Outrageous!
Encyclopedia
Outrageous! is a Canadian comedy film
, released in 1977. The film was directed and written by Richard Benner
, and based on a short story by Margaret Gibson. The film stars Craig Russell
as Robin Turner, a drag queen
, and Hollis McLaren
as Liza Conners, Turner's schizophrenic
roommate. Outrageous! is based on the experiences of Russell and Gibson, who were roommates in real life.
Outrageous! was one of the first gay
-themed films ever to receive widespread theatrical release in North America. The film inspired the sequel Too Outrageous!
released in 1987.
shows but longs to get up on stage himself. His best friend, Liza, is schizophrenic
. She had been institutionalized but decided to leave the facility. She shows up on Robin's doorstep and he lets her move in.
Her first night there, Liza has a delusional episode in which she believes that "The Bonecrusher" from "The Other Place" is lying on top of her. Robin helps her push the Bonecrusher off and Liza tells him about the Other Place and her friend from there, Zara. Zara protects her from the Bonecrusher, who tells Liza that she is "the one born dead" and wants to take her to live in the Other Place forever.
A social worker visits Liza and they review Liza's lengthy list of medications. The social worker stresses that it would be very dangerous for Liza to become pregnant. When Robin comes home from work, Liza is excited that she was able to function with the social worker. Robin, however, is depressed. A client had urged him to be adventurous with her hairstyle but then reacted badly when Robin styled it like Elizabeth Taylor
in Cleopatra
.
Robin and Liza meet Robin's friend Perry and Liza's friend from the institution, Martin. Martin seems to suffer from some form of paranoid delusions, believing that his eyes are turning Chinese and ranting about Mao Zedong
. Perry and Robin discuss their costumes for an upcoming Halloween
party. Perry decides to go as Karen Black
as the flight attendant
from Airport. Liza suggests that Robin go as Tallulah Bankhead
and agrees to make his dress.
Robin is a smash at the Halloween party, winning first prize in the costume contest and being offered the chance to perform regularly. His boss at the hair salon, a closet
case who thinks that women won't want to have their hair done by "fags," is at first reluctant to give Robin the time off to shop for fabric for new dresses but finally relents. Robin debuts at the club as Bette Davis
, doing a routine mocking Joan Crawford
's performances in Mildred Pierce
, Autumn Leaves
and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
and singing live rather than lip synching.
Meanwhile, Liza is continuing therapy. She keeps a journal of her thoughts and dreams and reads them for her psychiatrist
, who suggests that she return to the institution. She adamantly refuses. Her doctor cautions her again about becoming pregnant. Liza's lesbian
editor friend Anne reads through Liza's journal and tells her that she might be able to sell some of her stories.
Robin continues to make appearances at the club, including a turn as Barbra Streisand
, but loses his job at the salon after a client finds out about it and complains to his boss. Liza, who is somewhat sexually promiscuous, has become pregnant. With bills piling up, Robin leaves Canada for New York City
seeking success as a female impersonator. On his way to his first gig at the "Jackrabbit Club," he meets Bob, a cab driver who was formerly a talent agent and agrees to allow Bob to represent him. Bob, through a regular trick
, gets Robin a tryout gig at "Ziggy's Cabaret."
Robin performs Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
while rapidly changing drag personas, starting off as Carol Channing
and transforming into Marlene Dietrich
, Ethel Merman
, Ella Fitzgerald
, Pearl Bailey
and Bette Midler
before concluding as Carol again. For an encore he performs Give My Regards to Broadway
as Judy Garland
. Robin is a triumph and books a regular slot at the club.
Liza enters the hospital to give birth. Tragically, the baby is stillborn. She goes into a deep depression
, calling Robin to tell him about the stillbirth and that she believes now that she is "the one born dead." Robin has Bob drive him to Canada to retrieve Liza. He moves her into his New York apartment and instructs Bob to get her dressed and to his show at the Jackrabbit.
That night Robin performs as Peggy Lee
. Liza, initially completely withdrawn, slowly begins to respond to her surroundings. Following the number, still depressed, Liza tells Robin that the Bonecrusher's not there but that she's of his domain, that she's dead. Robin replies "You're not dead. You're alive and sick and living in New York like eight million other people." Robin tells Liza that yes, she's crazy, but she has to make that crazy work for her. The film ends with Robin and a recovering Liza dancing together.
, where Craig Russell won the Silver Bear for Best Actor
.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, released in 1977. The film was directed and written by Richard Benner
Richard Benner
Richard Benner was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1977 film Outrageous! was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film Festival, where Craig Russell won the Silver Bear for Best Actor.-External links:...
, and based on a short story by Margaret Gibson. The film stars Craig Russell
Craig Russell (actor)
Russell Craig Eadie , better known by his stage name Craig Russell, was a Canadian female impersonator and actor.-Early life and career:...
as Robin Turner, a drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
, and Hollis McLaren
Hollis McLaren
Hollis McLaren is a Canadian film and television actress.She is best known for her role in the 1977 cult film Outrageous! and its sequel Too Outrageous!, in which she played a character closely based on writer Margaret Gibson...
as Liza Conners, Turner's schizophrenic
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
roommate. Outrageous! is based on the experiences of Russell and Gibson, who were roommates in real life.
Outrageous! was one of the first gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
-themed films ever to receive widespread theatrical release in North America. The film inspired the sequel Too Outrageous!
Too Outrageous!
Too Outrageous! is a 1987 Canadian comedy film. Directed and written by Richard Benner, the film is based on a story by Margaret Gibson. The film stars Craig Russell as Robin Turner, a drag queen.-Plot:...
released in 1987.
Plot
Robin Turner is a frustrated hairdresser. He does hair and makeup for the local dragDrag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
shows but longs to get up on stage himself. His best friend, Liza, is schizophrenic
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
. She had been institutionalized but decided to leave the facility. She shows up on Robin's doorstep and he lets her move in.
Her first night there, Liza has a delusional episode in which she believes that "The Bonecrusher" from "The Other Place" is lying on top of her. Robin helps her push the Bonecrusher off and Liza tells him about the Other Place and her friend from there, Zara. Zara protects her from the Bonecrusher, who tells Liza that she is "the one born dead" and wants to take her to live in the Other Place forever.
A social worker visits Liza and they review Liza's lengthy list of medications. The social worker stresses that it would be very dangerous for Liza to become pregnant. When Robin comes home from work, Liza is excited that she was able to function with the social worker. Robin, however, is depressed. A client had urged him to be adventurous with her hairstyle but then reacted badly when Robin styled it like Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
in Cleopatra
Cleopatra (1963 film)
Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy...
.
Robin and Liza meet Robin's friend Perry and Liza's friend from the institution, Martin. Martin seems to suffer from some form of paranoid delusions, believing that his eyes are turning Chinese and ranting about Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
. Perry and Robin discuss their costumes for an upcoming Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
party. Perry decides to go as Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
as the flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
from Airport. Liza suggests that Robin go as Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an award-winning American actress of the stage and screen, talk-show host, and bonne vivante...
and agrees to make his dress.
Robin is a smash at the Halloween party, winning first prize in the costume contest and being offered the chance to perform regularly. His boss at the hair salon, a closet
Closet
A closet is a small and enclosed space, a cabinet, or a cupboard in a house or building used for general storage or hanging clothes. A closet for food storage is usually referred to as a pantry...
case who thinks that women won't want to have their hair done by "fags," is at first reluctant to give Robin the time off to shop for fabric for new dresses but finally relents. Robin debuts at the club as Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, doing a routine mocking Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
's performances in Mildred Pierce
Mildred Pierce (film)
Mildred Pierce is a 1945 American drama film starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, and Eve Arden in a film noir about a long-suffering mother and her ungrateful daughter. The screenplay by Ranald MacDougall, William Faulkner, and Catherine Turney was based upon the 1941...
, Autumn Leaves
Autumn Leaves (film)
Autumn Leaves is a 1956 Columbia Pictures drama film starring Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson in an older woman/younger man tale of mental illness. The screenplay was written by Jean Rouverol and Hugo Butler, though it was credited to Jack Jevne, Rouverol and Butler being blacklisted at the time...
and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (film)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a 1962 American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The screenplay by Lukas Heller is based on the novel of the same name by Henry Farrell...
and singing live rather than lip synching.
Meanwhile, Liza is continuing therapy. She keeps a journal of her thoughts and dreams and reads them for her psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, who suggests that she return to the institution. She adamantly refuses. Her doctor cautions her again about becoming pregnant. Liza's lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
editor friend Anne reads through Liza's journal and tells her that she might be able to sell some of her stories.
Robin continues to make appearances at the club, including a turn as Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, but loses his job at the salon after a client finds out about it and complains to his boss. Liza, who is somewhat sexually promiscuous, has become pregnant. With bills piling up, Robin leaves Canada for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
seeking success as a female impersonator. On his way to his first gig at the "Jackrabbit Club," he meets Bob, a cab driver who was formerly a talent agent and agrees to allow Bob to represent him. Bob, through a regular trick
Trick
Trick may refer to:* Trick , a 2009 album by Kumi Koda* Trick , a 1999 American film* Tricks , a 2007 Polish film by Andrzej Jakimowski* Trick , a comedic Japanese television drama...
, gets Robin a tryout gig at "Ziggy's Cabaret."
Robin performs Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is a song introduced by Carol Channing in the original Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , which was written by Jule Styne and Leo Robin...
while rapidly changing drag personas, starting off as Carol Channing
Carol Channing
Carol Elaine Channing is an American singer, actress, and comedienne. She is the recipient of three Tony Awards , a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination...
and transforming into Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
, Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her powerful voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm", "Everything's...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Pearl Bailey
Pearl Bailey
Pearl Mae Bailey was an American actress and singer. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award for the title role in the all-black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968...
and Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
before concluding as Carol again. For an encore he performs Give My Regards to Broadway
Give My Regards to Broadway
"Give My Regards to Broadway" is a song written by George M. Cohan for his musical play Little Johnny Jones ....
as Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
. Robin is a triumph and books a regular slot at the club.
Liza enters the hospital to give birth. Tragically, the baby is stillborn. She goes into a deep depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, calling Robin to tell him about the stillbirth and that she believes now that she is "the one born dead." Robin has Bob drive him to Canada to retrieve Liza. He moves her into his New York apartment and instructs Bob to get her dressed and to his show at the Jackrabbit.
That night Robin performs as Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
. Liza, initially completely withdrawn, slowly begins to respond to her surroundings. Following the number, still depressed, Liza tells Robin that the Bonecrusher's not there but that she's of his domain, that she's dead. Robin replies "You're not dead. You're alive and sick and living in New York like eight million other people." Robin tells Liza that yes, she's crazy, but she has to make that crazy work for her. The film ends with Robin and a recovering Liza dancing together.
Cast
- Craig RussellCraig Russell (actor)Russell Craig Eadie , better known by his stage name Craig Russell, was a Canadian female impersonator and actor.-Early life and career:...
- Robin Turner - Hollis McLarenHollis McLarenHollis McLaren is a Canadian film and television actress.She is best known for her role in the 1977 cult film Outrageous! and its sequel Too Outrageous!, in which she played a character closely based on writer Margaret Gibson...
- Liza Connors - Richert Easley - Perry
- Allan MoyleAllan MoyleAllan Moyle is a Canadian film director. He is best known for directing the films Pump Up the Volume and New Waterford Girl .-Biography:His first major film was Times Square...
- Martin - David McIlwraithDavid McIlwraithDavid McIlwraith is an actor who has appeared in numerous television series and in several movies since the 1970s. He co-starred in the 1993 television series White Fang. In 2005 he appeared in the television movie Living With the Enemy. In 2006 he appeared in the feature film Hollow Man II.-...
- Bob - Gerry Salsberg - Jason
- Andrée Pelletier - Anne
- Helen ShaverHelen ShaverHelen Shaver is a Canadian actress and film and television director.-Early life:Shaver was born and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, a small city located near London, Ontario, with five sisters...
- Jo - Martha GibsonMartha GibsonMartha Gibson is a Canadian actress. She is probably best known for appearing alongside her husband Louis Del Grande in the television series Seeing Things, for which she earned a Gemini Award for Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Continuing Role in a Comedy Series in 1986.She was nominated...
- Nurse Carr - Helen HughesHelen hughesHelen Hughes AO is Professor Emerita at the Australian National University and Senior Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies......
- Mrs. Connors - Jonah Royston - Dr. Beddoes
- Richard Moffatt - Stewart
- David Woito - Hustler
- Rusty RyanRusty RyanRobert Charles "Rusty" Ryan is a fictional character in Ocean's Eleven and its sequels, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen. The films are based on the original Ocean's Eleven with the Rat Pack, though Rusty does not appear in it...
- Jimmy - Trevor Bryan - Miss Montego Bay
Awards
The film was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film Festival28th Berlin International Film Festival
The 28th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 22 to March 5, 1978. This was the first year the festival was held in February.-Jury:* Patricia Highsmith * Sergio Leone* Theodoros Angelopoulos* Jacques Rozier...
, where Craig Russell won the Silver Bear for Best Actor
Silver Bear for Best Actor
The Silver Bear for Best Actor is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actor.- Awards :- External links :*...
.