La Cage aux Folles (film)
La Cage aux Folles ([la kaʒ o fɔl], also released as Birds of a Feather) is a 1978 comedy film directed by Édouard Molinaro, based on Jean Poiret's 1973 play of the same name. It stars Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault as a gay couple operating a drag nightclub in a French resort town, Rémi Laurent as the former's son, and Michel Galabru and Carmen Scarpitta as his new fiancée's ultra-conservative parents. The French-language picture was a Franco-Italian co-production by United Artists.
| La Cage aux Folles | |
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French theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Édouard Molinaro |
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| Based on | La Cage aux Folles 1973 play by Jean Poiret |
| Produced by | Marcello Danon |
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| Cinematography | Armando Nannuzzi |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Ennio Morricone |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
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| Language | French |
| Budget | $1.1 million |
| Box office | $20.4 million |
The film was released in Italy on 20 October 1978 and in France on 25 October. A considerable commercial success, it became one of the highest-grossing foreign-language films released in the United States. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for three Oscars: Best Director (Molinaro), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Costume Design. Michel Serrault won the César Award for Best Actor. It was followed by two sequels, with Tognazzi, Serrault, Galabru, and Luke reprising their roles. The 1983 musical and the 1996 American film The Birdcage were adapted from the same source material.