- Fortune and Men's Eyes
Infobox Film
name = Fortune and Men's Eyes
image_size = 175px
caption = VHS cover for the film
director = Harvey Hart
producer = Lewis M. Allen
Lester Persky
Donald Ginsberg
writer = John Herbert
starring = Wendell Burton
Michael Greer
Zooey Hall
music =Galt MacDermot
cinematography = Georges Dufaux
editing = Douglas Robertson
distributor =Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
released = flagicon|USJune 15 ,1971
flagicon|DenmarkJuly 17 ,1972
flagicon|SwedenSeptember 18
runtime = 102 min.
country =Canada /U.S.A.
language = English
budget = CAD 1,109,000
amg_id = 1:18278
imdb_id = 0067112"Fortune and Men's Eyes" is a 1967 play and 1971 film by John Herbert about a young man's experience in prison, exploring themes of homosexuality and sexual slavery. The title comes from
William Shakespeare 'sSonnet 29 which begins with the line "When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes". It has been translated into forty languages and produced in over a hundred countries. It is the most published Canadian play, and won theFloyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award .In 1967 it premiered off-Broadway at the
Actors Playhouse from 23 February 1967 to January 1968. Reviews were initially mixed, and many reviewers were shocked by the subject matter. ReviewerHerbert Whittaker wrote in "The Globe and Mail " that the play was "the art of washing our dirty linen in the neighbor's yard."In 1969 the play was produced and directed by
Sal Mineo at theCoronet Theatre inLos Angeles .Don Johnson played the lead role of Smitty, a young man sentenced to six months in prison formarijuana possession, who eventually becomes the sexual subordinate of another inmate, Rocky.Michael Greer played the role of Queenie, Smitty's cellmate. This production garnered more critical approval.In the 1971 film, directed by
Harvey Hart ,Wendell Burton played Smitty, Michael Greer reprised his role as Queenie, andZooey Hall played Rocky. It was filmed inQuebec ,Canada .External links
*
* [http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Fortune%20and%20Men's%20Eyes Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia entry]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.