Boeing-Boeing (the play) is a farce written by the French playwright Marc Camoletti. The English language adaptation was first staged in London at the Apollo Theatre in 1962 and transferred to the Duchess Theatre in 1965, running for a total of seven years. Interestingly, Boeing-Boeing (the film) was filmed from April 8 to June 30th, 1965. In 1991, the play was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most performed French play throughout the world. The play is set in the 1960s and centers on bachelor Bernard, who has a flat in Paris and three stewardesses, all engaged to him without knowing about each other. But Bernard's life gets bumpy when his friend Robert comes to stay, and complications such as weather and a new, speedier Boeing jet disrupts his careful and calculated planning. Soon, all three stewardesses are in the city simultaneously and catastrophe looms.
Boeing Boeing (the film) starred Tony Curtis as Bernard and the affable Jerry Lewis as Robert. As both Curtis and Lewis wanted top billing, the names at the beginning of the film spun around in a circle with an airplane nacelle behind them. For the trailer, the circular animation of the two names was repeated and neither name was spoken aloud. For the posters, the names made an X, Lewis' going up from the bottom left and Curtis' going down from the upper left.
In the American film, Bernard has help from his long-suffering housekeeper, Bertha—who swaps the appropriate photos and food in and out of the apartment to match the incoming girlfriend—none of the ladies is aware of each other's presence in the apartment. They regard Lawrence's flat as their "home" during their Paris layovers.
Bernard is so happy with his life in Paris that he intends to turn down an imminent promotion that would require him to move to New York City.
His life is turned upside down when his girlfriends' airlines begin putting new, state-of-the-art aircraft into service. These faster airplanes change all of the existing route schedules and allow the stewardesses to spend more time in Paris. Most alarming for Bernard, his three girlfriends will now all be in Paris at the same time. Robert, a fellow journalist and an old acquaintance, complicates Bernard's life even further when he arrives in town and is unable to find a hotel room. He insists on staying in Bernard's apartment for a few days. When he sees Bernard's living situation, he schemes to take over Bernard's apartment, his girls, his housekeeper, and Bernard's Paris job while manipulating him into taking the new job in New York.
The film was selected by Quentin Tarantino for the first Quentin Tarantino Film Fest in Austin, Texas in 1996.
Boeing-Boeing (the play) was revived in London in February 2007 at the Comedy Theatre in a production directed by Matthew Warchus. Once again, the play proved to be a hit with critics and audiences alike. The original cast of the production featured Roger Allam as Bernard, Frances de la Tour as Bertha, Mark Rylance as Robert and Tamzin Outhwaite, Daisy Beaumont and Michelle Gomez as Bernard's three fianceés, Gloria, Gabriella and Gretchen. This production received two Olivier Award nominations and was nominated for several other Tony Awards including: Best Featured Actress, Best Director, Best Costume Design and Best Sound Design. The production won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play and Mark Rylance won for lead actor in a play. Enjoy.
(Source: Wikipedia).
