| Director | Ken Russell |
|---|---|
| Budget | $2.3 million |
| Box office | $3 million |
In the late 1920s at the low-rent, provincial Theatre Royal in Portsmouth, Hampshire new assistant stage manager Polly Browne helps the company prepare for a Saturday matinée performance of The Boy Friend; there is only a small audience, and the show's star Rita Monroe is absent. Among the company are former American child dancer Tommy, and the handsome but distant Tony Brockhurst as the male lead. Learning that Monroe has broken her ankle, director Max Mandeville has Polly take her place as she knows the show by heart. The situation is further complicated by the arrival of Hollywood talkie director Mr. De Thrill, who is considering adapting The Boy Friend to film. The musical follows the romantic escapades of "Polly" after meeting the handsome "Tony" at a continental villa, both wealthy but pretending poverty to find true love; the events of the musical begin intertwining with backstage happenings.
De Thrill's presence makes Max anxious−prompting him to imagine parts of the musical as a lavish Hollywood production−and escalates existing tensions within the company, especially ambitious chorus girl Maisie. The nervous Polly is helped through the first act by sympathetic stage hands and fellow performers, and receives further encouragement from Monroe when she visits backstage. As "Polly" and "Tony" conduct their comedic romance on-stage, the real Polly and Tony show attraction for each other. At the intermission, Polly sings to a picture of him; she is heard by De Thrill, although Maisie sabotages his talk with her in an effort to ingratiate herself. When Polly sees Tony apparently flirting with chorus girl Dulcie, she assumes the worst and is heartbroken.
During the second and third acts, Polly remains depressed and suspicious of Tony. Tommy and the other men in the company take revenge on Maisie for her antics by ruining their joint number on-stage, and the attempts to impress De Thrill grow increasingly farcical. During the show's finale, the unhappy Polly—whose character is dressed as Pierrette for a party and bereft of her Pierrot-costumed lover—is comforted by Tony on stage in his role. In an unscripted section, Tony and Dulcie present Polly with a cake on which Tony declares his love for Polly. This brings both the real life and musical love stories to a happy conclusion.
As the show ends, Polly is congratulated by most of the company and notices a genuinely moved Monroe leaving the audience in tears, realizing that she has done well as an understudy. Ultimately De Thrill decides not to adapt the show, but leaves his card for Polly inviting her to Hollywood. Maisie is certain De Thrill will take her, but De Thrill recognizes Tommy as his long lost son and departs with him instead. Polly is given De Thrill's card, but decides to stay with Tony.