Set in 1934 Paris, starving opera singer Victoria (Julie Andrews) is helped by gay cabaret performer Toddy (Robert Preston). When Victoria wears Toddy's ex boyfriend's clothes and then sends the abusive ex away with a loud shout and a right hook, Toddy is hit with inspiration: he'll pass her off as a female impersonator. She asks, "You want me to be a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman?" With the help of the flamboyantly gay nightclub singer, she invents her alter-ego "Count Victor Grezinski", a female impersonator who is hired to sing at a fashionable night spot. Interwoven throughout the comedy and musical numbers are some astute observations about gender perceptions, discrimination and the battle of the sexes. It all goes well until Chicago mob boss King Marchand (James Garner), starts to investigate, sure that a man like himself could never fall for another man. The revelation of King's infatuation with Victoria brings his gay body guard "Squash" Bernstein (Alex Karras) roaring out of the closet and sends his spurned moll Norma Cassady (Leslie Ann Warren) off to Chicago to take revenge with King's other "business associates". Victoria must decide what she really wants: to be true to herself by giving up her career in Paris to be with her lover, or to continue with her show biz career and risk losing Marchand.
This classy slapstick musical farce involves transvestism and sexual identity as central themes. It's a character driven film where everyone is allowed to shine. Musical highlights include Victor/Victoria's "Le Jazz Hot" and "The Shady Dame from Seville"; Toddy's ode to "Gay Paree"; Warren's funny burlesque number, "King's Can-Can"; and "You and Me," done in a small club by Toddy and Victor in tuxedos. Legendary composer Henry Mancini won his last Oscar for the music score. Blake Edwards wrote the screenplay derived from Reinhold Schünzel's 1933 script, based on a concept by Hans Hoemburg. Blake Edwards directed.
