THE WILD PARTY

US, 1974, 91 minutes, Colour.
James Coco, Raquel Welch, Perry King, Tiffany Bolling, Royal Dano.
Directed by James Ivory.

The Wild Party is not a nice film at all. And it is wild only at times. It is sinister in its opening, a focus of attention on Hollywood personages of the burning-out 20s, introducing them to what became a decadent and bizarre Hollywood party, a world of dissolute apathy. An outdated, vain, self-hating fat silent star, played by James Coco, wants to revive his career and life, but is unable to do it. All he can achieve is personal havoc. There are many interesting facets - re-creation of the 20s, the parody of silent comedy, a use of symbolic characters - but it adds up to an odd picture of pathetic people. James Ivory has written many articles about how producer cutting ruined the flow and treatment of his film.

1. Why do audiences enjoy films about Hollywood? Their impact.

2. How good a film was this? It was extensively re-edited after its filming. was this evident? The particular qualities of the film?

3. The entertainment value of the film in terms of Hollywood presentation, the stars, the aspects of the wild party? The value of the film as presenting an aspect of history of the 20s? The history of Hollywood and its ugliness? The ugliness behind the facade of glamour? The film's comment on this world of Hollywood?

4. The impact of the film's structure: beginning in the middle of the party, going back to the beginning, the build-up to the part and the repetition of introducing the guests? The background of the poem? The ironic elegy on Hollywood and Cherry Grimm? Entering this world via the poem? The effect of this flashback structure?

5. The impact of the title and its reference to the party itself? The title song? The focus of the film on the party and its wildness? The themes and the incidents?

6. The contribution of the re-creation of the sets, especially Grimm's house, the background of Hollywood in the 20s, colour, costumes and hairstyles and makeup, the types at Hollywood parties? The inclusion of the silent film?

7. The film's focus on Grimm? The background of his Hollywood career, his success and failure? His new film and its outmoded comedy? The impact of seeing Grimm in reality at the party, his way of life, his behaviour in the comedy? His owning the house and its belonging to him? The impact of the crisis? The background of his relationship with Queenie? As host of the party and the type of party? Wanting to impress the producers? His attitudes towards the critics and those who spoke against him? The impact of the encounter with Nadine? What came over him to execute such violence at the end? Was this an accurate picture of a Hollywood star, the insight into the character in this environment?

8. The film's comment on the Hollywood way of life, during the day, the people at the party. Their artificiality, hypocrisy, surface life? The sexual bizarreness and the film's emphasis on this? The fact that people were going on to other parties? The hypocrisy of the deals, the exchange of money, the producers and their use of sexuality etc.?

9. The role of Queenie? As a heroine for the film? As contributing to this kind of Hollywood, victim of it? Her relationship with Grimm? Her gaiety at the party? Her song? The infatuation with Sword and succumbing to him? Her inability to help Grimm? The fate of her death?

10. The presentation of the Hollywood hero in Sword? His self-confidence, attitude at the part, style with the guests, attitude to Grimm? The infatuation with Queenie? Leading her on? The irony and pathos of his death?