The film is set in an Upper East Side apartment in New York City in the late 1960s. Michael (Kenneth Nelson), a Roman Catholic and recovering alcoholic, is preparing to host a birthday party for his friend Harold (Leonard Frey). His other friend Donald (Fredreick Combs), a self-described underachiever who has moved from the city, arrives and helps Michael prepare. Alan (Peter White), an old and presumably straight college chum of Michael's, calls with an urgent need to see Michael. He reluctantly agrees and invites him to his home. The guests arrive: Emory (Cliff Gorman) is a stereotypical flamboyant interior decorator; Hank (Laurence Luckinbill), a married schoolteacher, and Larry (Keith Prentice), a fashion photographer, are a couple, albeit one with monogamy issues; and Bernard (Reuben Greene) is an amiable bookstore clerk. Alan calls again to inform Michael he isn't coming after all, and the party continues in a festive manner. However, Alan does appear unexpectedly and throws the gathering into turmoil.
Cowboy (Robert La Tourneaux), a hustler and Emory's gift to Harold, also arrives. As tensions mount, Alan assaults Emory and in the ensuing chaos Harold finally makes his appearance. Michael begins drinking again. As the guests become more and more drunk, the party moves indoors from the patio. Michael, who believes Alan is a closeted gay begins a game in which the objective is to call the one person you truly believe you have loved. With each call, past scars and present anxieties are revealed. Michael's plan to "out" Alan with the game appears to backfire when he calls his wife. As the party ends and the guests depart, Michael collapses into Donald's arms, sobbing. When he pulls himself together, it appears his life will remain very much the same. This movie in a nutshell is about 8 New York City gay men who've gathered together for a birthday party--only to spend the evening humorously savaging each other and their way of life.
"The Boys in the Band" is a landmark film version of the Broadway stage play by Mart Crowley, who also wrote the screenplay. The ensemble film cast also played their roles in the play's initial stage run in NYC. Time magazine considered it to be a “humane, moving picture”, but Variety thought it had a “perverse interest”. Directed by William Friedkin, this dated treasure was unavailable for years but has now been released on DVD.
