Funny Face

What do you call the pairing of Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire in a radiant Stanley Donen tuner with Edith Head costumes and a hit-filled Gershwin songbook? "S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous!" Astaire stars as fashion photog Dick Avery (read Richard Avedon) in this Pygmalion-esque song-and-dancer about a bookworm (Hepburn) turned glam cover-girl. Forget the plot, which is threadbare by even musical standards, and the 'Geezer and Gidget' romance between Astaire (then 58) and Hepburn (28); when you've got songs like "He Loves And She Loves," "S'Wonderful" and "How Long Has This Been Going On?" (crooned by Hepburn in her inimitable style) set against a backdrop of Astaire's "Let's Kiss and Make-Up" hoofing, you're guaranteed an enchanting evening's worth. On the downside, Funny Face is worse for the wear, and really needs (and deserves!) a Criterion remastering with a new high-def transfer to match the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, but as it is it's very highly recommended. (S. C. Sickles)[DVD Review—Oct. 16, 2007—Paramount, 103 min., not rated, $14.99—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1957's Funny Face (50th Anniversary Edition) sports a great transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include the 10-minute retrospective featurette “Paramount in the ‘50s,” “The Fashion Designer and His Muse” character featurette (8 min.), a “Parisian Dreams” location featurette (8 min.), a photo gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an entertaining classic.][DVD Review—Jan. 20, 2009—Paramount, 2 discs, 103 min., not rated, $24.99—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1957's Funny Face (Centennial Edition) sports a great transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include the character featurette “Kay Thompson: Think Pink” (27 min.), the production featurettes “This is VistaVision” (25 min.) and “Fashion Photographers Exposed” (18 min.), the 10-minute retrospective featurette “Paramount in the ‘50s,” “The Fashion Designer and His Muse” character featurette (8 min.), a “Parisian Dreams” location featurette (8 min.), a photo gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: a nice edition, although coming barely a year after the 50th anniversary release, this is one is highly recommended only for those who didn't buy that version.][Blu-ray Review—Apr. 22, 2014—Paramount, 103 min., not rated, $19.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1957's Funny Face features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include a “Kay Thompson: Think Pink!” featurette on the costar (27 min.), “This Is VistaVision” on the film format (25 min.), and the production segments “Fashion Photographers Exposed” (18 min.), “The Fashion Designer and His Muse” (8 min.), and “Parisian Dreams” (8 min.). Bottom line: this classic Hepburn/Astaire charmer shines on Blu-ray.]