SHAMPOO - A MISTRESS FILM THAT STARS WARREN BEATTY, GOLDIE HAHN, and JULIE CHRISTIE

Are all hairdressers gay?  George *(Warren Beatty) isn't.  In fact women are seduced not only by his beautiful trendy looks, and we presume sexual experise, but because he makes them feel beautiful and look beautiful.  He's one popular guy.  Some of the greatest women in town want private appointments with him, only trusting their hair - and their bodies too sometimes - to him.  Carrie Fisher plays the daughter who quizzes him at a home visit to see if he's sleeping with her mom.

At home he has a girlfriend Jill (Goldie Hawn).

He's sleeping with the wife of the businessman he approaches for financing to open his own salon.  Jill is used to waiting around for him, or going by the salon he works at to see him and being brushed aside. It's not till the end of the film that she asks him to move out because he admits that he sleeps around. He thinks sleeping around is part of his job. 

Jill is shocked but behaves in a noble manner, even if it is the 1960's.  Called "one of the American Film Institutes Funniest Movies" to that date, and nominated for four Academy Awards, I didn't quite get that this was a racy farce.  George isn't just sleeping with the investors wife, but also his mistress - Julie Christie's character.

Now here is what I noted while viewing the film, which is still a very popular one to borrow or rent:

The business man Lester's mistress - Christie - used to be George's girlfriend and they still like each other and are sexually attracted to each other - but being pragmatic, she's moved on him because he can support her.  As George becomes more frantic to own his own salon, he begins to part from Jill, saying that she needs someone who can "Take care of her."  Finances are supreme in his mind.

One gets the impression that perhaps when George is through with a woman or she is through with him, he releases his responsibility by urging her to a richer man. Of course George isn't doing so bad even if he's just the hottest hairdresser in town at one of the busiest and best salons.

This film's worth a watch because it got all that acclaim years ago!


Through the years I've heard that the George character was based on hairdresser Jay Sebring who was eventually killed by the Manson Murderers along with actress Sharon Tate.  Can't prove it, but thought that was interesting. If so, I'll bet the detectives considered that the murderer might be a man jealous over a woman.

C 2017  Mistress Manifesto BlogSpot  film review  Missy Rapport