chimera3 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.

Irishchatter 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........

Honeybee-ct As the film begins it is easy to identify that the film is old because of the credits and drawings, they are basic and not modern and technical like the movies of the 21st century.The film is set in Paris in 1934 just after the depression. In the opening scene homosexuality is evident, which sets the tone for the movie. The name Victor Victoria is a play on words, as one is generally a boy's name and the other is generally a girl's name, yet being of the same context it could be predicted that it is the same person or a gender battle.There is a lot of foreshadowing in the beginning of the movie. Victoria is starving and sees a man eating all this food, almost like a prince and the pauper setting, she then faints. The crux of the movie is when Victoria puts on a man's clothes. We begin to see a major contrast of how men and women differ, as well as the privileges and advantages there are of being a male in Paris in the 1930's.This is a modern classic as the issues that this movie deals with still rings true today. Women are far more accepted in the work place and they do run in high circles in these days, but in many countries, traditions and religions, women are still inferior to men. The issue of homosexuality is something that is still a tender issue to discuss in most cultures. It has become more acceptable to speak about it openly, and it has become more acceptable to people, however many people still see it as wrong. The issue of one man accepting homosexuality is still a major thing today. Perhaps the thing is that men feel that it makes them weaker, when in actual fact, in may make them stronger, and help them to find their identities and self acceptance. The bodyguard is what you would consider as a real tough man, yet he is gay, and it deals with the stereotype of what a gay man should look like and act like. The bodyguard also pretends to be this tough man to fit into the mould of a man, this type is issue happens every day in the world as people are still afraid to speak openly about their sexuality.Comedies are often used for serious issues. The humour deflects the real issue at hand; it deals with it without actually having a direct issue. This is a musical comedy, however the music only happens when the actors are on stage doing a production, it does not occur throughout the movie in everyday life.Humour exposes truth in a tolerable way and gives a good feeling about the issue; it leaves a positive taste in your mouth about a very taboo or serious social issue. Humour exposes the truth and breaks down the stereotypes and stigmas of society. It may help people see both sides of a story and understand other people's perspectives. This modern classic is relatable and it deals with issues from past to present, it stands the test of time and is enjoyable through all the ages.

MoneyMagnet People of this generation might not appreciate the fact that in 1982, the subject matter of this mainstream movie was fairly "adult"! In other words, mainstream movies featuring gay characters and gay lifestyles just weren't being made. So, the tolerance that the straight main characters show the gay characters seems "normal" now but wasn't the case back in the early 80s in American culture... (and honestly, I'm not sure gay characters lived so openly with one another as depicted in 1930s Paris...) This is one of those movies where the trailer is spectacular and really makes the movie look more brilliant than it is. In reality, it's a typically bloated Blake Edwards production which is about a half hour longer than it needs to be. The premise is delicious and easy to grasp, so why does it take... an HOUR for the romantic complication, King Marchand, to show up? And was it really necessary to spend so much time on the not-so-hidden double life that Victoria and King lead together once they finally become a couple? (for example, it was not necessary to spend several minutes of screen time on King picking a fight in a bar because he was feeling not so masculine) Robert Preston's performance in this movie is legendary and I have to agree he was dreadfully robbed at Oscar time. However, this is probably an unpopular opinion but I felt Lesley Anne Warren's performance was really quite overrated and grating (not in a good way).The screenplay makes some choices at the expense of others - for instance, having King discover fairly early on that Victoria is in fact a woman. (In truth... James Garner related in his memoir that he wanted King to NOT know if Victoria was female before kissing her, but the studio felt that no one would ever believe that manly James Garner could ever play a character potentially attracted to a man.) However, it's worth the early reveal, for the scene where King is breathlessly waiting to see if his hunch is true by watching Victoria get ready for her bath.A great premise that unfortunately didn't really perfectly "gel" as a story... but what the hell, it is a fun and delightful movie (loved Alex Karras the best!) Robert Preston's final number in drag is the the most fun scene I have watched in a long time.