In his day, producer Allan Carr was known as "flamboyant," a code word for gay. This was at a time when being openly gay in Hollywood could mean career suicide. Yet Carr (1937-99) flaunted his sexuality, which didn't stop him from rising to the upper echelons of the film industry when he produced "Grease" (1978), then the top-grossing movie musical of all time. Now filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz chronicles Carr's colorful life in "The Fabulous Allan Carr," an entertaining documentary available on digital platforms.
Carr was a plain-looking fat kid who was obsessed with Hollywood films of the 1930s and 40s. He yearned to bring that kind of glamour back to the screen and into his daily life. He often threw lavish parties during which Hollywood's elite would mingle with the young pretty boys of Carr's fantasies. He lavished gifts on these young men even as he wished that he could look like them. Carr was a lonely man. These parties were his personal life.
His flamboyance could often be a bit much for the conservative suits in Hollywood, but he was forgiven because he was a moneymaker. At a time when Ann-Margret's career was floundering, Carr became her manager and turned her into one of the highest-paid acts in Las Vegas.
But there were failures. After the unprecedented success of "Grease," Carr lost his touch when he produced the mega-bomb "Can't Stop the Music" (1981) starring the Village People. People also stayed away in droves from "Grease 2," Carr's sequel to his biggest hit. But Carr wasn't quite through. He won a Tony Award for bringing "La Cage Aux Folles" to Broadway. But his next big project, producing the overblown 1989 Oscars, resulted in Hollywood stars and directors signing a letter of protest to the Academy, effectively ending Carr's career.
Schwarz presents all these highs and lows in a fast-paced and enjoyable film. Carr's friends and colleagues' memories offer an intimate portrait of a complex man. Interviewees include Bruce Vilanch, director Randal Kleiser and choreographer Patricia Birch of "Grease," Steve Guttenberg and Valerie Perrine from "Can't Stop the Music," Lorna Luft, Michael Musto, Paramount Pictures executive Sherry Lansing, and others.
Carr's homosexuality was a big part of who he was. He's seen flaming on a late-70s appearance on "The Mike Douglas Show." Douglas looks uncomfortable. Carr obviously doesn't care.
"The Fabulous Allan Carr" is a look inside the life of a man who lived, worked and played on his own terms. He succeeded in Hollywood even as he refused to play the game. Available for viewing on iTunes, Amazon, Google and Vimeo.