Just imagine this scenario: It is 1962: MGM are in financial treacle with cost over runs on MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY which will end up costing $15 million US dollars (the same as BEN HUR). Allied Artisis, the once laughed at mini major which has shrewdly made drive in movies and art-house/mainstream blockbusters since the late forties (after changing their name from the guffawed-at Monogram Pictures) rents an existing Man-o-war sailing ship and through Peter Ustinov's astute guidance spends $1 million and creates an enduring seagoing masterpiece that outlives the next two remakes of BOUNTY....and was far more profitable than both put together! AA basically did the same thing again with their production of CABARET in the 70s when nobody would back Bob Fosse after Sweet Charity, and PAPILLON when Hollywood majors could not see the value in a French prison movie: AA did and both films brought in over $22 million each in rentals in the US alone allowing AA to see their greatest ever run of success. It's a pity that when the studio changed production chief in 1976 that they made that Edsel of movies THE BETSY ....instead of STAR WARS....eeek. In Sydney Australia BILLY BUDD was released at the Prince Edward theater a 1500 seat blue velvet palace built in 1924. It was the home of Paramount (who released AA here), so BILLY BUDD sailed straight into one of the most treasured cinemas in town. The PE had a resident theater organist, the hilarious and divine Noreen Hennessy, who was not unlike your great auntie dressed in the full chiffon meringue outfit each session and would nod to the crowd and announce "my song for you tonight is..." and proceed to bibbity bobbity boo on the great theater organ. Well, at the gala charity premiere, Noreen, having arrived to her position in the organ alcove in the last ten minutes of BILLY BUDD and proceeding to witness the tragic demise of said protagonist, she apparently decided to cheer the house up by loudly and merrily belting out "Anchors Aweigh" as Billy's feet swung about on the top of the screen. The sobbing audience, startled and alarmed by the change in tempo howled with laughter and gave a delighted Noreen a standing ovation that ran longer than her performance. Aaah..movie-going in the 60s!
Review of Billy Budd
