So, I always felt like James Garner isn't REALLY sure Julie Andrews is a girl until she admits "I'm not a man." But then again, he does peep on her in the bathtub. True, he sees her from the back, but getting into the tub...I'd just think it would be made pretty clear she's a girl. Someone help?
Well, obviously he always has trouble accepting that Victor is a man, for various reasons.
But it is when he watches her get into the bath tub that he really knows. And, yes, he does know at that point. That's why he gets that smug grin on his face when he sees her get into the tub.
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Seems highly improbable, as 'X-ray Eyes' hadn't yet been invented. (Not too may of them around currently,either- LOL.)
shareThis film was great, but its only problem was that scene of Marchand spying on Victoria in the bath. Like Wikipedia says, it rather undermines King’s declaration of love to Victoria (“I don’t care if you are a man.”). if the film is re-released it deserves to be cut out, but would sadly require cutting out the whole (funnier) incident of Squash in the cold.
07/08/06... 786... the sentinel of Allah has arrived.
According to the trivia section:
Director Blake Edwards admitted in an interview that he "chickened out", and added the scene in which King Marchand (James Garner) discovers that Victoria (Julie Andrews) is indeed a woman. Originally he was to fall in love with Victoria BEFORE he was sure about her gender, hence his line "I don't care if you are a man" before he kisses her.
"I don't want to make trouble, all I want is a drink."
I've seen this movie probably more than a dozen times (one of my favorites) and I've never taken the line "I don't care if you are a man" to be anything more than King just playing along with "Victor" since he obviously already knows "he's" a "she." King was just being playful with her. Absolutely no reason to cut it out of the film. As far as the other question of whether or not King could really see Victoria was a woman as she undressed, even if he only saw her from the back he still would have seen her actually climb into the tub, right? :P
shareAlso, in the fancy restaurant while Toddy goes over to flirt with Squash, King asks Victoria 'what is the attraction?', even though he knows that Victoria is a woman and Toddy is a gay man. It seems that King wants to see how far she'll carry on the charade.
I need three days notice to "Have a wank."
Moviebuf you got that exactly right. He knows, but he also knows she doesnt know he knows -- lol. Great picture in every way.
shareI agree. Not only would it have been more interesting if he remained unsure, the bathtub scene is sort of creepy and makes Marchand into a Peeping Tom. Does he ever tell her that's how he found out? I'm not sure she'd want to be with him if she knew!
shareAnd the other thing I wanted to happen was after they were in bed, talking, and it became clear that Marchand was homophobic "Victor" should have said, "but wait a minute...you were going to kiss me even though you THOUGHT I was a man! IN fact you said, 'oh I don't care if you are a man!' so what was that all about?" I wanted more delving into the situation.
And yes it was very creepy that he was looking at her as she got into the tub. I doubt if he ever tells her, though...that would be romantic suicide.
He knows when they meet for the first time in "Victor's" dressing room. He watches as "Victor" shakes Norma's hand. While the other men are kissing Norma's hand he is staring into "Victor's" eyes with a "that's the proper way a man greets a woman", because "Victor" didn't do that to Norma when he/she greeted her.
shareOh yes, that´s right! Not to mention, that Victor is supposedly a Polish nobleman, who would definitely kiss a woman´s hand - Polish men do it till this time.
shareThe fact that King doesn't know is definitely the way that scene was acted and played by Garner and Andrews (and it's a lovely scene by both actors at the top of their game).
The "peeping tom" in the bathtub sequence was added after, and I honestly just ignore it. I really dislike the sequence, it always smacked to me of studio hysteria. I really suspect it wasn't Blake who panicked, shot and added it in afterward so much as the studio requiring him to because they were freaking out about Garner really thinking he was kissing a man.
Edwards admitted that -- as shot originally -- King doesn't know the truth for sure in that scene. So for me, the movie only works if King is sincere in that moment with Victoria -- it's a wonderful moment, and is a big deal (and quite a leap) for King's character, and much more interesting than just assuming that he's being sneaky and pretending.
I also think it's no coincidence that the Broadway musical version, which came after, omitted the "peeping Tom bathtub" confirmation entirely. The story just doesn't need it, and I always ignore it in watching the movie.
What's interesting is that Edwards could have recut it so that King tries to sneak in but Toddy and Victoria come back and he sneaks back out (with no bathroom scene), and then we still see Squash get locked out, etc. (which is a cute sequence).
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I keep thinking I'm a grownup, but I'm not.