NOISES OFF
US, 1992, 101 minutes, Colour.
Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Denholm Elliott, Julie Hagerty, Marilu Henner, Mark Linn- Baker, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter, Nicollette Sheridan, Zoe R. Cassavetes.
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich.
Noises Off is the film version of the celebrated farcical play by Michael Frayn. While Frayn had written a number of comedies (Remember Me for cinema), he is also very well known for such serious plays as Copenhagen (adapted for television) about quantum physics and nuclear reactors and developments in the 1940s.
Noises Off is the cue for noise to be heard from the wings of the theatre during a play. There are various noises in this farcical story.
The film is in three acts. Michael Caine, as director Lloyd Fellowes, is anxious at the Broadway opening and cannot watch the play, wanders the streets and remembers three performances which grew increasingly worse. The first act is the performance in Des Moines, the audience of the film seeing it as part of the audience of the play, only seeing what happens on stage. The second act is a performance in Florida where the director suddenly arrives unbeknown to the rest of the cast, finds various crises, and all the action is seen from backstage, the audience relying on their memories of what had happened in the first act. The final act of the film is a performance in Cleveland where everything goes wrong both on stage and behind stage, the personalities and clashes in full force.
The film has a very strong cast, American actors impersonating American actors impersonating English characters on stage, especially Carol Burnett and John Ritter. Carol Burnett is the housekeeper of an English house and audiences will enjoy her typical performance. Denholm Elliott is the ageing alcoholic actor who repeats everything that is said by the others, thinking that he had originated the ideas himself. Marilu Henner is the sympathetic member of the cast who tries to help everyone else. Christopher Reeve portrays the handsome but rather dim actor who needs explanations for motivation. John Ritter is having a liaison with Carol Burnett and becomes very jealous throughout the run of the play. In the meantime, the director, Michael Caine, is having an affair with the dumb blonde who portrays the dumb blonde in the film but is also having a liaison with Julie Hagerty as Poppy, the dogsbody behind the scenes. Mark Linn-Baker? is the stand-in for the male characters as well as the handyman backstage.
The cast is very good – many people find the film hilarious, getting the benefit of the extremes of farcical misidentifications, comings and goings and coincidences, centred on plates of sardines. However, what works very well in the theatre, with expert timing, is not as effective on screen as the camera moves from character to character. The timing here is excellent and audiences may enjoy the film – but it is very much a piece that would be more successful in the theatre.
1. The impact of farce, comedy, the staging of farce, the timing?
2. The title, theatre, the cue? And the acclaim?
3. The transition from theatre to screen, a stagey presentation, what happens on stage, behind the stage, in the audiences, at rehearsals, performances, mishaps?
4. The three acts of the play transferred to the screen? The linking material written for the screen for the director what had happened and his own feelings? The reliance on the performances, the differences in performance on stage and behind stage? And the audience knowing the development of the play so that they know what is going on?
5. Lloyd and his voice-over, on Broadway, his fears, memories, Des Moines, Florida, Cleveland? On stage, his handling of the rehearsals and his exasperation, the complications behind stage, the complete fiasco of the performance in Cleveland? The happy ending and the audience applauding the play? The curtain call?
6. The cast, Americans having to be British, the British performers, accents and farce?
7. The nature of farce, the stereotypical characters, stereotypical situations, coincidences, timing, corny jokes, the kind of laughter? The irony of Fred and his demanding motivational explanations from Lloyd for farcical characters?
8. The play itself, Nothing On? Corny, the housekeeper, the estate, the owners avoiding tax, the sheikh coming to buy the house? The burglar, his dithering, recognising his daughter? The play seen from the front, then from the back, then in a mess?
9. The initial rehearsals, the deadline for the play, people not knowing their lines, forgetting their cues, getting angry, wanting motivation, Selsdon and his drinking, the director and his relationship with Poppy, the demands on Tim?
10. Behind the scenes, the rooms and the dressing rooms, the jealousies, moods, Lloyd and the flowers for Brooke, Poppy finding them, the bottle of whisky, Selsdon and his finding it – and the clever passing of the bottle from one character to the other? People causing mischief? The elderly audience, Lloyd in the audience, the various times for people taking their seats, the need for improvising? The fiasco and the personal animosities, the accidents, the practical jokes, improvising, collapse?
11. Carol Burnett and her style, Dotty and Garry and their relationship, her accent, the motivations, her exasperations, her jealousy?
12. Garry, the relationship with Dotty, his being petty, jealous of Freddie, the performance, his meanness like stamping his feet?
13. Freddie, nice, but not too bright, asking for motivation, in awkward situations, especially with Dotty?
14. Brooke, the dumb blonde, her contact lenses and the searches for them, in her underwear, her not paying attention? Her relationship with Lloyd, the flowers, the cactus?
15. Belinda, her place in the play, pleasant, explaining things to people, helping Selsdon, doing good?
16. Selsdon, old, his opportunity, drinking?
17. Poppy, her frustrations, doing everything behind the scenes, with Lloyd, announcing her pregnancy?
18. Tim, the variety of jobs, the understudy, the fiasco of going on in Freddie’s place, as the sheikh and his wife? The flowers, the drink, the mess, the cactus and getting the points out of Lloyd’s trousers?
19. The range of audiences, their reactions?
20. The final curtain call – and a happy ending and success? Life in the theatre?
