Hairspray (in case you didn't already know) is the story of "pleasantly plump" Tracy Turnblatt who joins The Corny Collins Show as a keen teen dancer and successfully manages to integrate it in 1962's Baltimore. Hairspray is a parody of shows like American Bandstand and Baltimore's local version The Buddy Deane Show and it also shows the problem that Americans had when faced with the issue of segregation or integration.
I've gone with the original 1988 John Waters' (this was his first PG rated film) movie instead of the recent Broadway musical version, mostly because I find the sets here to be far more realistic. And this one has Ruth Brown and Debbie Harry. Plus I find Divine's version of Edna to be far more believable than John Travolta's turn, mostly because I kept expecting him to start singing "Summer Nights" in drag.
Also, the hair is much more hilarious in this version and it shows girls actually ironing their hair, which was done though an incredibly stupid thing to do.
I want that dress!
1 comment:
Hairspray is one of my favourite - I actually like both film versions (and love that John loves the musical version, too) because of how different, yet alike they are. I do agree about Edna, though! Divine is far superior, and I think they actually made too much effort to make Travolta look 'like a woman' so it wasn't so obvious the part was played by a man in drag. And I love Amber's room! The poodles and heart-shaped mirror on her vanity. So good.
-Andi x
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