JohnHowardReid Songs: "Funny Face" (Astaire, reprized Astaire), "'S Wonderful" (chorus, reprized Astaire and Hepburn), "How Long Has This Been Going On?" (Hepburn), "Let's Kiss and Make Up" (Astaire), "Clap Yo' Hands" (Astaire, Thompson), "He Loves and She Loves" (Astaire), — all music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin. "Think Pink" (Thompson), "Bonjour Paris!" (Astaire, Thompson, Hepburn), "On How To Be Lovely" (Hepburn, Thompson), bridge for "Clap Yo Hands", — all music by Roger Edens, lyrics by Leonard Gershe. "Marche Funebre" (Slifer), music by Roger Edens, lyrics by Lela Simone. "Bullfight Dance", music by Alexander Courage. "Clap Yo' Hands", dance music by Skip Martin. "Basal Matabolism", music by Alexander Courage. Music directed, adapted and conducted by Adolph Deutsch. Choreography: Eugene Loring, Fred Astaire. Songs staged by Stanley Donen. Dance assistants: Dave Robel, Pat Denise. Music arrangements and orchestrations: Conrad Salinger, Mason Van Cleave, Alexander Courage, Skip Martin. Copyright 1957 by Paramount Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 28 March 1957. U.S. release: April 1957. U.K. release: 27 May 1957. Australian release: 15 August 1957. Sydney opening at the Prince Edward: 16 August 1957 (ran six weeks). 9,302 feet. 103 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Fashion photographer introduces bookshop beatnik into the world of Parisian couture. NOTES: Here's a breakdown of the orchestrations. Van Cleave did "Bonjour Paris!" Courage handled "Let's Kiss and Make Up", Salinger was assigned "He Loves and She Loves", Skip Martin worked on "Clap Yo' Hands", Deutsch did both "Think Pink" and "On How To Be Lovely". Background music was orchestrated by Deutsch, Courage and Van Cleave. Nominated for the following Academy Awards: Best Original screenplay (won by Designing Woman), Best Cinematography (won by The Bridge on the River Kwai), Best Art Direction (won by Sayonara), Best Costumes (won by Les Girls). One of Bosley Crowther's Ten Best Pictures of 1957. Sixth on the National Board of Review's list. Special Citation for "photographic innovations" from the National Board of Review.COMMENT: Top-billed Audrey Hepburn is perfectly cast in this inventively staged and most stylishly photographed musical. Fred is no slacker either, and it's good to see Kay Thompson in such an excellent role (her only previous film appearance was a brief singing spot with her radio choir in "Manhattan Merry-Go-Round" way back in 1937). Following Hollywood custom, one of France's top stars, Michel Auclair, is inappropriately dubbed (though he does get to speak his own opening lines in French), whilst normally reliable British "other man" Robert Flemyng is likewise inexplicably miscast as a Parisian fashion designer. However, Dovima is fine as a Bronx- accented model, and keen fans will have no trouble recognizing Suzy Parker in the "Think Pink" number. OTHER VIEWS: Actually lensed on real Paris locations with Fred and company dancing through the main streets and boulevards and on to the Eiffel Tower, Funny Face is both a visual and musical treat. The story is engaging too, with wit and satire directed against the cleverly contrasted worlds of high fashion and beatnik intellectualism. True the romantic complication with a bearded Michel Auclair is rather old- hat. But with songs like these, who's complaining? Fred, Audrey and Kay are all in marvelous form, production values are appropriately super-glossy, and the photography contrives to be amusing and clever in its own right. Funny Face has so many stylish elements, I'm surprised it has never been adopted as a cult movie. Perhaps its expose of the phony, pretentious claptrap underlying undergraduate philosophy strikes too close to home. Whatever, Funny Face is still an absolute delight. — JHR writing as George Addison.

Robert W. Anderson I'm not sure there were many women who could have pulled off this film in such an amazing fashion (sorry for the pun). This was more a celebration of Audry, then anything else. And she was somehow simple and radiant at the same time. The story is familiar. The simple shop girl is discovered by simple happenstance. At first, she resists. And then she dives in, head first. But there's also the May - December story line between Fred Astaire and Audry. But, just looking at Audry in all the different settings and costumes is worth the price of admission. Of course with Fred Astaire, there are several dance numbers and songs. And they are a cheerful addition. But it all still comes down to Audry. And this is a great film for serious Audry fans. We get to see so many different images of Audry. The first costume we see her in after losing her bookstore duds, combined with her natural beauty. Is jaw-dropping. While watching this film of this amazing woman. It should be remembered that in spite of her natural attributes. She was carrying and unaffected human being. Her work with UNICEF. The work she did for that agency saved many lives. She genuinely cared for the people she was trying to help.

mmallon4 It disappoints me that for many people Funny Face will be their only encounter with Fred Astaire due to the fact that it is an Audrey Hepburn film. I first watched Funny Face for the Hepburn factor (unfamiliar at the time with Fred Astaire) and was left unimpressed with the film. Later on I became infatuated with Astaire thanks to his partnership with Ginger Rogers and other films such as The Bandwagon. Due to this I revisited Funny Face in the hope that I would appreciate it more; unfortunately the opposite happened. Boy is this movie a waste of talent:First and foremost, dancing, or should I say the lack of it. When I watch a Fred Astaire musical I expect to be memorised by his dancing moves. Yet every time a musical number began in Funny Face, Astaire does nothing. There are times when I expect him to bust a move but nothing happens. Eventfully when he does start dancing, the choreography is about as basic as it gets. Secondly, comedy. I've always thought Fred Astaire is very undervalued as a comedic actor. In the films he did with Ginger Rogers his timing and ability to come up with a witty comeback to everything is right up there with the likes of Groucho Marx. Typically in these films he would be playing off high society snobs and in Funny Face these same snobs exist, but Astaire is now one of them! Whenever a character in this film is being superficial or snobbish, Astaire just stands there and does nothing! In the past he would have been all Groucho Marx on them.Next, chemistry. Being a huge fan of both these stars, perhaps just seeing them together could help elevate the film above its flaws? Nope! Astaire and Hepburn have no chemistry at all. While Hepburn does fair better in this film than Astaire, having one musical number which I quite liked, The Basal Metabolism. But that's enough lavishing praise on this movie.Finally, the plot. Granted many musicals have silly plots, that's part of their charm. But plot in Funny Face goes beyond silly, it's flat out insulting. Well ignoring the fact that in the reality of the film, Audrey Hepburn is considered unattractive, they take an intellectual girl who works at a book store and turn her into a superficial model. Also why can't Audrey not just call the police and tell them that the book store she works at was trespassed, used for unauthorised photography and vandalised, oh never mind, the plot just sucks. Also I'm so sick of Paris being used as a setting for romantic comedies. Choose a different city!If this is the only Fred Astaire film you've seen, please I beg of you, watch the films he did with Ginger Rogers or The Bandwagon in order to see what he is really like.

hourmatt326 Funny Face is a musical about fashion and love. The story and music for this musical, I thought was OK but the story lost me at parts where it was more about fashion or the song and didn't really expand on the people around the story/song. The music was good and had changes of pace to all of them being different and the dancing involved is some of the best I've seen in a musical, for example the scene where Audrey Hepburn's in the café and misses hair and make up and she starts dancing is great. Also another great thing about this movie is how likable Hepburn is in the role, starting off working in a book store then becoming a model is an interesting ride. Overall, I give Funny Face a 7/10.