Otto von Bismarck said that someone would lose all respect or taste for laws and sausages after seeing how laws and sausages were made. American film maker Blake Edwards probably wanted the say the similar thing about Hollywood films, judging by S.O.B., 1981 satirical comedy which is often seen as his most personal, but also as his darkest and most misanthropic film.
Protagonist, played by Richard Mulligan, is in many ways Edwards’ alter ego. Felix Farmer is a producer who made number of very successful films and became toast of Hollywood, with studios even allowing him to complete control over his production. He is married to Sally Miles (played by Julie Andrews), popular actress and iconic star of family-friendly musicals. Felix’s winning streak comes to spectacular end with Night Wind, musical with 30 million US$ budget that turns out into catastrophic flop. Farmer suffers nervous breakdown and sinks into suicidal depression, while Sally decides to divorce him and studio executive David Blackman (played by Robert Vaughn) desperately tries to re-cut the film. The only people loyal to Felix are three old friends – director Tim Culley (played by William Holden), physician Dr. Irving Finegarten (played by Robert Preston) and Sally’s press agent Ben Coogan (played by Robert Webber). Even their intervention can’t prevent Felix’s Malibu beach house being invaded by various hanger-ons who indulge in alcohol, drugs and sex. Felix wakes up during one of those orgies and gets epiphany. His idea is to re-shoot Night Wind as dark and adult-oriented film with explicit erotica, which should include the scene in which Sally appears topless. While studio considers this to be preposterous and Sally has big reservations, everyone in the end agrees to go with it, which leads to a complicated but merciless struggle for control over the film and ensuing profits.
It is often said that the script was inspired by Edwards’ traumatic experiences during production of 1970s romantic spy comedy Darling Lili in which Andrews, until that time known almost exclusively for playing angelic characters in musicals, tried to rebrand herself as actress with ability to play seductive temptresses. This effort failed mostly due to interference by Robert Evans, head of Paramount Pictures, and whose character obviously served as template for Blackman. His fictional version, played by Vaughn, is portrayed as both ruthless conniving businessman and as pathetic pervert who likes to dress as woman while being cuckolded by his mistress. Such negative treatment is reserved for almost anyone in the film, and that includes even the protagonist, who is shown as near-catatonic wreck in the first part of the film and dangerous hyper-manic lunatic near the end. Even the character obviously inspired by Edwards’ wife Julie Andrews (who in this film almost plays herself) is shown as greedy and opportunistic. In S.O.B. there doesn’t seem to be any likeable characters, with possible exceptions of Felix’s friends. Another sympathetic character is the dog who guards the body of the unfortunate elderly jogger (played by Herb Tanney) who died at the beach near Felix’s house and whose body remains unnoticed by days. This repeating motive gives S.O.B. very dark and unpleasant tone despite Edwards trying hard and mostly succeeding in providing laughs by mixing caustic satire, verbal humour and slapstick.
While effective as a satire, and probably very successful for Edwards as a way to exercise some personal demons and settle certain scores, S.O.B. is not that good as a broad comedy film. Edwards has problems with pacing and maintaining consistency, especially in scenes featuring two very different versions of Felix. And the most crucial scene in the film – which Edwards, like his fictional counterpart, actually tried to use for promotion – ultimately fails, because the sight of Julie Andrews proudly displaying her mammary glands can’t compensate for the lame, overlong and ultimately non-erotic fantasy scene which preceded it. Most of the audience had the same view and S.O.B., unlike re-booted Night Wind, actually flopped at the box office. S.O.B. nevertheless can be recommended to the viewers interested in Hollywood history, partly because it was the last film in the career of William Holden and one of the first films in career of future star Roseanne Arquette, who, just like Andrews, appears topless. Some might think of this film as too bitter, but Hollywood deserved it.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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