French Dressing

French Dressing

Year: 1964

Runtime: 86 mins

Language: English

Director: Ken Russell

Comedy

The Film With a Lot of Body! A deck-chair attendant at a British resort promotes a film festival featuring a French sexpot.

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Timeline & Setting – French Dressing (1964)

Explore the full timeline and setting of French Dressing (1964). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Gormleigh, Boulogne

Gormleigh is a flagging seaside resort town in Britain where Jim works as a deckchair attendant. He conceives a film festival to revive tourism, transforming the town's sleepy, old-fashioned atmosphere with spectacle. The plan travels across the Channel to Boulogne, France, to recruit Françoise Fayol and set the stage for a cross-Channel celebration that becomes the film’s centerpiece.

🏖️ Seaside town 🎪 Festival setting 🚢 Channel crossing

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:50

Main Characters – French Dressing (1964)

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Jim Stephens (James Booth)

A deckchair attendant in the seaside town who schemes to revive local tourism by proposing a film festival. He enjoys an easy life with his girlfriend Judy and becomes romantically involved with Françoise Fayol, balancing playful manipulation with determined ambition.

🎬 Festival planning 🌊 Seaside town 💡 Opportunistic charm

Françoise Fayol (Marisa Mell)

A French film star frustrated by typecasting who seeks intellectual and artistic roles. She travels to Britain with Jim and Henry Liggott, forms a wary friendship with Jim, and returns to boost the festival, all while fearing how she will be seen on screen.

🎭 Star persona 🗺️ Cross-cultural exchange 💃 Break from typecasting

Henry Liggott (Roy Kinnear)

The entertainments manager who pushes the festival idea forward while navigating mayoral pressure. He supports Fayol's involvement to revitalize the town and ultimately helps steer the project to its public spectacle.

🎭 City official 🤝 Partnership 🗺️ Town revival

Judy (Alita Naughton)

Jim's girlfriend, a young reporter on the local paper who champions the festival and grows increasingly jealous as Jim's attention shifts toward Fayol. Her perspective adds a personal contrast to the town's public transformation.

📰 Journalist 💔 Romantic tension 🌊 Seaside life

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:50

Major Themes – French Dressing (1964)

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🎬 Celebrity

A glamorous celebrity atmosphere arrives in a small town when Françoise Fayol is courted to attend the film festival, triggering a media spectacle that disrupts everyday life. The town learns to chase headlines and tourist money, sometimes at the expense of its traditions. The festival becomes a catalyst for change, highlighting the pull of fame on local communities.

🎭 Identity

Françoise Fayol seeks agency beyond being a sex symbol, wanting meaningful roles. Jim and Henry's plan brings Fayol into the town, where she experiences life outside her usual image and contemplates her artistic future. The dynamic explores how public identity clashes with private aspirations.

🏖️ Change

The town's old guard resists novelty while new entertainment brings crowds and controversy. Rival mayors trigger a brawl that disrupts the festival, testing the community's resolve to adapt. The nudist beach opening marks a bold shift toward a more liberal, tourist-driven future.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:50

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French Dressing Summary

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French Dressing Summary

French Dressing Timeline

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French Dressing Timeline

More About French Dressing

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French Dressing (1964) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

French Dressing (1964) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

French Dressing (1964) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow