S.O.B

US, 1981, 121 minutes, Colour.
Julie Andrews, William Holden, Richard Mulligan, Robert Vaughn, Robert Webber, Robert Preston, Larry Hagman, Shelley Winters, Marisa Berenson, Loretta Swit, Katherine MacMurray?, Craig Stevens, Robert Loggia, Jennifer Edwards, Stuart Margolin, Paul Stewart, Benson Fong, John Pleshette, John Lawlor, Larry Storch, Ken Swofford.
Directed by Blake Edwards.

S.O.B. means, apart from what it looks like (and that applies) "Standard Operational Bullshit", with reference to Hollywood and its back-stabbing, manipulating, amoral, greedy opportunism. Accomplished comedy writer-director Blake Edwards is making his aggressive statement (effectively too) on personal treatment, but there is also a zany side of his parody which offers genuine laughter. A host of stars and character actors go through all kind of black comedy paces (including Edwards' wife Julie Andrews, whose reverent image is good-naturedly sent up by the star herself).

It's partly an in-film, full of deliberate bad taste, but the broad lines and treatment are clear enough and will appeal to satire lovers. Edwards had great success in the '60s generally with comedies e.g. The Pink Panther, A Shot In The Dark, The Great Race. After some commercial failures (attributed by Edwards to studio interference): Darling Lili. The Wild Rovers, The Carey Treatmentf he moved to England and made films there and on the Continent. With the success of these - especially the last three Pink Panther films and Ten, he was welcomed back to Hollywood. His present on his return to Hollywood was S.O.B.

1. The career of Blake Edwards? As a writer, director? Success in Hollywood and within the system? His skill for comedy? Visual humour and wit? The sag in his career - and his reaction against it? His insight into Hollywood and his ability to satirise it? The selection of types, behaviour, manipulation? The importance of Julie Andrews being his wife? Her past image? His directing her in several films? His re-writing her screen image?

2. The black humour of the film? Its continued aims for laughter, wry smiles? The extent of the parody of Hollywood, the parody of films, the parody of Julie Andrews' image and breaking her image? Savage satire? The ironies about Hollywood and about human nature in general? Black humour about basic aspects of life - the focus on death, success and failure? The pessimistic view of life? The importance of good and bad taste? How manipulative? How exploitive? The emphasis on bad taste jokes? The focus on excremental behaviour etc.?

3. The importance of the Californian and Los Angeles setting, the opening with the beach and the wealthy houses? Presentation of studios, offices, sets? Colour photography and Panavision? The Southern Californian decor and costumes? The garish and kitsch aspects? The score with its blend of old and new styles? The use of 'Polly Wolly Doodle' during the opening credits and its later being satirised?

4. The plausibility of the plot yet the 'once upon a time' introduction? The unreal world of the movies and moviemakers? The bases in reality for the characters, their eccentric styles of behaviour, reputations? The ruthlessness and wheeling and dealing? Studio bosses. the 'yes' men? The stars and their agents? The exploitation of trends? Being exploiters of situations and characters?

5. The verbal humour and the use of puns and corny jokes? Especially in regard to the film Night Wind e.g. the Variety headlines? The Hollywood 'in' jokes and references to films and personalities? The visual knockabout humour? E.g. Felix's death attempts, his death, Polly Reed and her come-uppance? The visual and verbal humour with particular types e.g. the Maharishi?

6. Insight into movies - their reality and unreality, their artificial manufacture, the manipulation of the persons involved, the importance of money and deals, the response of the public? The Hollywood moguls as purveyors of this kind of alleged culture and entertainment? The double-talk about movies - and the movie-makers' behaviour? The film's condemning prurient curiosity and the exploitation of Sally's reputation - and the cinema audience's curiosity about Julie Andrews? The blend of indecency and decency?

7. The focus on Felix - what was he like before making Night Wind? How sane or insane? His friendship with Cully and Ben? Their support of him? His going mad, facing his divorce, the leaving of his family? His attempt to kill himself in the car, watching television in the car, going into the sea? His being drugged and yet his hanging himself? His attempt to gas himself? His falling into the party and gaining the insight for changing Night Wind from the orgy overtones of the party? The challenging of David Blackman as regards the ownership of the film, doing the deal in the vast and empty set, poking at Blackman? The discussions with Sally and his proposal to turn Night Wind into soft-core pornography? The implications of the financial deals? The filming of 'Polly Wolly Doodle' with overtones of The Devil's Deep Throat? The success of the film? His being outwitted by the moguls? His taking of the film, the car chase on the highway? The encounter at the office and his being killed uselessly? His final comment about box office income? A one-dimensional character but presented with great forcefulness - and madness?

8. Felix and the symbol of the dead actor on the beach? His being ignored by the people, lying there so long, his being washed out with the tide and back again, the onlookers worried about losing their blankets, his being put in the funeral parlour. his body being robbed and buried ironically with honour? Felix going out to sea? The fidelity of the dog throughout the film, standing guard for his master? The good taste about this character?

9. Felix's death and the hypocritical responses? From Sally, from friends? His three friends refusing to go to the funeral? Their wake in the hotel. their plan to switch the bodies. the comedy in the funeral parlour? Taking Felix's corpse for the drive and the encounter with the police? His being enthroned during their wake? The modern version of the Beau Geste Viking funeral? The irony of the false tribute to Felix? The crowds, Sally's singing, the maharishi giving the humorous list of the films? Eva, Mavis, Gary and the others doing deals while allegedly paying respect to the dead?

10. The pervading theme of death and its serious tones, the light and farcical touch, black humour?

11. Julie Andrews as Sally - the old image and style of film with the singing during the prologue? The transition to her divorce, taking the children and leaving? Her reliance on Gary? The humour of the angelic portrait of the family on the wall? Eva and her double-talk about divorce and the later changing when the pornography came up? The lawyers? Her anger at Felix as regards the film? Her swearing and Felix's sensationalising of this? Her financial dilemma and her being persuad&d to do the film? The build-up to the scene - her lurid singing of 'Polly Wolly Doodle'? Her inability to bare her breasts? The injection and her lighthearted spirit? Her doing the deed to people's applause - and her bursting out laughing? (Time magazine's suggestion that she receive an Oscar for being a good sport!) Her absence at Felix's death, her return from Rangoon with the Maharishi to sing? Her final ironic tribute? Her being exploited behind her back? The strength of Julie Andrews' performance - from singing, to anger, to the performance, to the weariness in discussing deals with Gary, to the final song? The breaking through and sending up of her image - yet retaining her reputation?

12. William Holden's presence as Cully? As ageing director, as living up to his wild-living image, picking up the girls and leering at them? His role at the studio? His having to fix the film? Friendship with Ben and the doctor? Their dealing with Felix at home? The build-up of the party? His presence during the re-filming? His grief at Felix's death, his leading the group in the wake, stealing the body, the burial at sea? An ageing black hero-figure for the film?

13. Ben as the nervous agent, his fears about Felix's suicide, his fear of Polly? His being drugged and the consequent humour? The range of excremental jokes in his behaviour? His loyalty to Felix and Sally? The discussions with Irving Finegarten and his clientele? His dealing with Felix's death, joining in the wake, in the robbery? His being at the funeral?

14. Irving Finegarten as the modish Hollywood doctor? His wisecracks, relationships? Clients? Dealing with Felix, Pollg, Sally? His loyalty and participation in the burial?

15. The studio types - David Blackman as the young ruthless executive? Phone calls? Felix biting his finger? His 'yes' men doing everything they were bidden? His presence in the theatre at the screening of the new Night Wind and his taking it over? His relationship with Mavis and his' being used by her for her upcoming actor-boyfriend? The kinkiness of his-being in women's clothes and taking the phone call? The sketch of agents and henchmen? Larry Hagman as the 'yes' man and his disasters? The studio bosses and their phone calls? The lawyers twisting arguments for their clients? Shelley Winters and her unctuous double-talk as agent? Her lesbian relationship? Her manipulation of Gary and doing a deal with him?

16. Gary and his place in the household, the gay fussiness, the clashes with the Chinese cook, his manipulation of Sally, blackmailing the agent and winning?

17. Polly and the gossip columnist and her snooping, her ruthlessness, her injuries and the audience laughing at her, her behaviour in the hospital and domination of her husband, the nurse injecting her vigorously, her pushiness to get into the screening and the refusal of the guard to let her in, her collapse at the studio, her presence at the funeral? Willard as the 'yes' man - but escaping at the party from the clutches of Polly? California and its way-out style of existence - sun, luxury, wealth, homes, business, parties, work, talk? The groupies, the police? The background of drinking, drugs, sexuality? The unreality of Southern Californian reality?

19. Blake Edwards working within the system and scorning the system? The values that he stood for? The response her wanted from his audience? Standards, norms, values? Hollywood with affection or not?