"Boys in the Band" Will Arrive on DVD in November with Bonus Features

By Andrew Gans
July 9, 2008

CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment will release the DVD of the 1970 cult-classic film "The Boys in the Band," the screen adaptation of Mart Crowley's landmark play of the same name.

The film, which was directed by Academy Award winner William Friedkin, will arrive on DVD for the first time Nov. 11. The cast includes Kenneth Nelson, Peter White, Laurence Luckinbill, Leonard Frey and Cliff Gorman, who all originated their roles in the 1968 Off-Broadway run.

The film was restored under the direction of Friedkin, who said in a statement, "This is the best this picture has ever looked or sounded."

"The Boys in the Band," according to press notes, "follows a group of gay male friends as they come together in a New York City apartment for a birthday party. When an unexpected guest arrives and the truth begins to flow as freely as the cocktails, it leads to a sometimes vulgar but ultimately open and honest dissection of their lives and relationships."

Bonus features include documentaries about the creation of the play, the making of the controversial film and the enduring power of both versions. Also included are interviews with director Friedkin, playwright/screenwriter Crowley, executive producer Dominick Dunne, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and cast members White and Luckinbill. The DVD also includes a commentary track by Friedkin.

The breakdown of "The Boys in the Band" DVD follows: