Directed by Gracie
Otto
Palace Cinemas from
26 June 2014
Review by Len Power
Australian
actress, Greta Scacchi, calls Michael White, ‘the most famous man you’ve never
heard of’. Gracie Otto’s documentary
film changes all that with an in-depth look at the man’s career and provides a
fascinating look at the man himself.
Michael
White is a British theatrical impresario and film producer whose list of
credits includes many of the most memorable shows of the past 50 years. He produced shows that, in their day, would
not have been touched by other more traditional West End producers. In his personal life, he personified the
Swinging 60s in London.
Amongst
his productions were, ‘Oh! Calcutta!’, the notorious erotic revue, the original
stage version of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ and the film version, ‘The Rocky
Horror Picture Show’. He was also responsible
for Anthony Shaffer’s smash hit, ‘Sleuth’ and the London productions of ‘A Chorus
Line’, ‘Crazy For You’, ‘Annie’, ‘Beauty And The Beast’ and the film ‘Monty
Python and the Holy Grail’. He
introduced the dance companies of Merce Cunningham and Pina Bausch to London
audiences and was responsible for various avant-garde productions, many of
which had him at logger-heads with British censorship at the time. Bankrupted in 2005 and suffering ill-health
since then, Michael White nevertheless continues to be an icon in the
theatrical world.
Following
a chance encounter with Michael White, Gracie Otto gained his permission and
co-operation to make this documentary about his extraordinary career and his
life. The film is particularly strong on
the details of his cutting edge productions and there is excellent use of
graphics and film clips to illustrate the narrative.
The
film is less successful where Gracie Otto attempts to gain information from the
man himself about the touchy subjects of his gambling, drug-taking and failed
business ventures. Her direct approach
during interviews seems to antagonize her subject who is not all that
forthcoming to begin with.
The
director gained access to a huge number of celebrities who were willing to talk
to her about Michael White, everyone from Kate Moss to John Cleese to Yoko Ono. Many of them provide interesting insights
into the man, often revealing intriguing details about themselves.
The
film is a compelling look at a fascinating period of theatrical history and at
a man who influenced the direction of theatre and show business generally over
a long period. For anyone with an
interest in theatre history and/or good celebrity gossip, this film is a
must-see.
