash, to steal the film from the director via his estranged and newly emboldened wife.The jokes still work, and since Hollywood's only changes since shooting wrapped seem to be cosmetic, the wry commentary on the selfishness and fickleness of the film industry and its larger players still holds true.

From the opening scene to the final fade out, this movie, for it's genre, is as good as it gets.I noticed when they gave Blake Edwards his lifetime achievement award at the Oscars this past year, they did NOT mention S.O.B. amongst his list of films. Interesting. Could it be that this scathingly witting, brilliant, intelligent ... and, oh yes, HILARIOUS ... film cut too close to home?The cast is top drawer and everyone is at the top of his or her game. From Julie Andrews, playing a delicious parody of herself, to William Holden, who in the course of the movie declaims his own obituary, to Robert Preston (not a shyster ... he is a QUACK), it is wonderful. I'm sure the Hollywood Power Players hated it. Unless you are One Of Them, you will probably love it. It's great.