A thread about Twiggy, The Boyfriend (1971) & Twiggy as a singer and Broadway star.

Personally, I wasn't a fan of the film, but I know a lot of people like it. I'm also interested to hear what people thought of her as a musical star on Broadway. I believe she had a lot of success there. She was also a pop singer and from what I've seen (youtube clips), her singing was awful. People seem to like her and overlook her amateurism. She's still modelling in England for Marks & Spencer, a national clothes and food store. It's amazing. I think she's been an incredibly lucky person, who managed to turn her short '60s modelling phenomenon into a lifelong career.

• What you're saying, OP, is that she managed to turn her career into a career. How is this surprising?

• [quote]How is this surprising? Lack of talent?

  OP

• In the clips of My One and Only, she seems to either be waiting for her cues or bored out of her mind.

• I liked her very much in "The Boy Friend", but not because of her talent. Like Ruby Keeler before her, she seemed to be a likeable young girl who wandered in front of the camera, rather than a real actress. The amateurishness gave her a genuine quality, if that's not a paradox, as if she really was an ingenue in real life.

• Not that it matters....but aren't she and Fran Drescher best friends or something?

• Speaking of MY ONE AND ONLY --Vanessa Williams was suppose to replace Twiggy but the producers nixed that. Instead Sandy Duncan came in

  Love the show, love the score but Twiggy's vocals.... awful.

• I saw her once in a revue about Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence, in which, if I'm not mistake her husband played Coward. I thought she was fine, not great and nothing like Gertrude Lawrence, but certainly not amateurish; it was perfectly professional work. And better than that, good.

• [quote]Not that it matters....but aren't she and Fran Drescher best friends or something? I think "The Nanny" arose from the experiences Fran witnessed when she spent time in London and hung out with Twiggy, a former co-star in a briefly lived sit-com.

• [quote]I think "The Nanny" arose from the experiences Fran witnessed when she spent time in London and hung out with Twiggy, a former co-star in a briefly lived sit-com. Yes, Fran found herself looking after Twiggy's daughter, in a sort of nanny role and it inspired the idea of The Nanny.

• "My One and Only" was one of the most charming musicals I have ever seen. Truly. And I hate just about everything. I saw it in previews and could not wait to see it again. I did... once again in previews, and once again after opening. My theatre-queen friends thought I was nuts.... until the show opened and Frank Rich... who always had his daggers out...melted over it too. Twiggy was amateurish (and I have no patience for that shit) but somehow, someway, it worked in her favour. She was a John Held art-deco illustration come to life. Tommy Tune is a big 'ol queen with a harsh voice, but in this, he came across as suave and debonair... and with a masculine ease. His tap dancing was something to see. Tune and Twiggy seemed to have a genuine chemistry between them. Below is a link to Frank Rich's 1983 review. If you remember Frank Rich's theatre reviews, this one, for him... is an out-and-out rave:

  http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html%3Fpagewanted%3Dprint%26res%3D9B05E2D81538F931A35756C0A965948260

• R7, I saw that revue too, with Harry Groener playing Coward. She was quite charming and natural. The show was no great shakes, but it was pleasant. People with less talent than she have succeeded. She was also quite good in the little seen Shirley MacLaine movie Madame Sousatzka.

• Every time they play "He Love and She Loves" from "My One and Only" on the Sirius/XM Broadway channel I have to immediately change the station. Her voice is warbly and annoying to the max.

• Fran, Twig and the gal from Airplane were in a sitcom together...

• [quote]Fran, Twig and the gal from Airplane were in a sitcom together. Here it is, judge for yourselves.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D3W27YfPbiMU

• Twiggy the pop star.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DCQ2lH5ZH_os

  1976

• If you're as old as me you will remember the absolute sensation Twiggy created as a fashion supermodel and icon. She was really the first one to sport a look that teenagers could identify with and attempt to copy. Before her, all models looked sophisticated and womanly. Twiggy looked like a girl. I recently saw the Diana Vreeland documentary and Twiggy's discovery by Vreeland was a major part of the film. But strangely, Twiggy made no appearance in the film, unlike Vreeland's other discoveries Ali McGraw, Veruschka, Penelope Tree and Lauren Hutton. I wonder why.

• Diana Vreeland didn't discover Twiggy. She was a star in England and already famous in America when she got off the plane at JFK, for the first time. It's possible Vreeland championed her in America. But that's the biggest part she could have played in her story.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dhl-8Pej7bHo

• Cillian Murphy has a better female figure and is much prettier and more feminine than Twiggy.

• [quote]big 'ol queen R10, I'm trying to figure out what letter(s) the apostrophe was meant to replace.

• Twiggy guest starred on The Nanny, too! She played Mr. Sheffield's sister. Naturally.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D4pAFylCgqGY

• Vreeland didn't discover Veruschka either, who was already a star. Vreeland's influence is much overstated, but then, given she was a self-promoting mythomane, the mistakes are understandable.

• The Boyfriend is cute and charming and makes you feel good!

• I must admit that my description of Vreeland "discovering" Twiggy and the others might be more my own impression of their career beginnings than anything said or suggested by Vreeland in the documentary. But I was surprised that Twiggy wasn't interviewed for the documentary as there was a major portion of it devoted to Twiggy's impact on the fashion industry. Nevertheless, it was great see Ali McGraw, Veruschka and Penelope Tree, as well as David Bailey, today, reflecting on the 1960s fashion scene and Vreeland's impact on it.

• "I recently saw the Diana Vreeland documentary and Twiggy's discovery by Vreeland was a major part of the film. But strangely, Twiggy made no appearance in the film, unlike Vreeland's other discoveries Ali McGraw, Veruschka, Penelope Tree and Lauren Hutton. I wonder why." I didn't see the documentary, I'm wondering what Penelope Tree looks like now, she was kind of bizarre looking back then: with her big Keane painting eyes, no visible lips and, well, she looked like a Kabuki theater player. I never got Tree's appeal and to think she was yet another model David Bailey was fucking. I can't imagine him finding her sexy, because she wasn't. He seemed to be attracted to women who suddenly became hot commodities: Jean Shrimpton and Catherine Deneuve, but at least they were gorgeous, Penelope Tree was creepy. Did she still have her signature bangs and long stringy hair? Grace Coddington has a new book out, I was shocked to hear she was married to Mr. Chow, th famous restauranteur and China Chow's dad.

• R24, there is no N in restaurateur.

• [quote]He seemed to be attracted to women who suddenly became hot commodities: Jean Shrimpton and Catherine Deneuve, but at least they were gorgeous, He turned Shrimpton into a hot commodity and married Deneuve when she was already a hot commodity. [quote]Grace Coddington has a new book out, I was shocked to hear she was married to Mr. Chow, th famous restauranteur and China Chow's dad. I'm surprised by that too. Does she deserve a thread of her own?

• I'm in the (I know) minority who love the film of "The Boyfriend" and also thought Twiggy was delightful onstage in "My One and Only" (better than Ms. Tune).

• [quote]annoying to the max. You've got to be fucking kidding with that phrase.

  Moon Unit Zappa, who has moved on since the 80s and suggests you try it

• Champagne for Lulu and Twiggy!

  http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Twiggy+Lulu+Chelsea+Flower+Show+Press+VIP+uZiUqge4bWXl.jpg

• A friend of mine was a stage manager on My One And Only and said Tune threw a genuine hissy fit one night backstage yelling "I'm sick of being joined at the hip with her!" From then on they never appeared together on TV or at awards shows,charity functions, etc. Twiggy was genuinely hurt by this and their relationship was irreparably damaged.

• Twiggy is divine. She lost the Tony to Natalia Markarova--that defective Russian!

  Anonymous

• R24 - saw the Vreeland docco the other night - must say, thought Penelope Tree looked fantastic - She may well have had some work done - but nothing too obvious. She looks like a very attractive - very natural! - woman of a certain age and comes across as smart & funny as well. Love her! On the other hand = poor old Veruschka! Train wreck :(

• The Boyfriend is my favorite film ever. Such a mix of whimsy with a strong touch of grotesqueness. Is there any other director, beside Ken Russell, that tried to do mix these two attributes before and made it work. Not to mention, the campy lines!

• Antonia Ellis nearly steals The Boyfriend. She's delicious as the chorus girl out to get "upstart" Twiggy. Ellis originated Roxie Hart in the original London production of Chicago, then seemed to drop of the radar.

• [34]: Ruthie Henshall originated the role of Roxy Hart in London. Get your facts straight, Dear.

  Ute%20%22Bargain%20Basement%20Dietrich%22%20Lempe

• R35, there was a production of Chicago in London in the 70's. Henshall did the revival.

• r35 That was the London revival, dee-ah.

• "R24, there is no N in restaurateur." Who gives a flying fuck, I was asking about Penelope Tree, not correction advice re my spelling, you obnoxious queen! . Actually the word is correct in both forms, look it up! btw, I speak five languages fluently, my guess is, you can barely converse in one.

• Penelope Tree looks far better than Veruschka and Ali McGraw in the documentary. Tree still has exactly the same hairdo but with very delicate makeup. More conventionally pretty now and yes, she's very witty and fun. Veruschka and Ali both look like their surgeons used a meat cleaver. Really kind of shocking. Go see the Vreeland documentary! Can't believe there's so little talk about it here.

• [quote]Go see the Vreeland documentary! Can't believe there's so little talk about it here. There seems to be quite a few references to it here. Was it on TV recently?

• The Vreeland documentary is called The Eye Has to Travel and it's in theaters now. Beautifully made and edited. A lot of it consists of converations between George Plimpton and Vreeland when he was writing her biography DV. Her two sons are interviewed...I'm guessing they're both in their 70s or even 80s now and they're just fascinating in themselves.

• {quote]The Vreeland documentary is called The Eye Has to Travel and it's in theaters now. So, all the people referring to it on here have actually been out and paid to see to see it in a theater? I'm surprised. It seems you can also buy it on DVD.

• Well, if you troll-dar me, you'll see I've referred to it in 4 posts on this thread so maybe not that many people are out in theaters paying to watch it. But it was easily worth the $9 I paid for it.

• 'Well, if you troll-dar me, you'll see I've referred to it in 4 posts on this thread so maybe not that many people are out in theaters paying to watch it.' Oh, I see...lol! Looks good. I'm going to get the dvd. She reminds me of Kitty Carlisle.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DHP3wsNdANhM