In today’s world of digital media it is hard to really think of a time when print was truly king. Magazines are still around, but are merely a pale shadow of what they once were. As the last glory days they had were a good 10 years ago with multiple legacy titles shuttering since then. But when they were the top of the heap, the men and women who were involved were close to kings and queens in fashionable society of the time.
Funny Face gives us a cheeky peek behind the curtain of these glamorous times. Not only for when print media was at its glory, but also that of the 1950s as well… The start of the jet-set age, beatnik intellectualism hitting its stride, and of course post-war women’s fashions which promised and delivered on sophistication – not only for special occasions, but for everyday as well.
Therefore, it is no surprise that director Stanley Donen has none other than Audrey Hepburn front and center, as the new and dazzling toast of the high fashion world. Hepburn was riding high in the 1950s with success after success. Such as her Oscar winning performance (not shabby for her starring role debut) in Roman Holiday alongside Gregory Peck. And not one, but two, outings under director Billy Wilder, in Sabrina and Love in the Afternoon, among other dazzling career peaks for the decade.
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Audrey Hepburn may have been the fresh face on set, but those rounding out the cast list are not to be overlooked. Most notably Fred Astaire, who was one of, if not the, most talented male dancer of Hollywood’s golden age. Kay Thompson, who was more often utilized for her talents behind the scenes, rounds out the main trio (you may recognize the name as well if you are familiar with the Eloise children books which she penned). All of these stars in varying points of their mutual creative careers come together and present one of the most charming romantic musicals of the 1950s.
Funny Face opens in the bustling offices of Quality magazine, as editor-in-chief Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson) is pondering over what new and exciting trend the staff can present to their loyal readers. She speaks aloud to her chattering assistants all at the ready, musing that the look they need must strike down the middle of “beauty”, but also that of “intelligence”. Running with this idea and recruiting their top photographer, Dick Avery (Fred Astaire), they leave their sleek and swanky offices for the more down to earth Greenwich Village to put it in motion.
All of this naturally comes as a shock to mousy bookkeeper, Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn), when the army of polished but air headed staffers barge into the used bookstore she works in, and pillage it to accommodate the shoot needs. Real life model Dovima (here as fictionalized model Marion) poses for Avery’s camera, and as Jo looks at her quizzically we see a perfect dividing line of a new wave of style that was coming at the end of the 1950s.
Much to her chagrin, Jo is targeted to be Quality magazine’s “Quality Woman”. Though all is not bleak, as Dick spins it to Jo as a way for her to finally make her way to Paris, as she has always dreamed of. Arriving in the infamous “City of Lights”, our main trio partake in one of the most memorable numbers from the film, “Bonjour Paris!”, a bright and fun number that give each a chance to shine, while also beautifully showing off mid-century Paris vistas.
The staff who are very much aware of the job at hand often spar with Jo, who yearns to just escape away and hole out in smoky cafes with the fascinating individuals she yearns to be equal to. But the moments in which Jo is wrangled back to the racks of couture and photo shoots, are where the film truly shines.
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Other than being a memorable actress, Audrey Hepburn was also quite the fashion plate of the time. And still remains so to this day long after her passing. She was the long time muse of designer, Hubert de Givenchy, after he designed her wardrobe for Sabrina, and who she had as the designer for all but just a few of her film roles. Studio designer, Edith Head, only got to design Hepburn’s more basic wardrobe pre-Paris in the film. Givenchy’s designs are impeccably presented here in the dazzling technicolor. For me, nothing beats the scene where Hepburn comes gliding down the stairs in a scarlet red column gown, with matching wrap flittering in the air, as she raises her arms for the perfect shot.
It should also be noted that many of the characters dotting the screen here borrow many of their characteristics from real live counterparts of the time. Thompson’s Miss Prescott takes much from magazine editor, Diana Vreeland, who helmed both Harper’s Bazaar and then Vogue. Known herself for a highly eccentric personality and buzzing mind similar to that we see in the film. Astaire in the role of Dick Avery shares traits with notable photographer, Richard Avedon, who shot some of the most memorable photos from that time period.
Funny Face under Donan’s expert eye gives us a story that is grounded in truths, but spun into its own fairy tale, as we witness not only the glamour but the romance as well. Romance not only of the ultimate pairing between that of Jo and Dick, but also the romance of a city that remains in the minds of many when they think of splendor and love. And the story that a dazzling wardrobe can paint in compliment to its actors is also a romance of its own. Cynicism is something that one can’t help but leave at the door when watching such a film as this, and that itself is if I don’t mind saying….. ‘S Wonderful.
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