The Balcony Summary
Director: Joseph Strick
Genres: Comedy, Fantasy
Rating:
The denizens of a sordid brothel become embroiled in a bloody coup in this arty political satire adapted from the Jean_Genet play. Shelley_Winters stars as the cathouse's madam, a stern woman who supervises the fantasy role-playing of her beautiful employees and their well-heeled customers, including the local police chief (Peter_Falk). As various whores and their johns dress up like judges, penitents, bishops, and generals, a revolution rages outside in the streets. The leaders of society -- including the queen -- are done away with by an angry mob. Soon, the madam and her compatriots find themselves ordered to impersonate the slain bigwigs in order to restore law and order. Shot in black-and-white by cinematographer George_Folsey and producer/director Joseph_Strick, The Balcony features a number of future stars in its cast, from Ruby_Dee and Lee_Grant to Leonard_Nimoy. Nimoy would go on to produce and star in Deathwatch, another Genet adaptation. Unlike the later film, Genet was actually involved in the film version of The Balcony, collaborating with Strick on the original treatment but leaving the final screenplay to poet and novelist Ben_Maddow. Strick acquired the rights to The Balcony from Genet only after failing to mount another literary adaptation, of James_Joyce's -Ulysses. Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
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