 David Knox discovers how a boy
from Perth became a star in Italy, just by wearing a frock.
What is it about Italy? We perpetually hear tales of
TV variety shows with busty showgirls, scantily-clad game show hostesses, and
satires lampooning politicians. All this in a fiercely Catholic society.
It’s a paradox that goes
back a long way. In 1977,
three men in frocks became an overnight sensation. Irreverent, sexy and
outrageous, they were Le Sorelle Bandiera
- The Flag Sisters. At the same time
as Britain was being
entertained by Danny La Rue and Australia
had Les Girls; an Italian, a Mexican
and an Aussie, Neil Hansen, were pushing boundaries on Italian television.
These days a much older Hansen lives back in Perth, having originally been lured to Italy by the
country’s rich arts history as a young man and aspiring actor. He couldn’t even
speak the language when he relocated, but soon fell in with a like-minded
circle of performers and began doing cabaret numbers at gay discos. In this
documentary, Hansen returns to Italy,
recounting how as a gender illusionist (and he sounds like he really was) his
trio was feted by millions.
Their act was typically high camp, with lavish
frocks and madcap choreography. Screened as part of a weekend daytime variety
show, they reached millions of families. Most significantly, children were won
over by their theatrics. With imagery as branding, the three were never
photographed without full make-up. Take that, KISS.
The trio performed alongside other regulars in
the show, including future stars Roberto Benigni and Isabella Rossellini. While
terrorists threatened the nation, the Flag Sisters were touring, selling
records and making movies. Colour and movement, perhaps? One film, satirising
the Vatican,
added to their infamy.
In retrospect the Flag Sisters may look like a sanitized
Italianate La Cage Aux Folles, and in
fact there’s only a fleeting acknowledgment of homosexual derivations (Hansen even
married, briefly). But the subtext of their showstoppers is unmistakable. Given
the era, the fact that they were so widely accepted is pioneering in itself.
With its vintage television footage and a
reunion between two of the trio (one has since died) and their choreographer,
this documentary serves as a time capsule. Even Hansen’s self-confessed ‘suburban
mum from Perth’
laughs about being treated like royalty by the Italians merely for mothering a
boy in a frock. Nice work if you can get it!
The Fabulous Flag Sisters screens 7:30pm Friday July 4 on SBS.
TV Guide
SATURDAY 28
[Seven/9:30pm] Super Troupers: Thirty Years Of ABBA. And all without Agnetha turning up for the reunion. Rpt.
[ABC/10:10pm] Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday Concert. Hot off the satellite from Hyde Park, London is this HIV/AIDS fundraiser where an audience of exactly 46,664 people (Mandela’s prison number) will watch Queen, Annie Lennox, Simple Minds, Amy Winehouse, Sugababes, Shirley Bassey and Eminem. Speaking of Queen, Freddie Mercury: The Tribute Concert screens on ABC2 Monday at 10:25pm.
SUNDAY 29
[ABC/7:30pm] Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned. This 70 minute Christmas telemovie merges many things: Kylie Minogue, the Titanic, and a disaster movie homage to the Poseidon Adventure. It pulls it all off with spectacular aplomb. A grand ride, sustained by stirring music, an accomplished performance by Kylie, some cackling supporting players, and David Tennant glueing it all together with zest. Next week, the new series.
[Nine/8:30pm] CSI. If, like me your interest in corpses on the slab is rarely piqued, this brazen stunt by CBS, when writers from CSI and Two and a Half Men swapped duties for the week, may entertain. Katy Sagal stars as a sitcom diva found dead in Las Vegas. The tongue is planted firmly in cheek with cameos and loads of in-jokes.
[Seven/8:30pm] Private Practice. Premiere. Addison’s move to an alternative medical centre in LA is kinda the undergrad version of Grey’s Anatomy, though she does appear to be less serioso. Under writer Shonda Rhimes, it’s not about to move far from its safe storytelling via romance, jeopardy, panic, sexy docs and catchy soundtrack. Followed by the premiere of Lipstick Jungle.
[MovieExtra/9:30pm] The L Word. Now we’re into Series Four and Cybill Shepherd joins the cast as Bette’s new boss. I was kinda hoping she’d still have her Moonlighting Vaseline lens on the camera but I lucked out.
[Nine/11:45pm] Movie: Carrington (UK 1995). Uneven romantic drama about painter Dora Carrington’s (Emma Thompson) true life affection for gay writer Lytton Strachey (Jonathan Pryce) during WWI. Rpt.
MONDAY 30
[Seven/8:30pm] City Homicide. New Series. Seven’s ‘well-made’ cop show owes a lot to Blue Heelers and Homicide but it holds up thanks to its ensemble cast including Nadine Garner, Daniel McPherson (mmm) and Damien Richardson. Bound to be a big year.
[Seven/11:30pm] 30 Rock. I almost mistook tonight’s guest appearance by Carrie Fisher for Margot Kidder. She stars as a veteran TV scriptwriter: “I grew up wanting to be Samantha Stevens on Bewitched, but the closest I got was being married to a gay guy for two years.”
TUESDAY 1
[Seven/8:30pm] World’s Got Talent. Premiere. Following the Aussie Grand Final is Simon Cowell’s international edition, which, darn it, will probably have some gobsmacking footage, possibly just underlining the fact we’re under par here. Dannii gets another gig. Oh, and Cowell is also on Top Gear this week.
THURSDAY 3
[ABC/8:00pm] Catalyst. Last week was for the boys; now it’s the girls’ turn as
Dr Roberts takes a look at an MRI of her own internal organs to help explain exactly where you can find the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus and other girlie bits.
www.tvtonight.com.au
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