HAIR

Hair
United Artists, 1979, Color, 121 minutes, ***
Released March, 1979

If you're looking for deep symbology, metaphors or other hidden meanings in this film, forget it. Take it on surface value. The story is about a young draftee (Treat Williams) who travels to the Army processing facility in New York City. While there he befriends some young people who at least appear to be living in Central Park. They introduce him to a side of life he has not experienced (drugs, sex and music), and he is nearly knocked off-course. But he does make it to the processing center and is eventually sent to a boot camp in Nevada. His friends follow him there, and the ending of the film has an ironic and surprising twist.

The film has some really great music and some wonderful singing and dancing. It's worth watching just for that, and that's a good thing because the story itself is, though somewhat humorous, not much.

WARNING: May not be suitable for family fare! It depends on what kind of family you have...

Produced by: Lester Persky and Michael Butler
Associate Producer: Robert Greenhut
Directed by: Milos Forman
Assistant Director: Michael Hausman
Based on the Musical Play, Book and Lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado
Produced for the Broadway Stage by: Michael Butler
Originally Produced by The New York Shakespeare Festival Theatre
Music Arranged and Conducted by: Galt MacDermot
Vocal Arranger and Conductor: Thomas Pierson
Song: "Somebody to Hold" by Rado Ragni and Mac Dermot; sung by Charlie Brown
Male vocal of "White Boys" recorded by The Stylistics
Screenplay by: Michael Weller
Musical Composer: Galt MacDermot
Choreography by: Twyla Tharp
Production Designer: Stuart Wurtzel
Set Decoration: George DeTitta
Costume Designer: Ann Roth
Hair Stylist: Vivienne Walker
Makeup Artist: Robert Mills
Directors of Photography: Richard Kratina, Jean Talvin
Additional Photographer: Richard Pearce
Special Effects: Al Griswold
Filmed in Panavision and Technicolor
Supervising Film Editor: Lynzee Klingman
Film Editors: Stanley Warnow, Alan Heim

Cast: John Savage [Claude], Treat Williams [Berger], Beverly D'Angelo [Sheila], Annie Golden [Jeannie], Dorsey Wright [Hud], Don Dacus [Woof], Cheryl Barnes [Hud's Fiancee], Richard Bright [Fenton], Nicholas Ray [The General], Charlotte Rae [Lady in Pink], Miles Chapin [Steve], Fern Tailer [Sheila's Mother], Charles Deney [Sheila's Father], Herman Meckler [Sheila's Uncle], Agness Breen [Sheila's Aunt], Antonia Rey [Berger's Mother], George Manos [Berger's Father], Linda Surh [Vietnamese Girl], Jane Booke [Debutante #1], Suki Love [Debutante #2], Joe Acord [Claude's Father], Michael Jeter [Sheldon], Janet York [Prison Psychiatrist], Rahsaan Curry [Lafayette, Jr.], Harry Gittleson [The Judge], Donald Alsdurf [MP], Steve Massicotte, Mario Nelson [Barracks Officers], The Twyla Tharpe Dancers [Dancers], American Ballet Theatre [Dancers]

Musical Program: [0:03] Aquarius (sung by Ren Woods, danced by Ensemble); [0:10] Sodomy (sung by Don Dacus); [0:12] Donna (sung by Treat Williams [onscreen] and Chorus, danced by Ensemble); [0:15] Hashish (sung by Chorus); [0:17] Colored Spade (sung by Toney Watkins, Carl Hall, Howard Porter and Chorus; danced by Ensemble); [0:19] Manchester (sung by Treat Williams [onscreen], John Savage and Chorus; danced by Ensemble); [0:20] I'm Black / Ain't Got No (sung by Nell Carter, Toney Watkins, Kurt Yahjian and Chorus; danced by Ensemble); [0:25] Party Music (instrumental); [0:32] I Got Life (sung by Treat Williams and Chorus, danced by Treat Williams); [0:41] Hair (sung and danced by Principals and Chorus); [0:46] L.B.J. (sung and danced by Chorus); [0:48] Old Fashioned Melody (sung by Ron Young) / Electric Blues (sung by Leata Galloway, Cyrena Lomba and Chorus; danced by Ensemble; Claude's hallucination); [0:52] Hare Krishna (sung by Chorus); [1:04] Where Do I Go? (sung by John Savage and Chorus); [1:07] Black Boys (sung by Laurie Beechman, Debi Dye, Ellen Foley, John Maestro, Fred Ferrara, Jim Rosica, Vincent Carella and Chorus) / White Boys (sung by Nell Carter, Charlaine Woodard, Trudy Perkins, Chuck Patterson, H. Douglas Berring, Russell Costen, Kenny Brawner, Lee Wells); [1:11] Walking in Space (sung by Chorus); [1:20] Easy to Be Hard (sung by Cheryl Barnes); [1:28] 3-5-0-0 (sung by Melba Moore, Ronnie Dyson and Chorus; danced by Ensemble); [1:32] Good Morning Starshine (sung by Beverly D'Angelo, Cheryl Barnes and Chorus); [1:37] Somebody to Love (sung on jukebox in background); [1:51] Manchester / Flesh Failures / Let the Sunshine In (sung by John DeRobertas, Grand L. Bush and Cast and Chorus); [1:57] Hair (sung by Chorus behind end credits)