Guest:
Sara Shea
Host and Creator of Shea Cinema; @sheacinema on X, IG
Previously on 12 Angry Men (1957) Revisit, Barry Lyndon (1975)
Cast:
Hal Ashby, Director
Robert Towne, Writer
Paul Simon, Music
Warren Beatty, Writer/George Roundy
Julie Christie as Jackie Shawn
Goldie Hawn as Jill Haynes
Lee Grant as Felicia Karpf
Jack Warden as Lester Karpf
Tony Bill as Johnny Pope
Jay Robinson as Norman
George Furth as Mr. Pettis
Randy Scheer as Dennis Lolly
Susanna Moore as Gloria
Carrie Fisher as Lorna Karpf
Background:
Shampoo was released on February 11, 1975.
Shampoo was met with mixed critical results, but was an audience hit making $60 million internationally on a $4 million budget and finishing #3 at the box office for 1975.
The film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor (Warden), Original Screenplay (Towne and Beatty), and Art Direction while winning for Best Supporting Actress (Grant).
In 2000, Shampoo made AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs – #47
Shampoo currently holds a 73% among critics on RT, a 65 score on Metacritic, and a 3.4/5 on Letterboxd.
What is this movie about?/Elevator Pitch: Similar to the song Desperado, stop fucking around, and figure out what you actually want for your life.
Plot Summary: Shampoo is a sharp, bittersweet satire wrapped in the glitzy excess of late-'60s Beverly Hills. The film follows George Roundy (Beatty), a womanizing hairdresser whose ambition is undercut by his inability to resist the charms of his wealthy clientele. On the eve of the 1968 presidential election, George juggles a tangled web of lovers—including his current girlfriend (Goldie Hawn), his wealthy benefactor’s wife (Lee Grant), and his ex (Julie Christie)—all while trying to secure financial backing for his own salon.
Shampoo disguises its sharp political and social critique beneath a surface of sexual farce, letting the characters’ selfishness mirror the broader moral drift of the era. The film’s humor is sly but never mean-spirited, and its direction, full of casual elegance, ensures that even the most ridiculous moments feel authentic. By the film’s melancholic finale, Shampoo has revealed itself as more than just a sex comedy—it’s a lament for lost opportunities, both personal and political.
Did You Know:
The lead character was based on actual hairdressers Jay Sebring and Jon Peters.
Lovers off and on since 1967, Warren Beatty and Julie Christie broke up for good during the making of this movie. They remained friends and later worked together in Heaven Can Wait (1978).
Lee Grant claimed in her 2014 autobiography that "everyone knew" Goldie Hawn and Warren Beatty were sleeping together, even though he was still involved with Julie Christie.
Carrie Fisher said she was cast in the role, her film debut, mainly through family connections. She said when Warren Beatty ran lines with her, he did it whilst eating. She said the whole thing for her was a lark. She also admitted years later in an article she wrote for Rolling Stone magazine that star Beatty unsuccessfully propositioned her. According to Carrie Fisher, Warren Beatty had final say over her tennis outfit costume, including deciding if she should wear a bra underneath or not.
Best Performance: Jack Warden (Lester)/Warren Beatty (George/Writer)/Goldie Hawn (Jill)
Best Secondary Performance: Lee Grant (Felicia)/Carrie Fisher (Lorna)/Warren Beatty (George/Writer)
Most Charismatic Award: Jack Warden (Lester)/Goldie Hawn (Jill)
Best Scene:
Meeting w/ Lester
Election Night Dinner
After Party
Morning After
Proposal and Acopulco
Favorite Scene: Election Night Dinner/Meeting Lorna
Most Indelible Moment: Proposal and Acopulco
In Memorium:
Olga James, 95, American singer and actress (Carmen Jones, Mr. Wonderful, The Bill Cosby Show)
Ken Flores, 28, American comedian
Dick Button, 95, American figure skater, Olympic champion (1948, 1952), five-time world champion; Olympic commentator.
Best Lines/Funniest Lines:
George Roundy: Let's face it, I fucked 'em all. I mean, that's what I do. That's why I went to beauty school. I mean, they're always there and I-I just can't I-I, you know, I - I don't know what I'm apologizing for. So, sometimes I fuck 'em. I go into that shop and they're so great lookin', you know, and I - I doing their hair and they feel great and they smell great. Or, I could be out on the street, you know, and I could just stop at a stoplight or go into an elevator or - I - it's a beautiful girl - I - I don't know - I mean, that's it! It makes my day. I mean, it makes me feel like I'm gonna live forever.
George Roundy: Christ, they're women aren't they! Have you ever listened to women talk, man? Do you? Cause I do until it's running out of my ears. I mean, I'm on my feet all day long listening to women talk and they only talk about one thing - how some guy fucked 'em over. That's all that's on their minds. That's all I ever hear about.
George Roundy: I don't fuck anybody for money. I do it for the fun.
George Roundy: Last night I had a dream. I was 50 years old and I was supposed to meet Jill at the shop. It scared the hell out of me.
Jackie Shawn: Why?
George Roundy: I can't imagine being with Jill when I'm 50 years old. I can't imagine not being with you.
Jackie Shawn: Who does he think I am? Some cigar that he's got between his teeth?
Jill: Are you married?
Johnny Pope: Sometimes. But, eh, not at the moment.
Lester: I just wish I knew what the hell I was living for. You can lose it all, you know. I mean, you can lose it no matter who you are. What's the sense of having it all. Market went down 10 points last week. God damn, Lyndon Johnson. Well, maybe Nixon will be better. What's the difference? They're all a bunch of jerks.
Jill: The only way you're going to get money out of a bank is to rob one.
George Roundy: Jill, I'm trying to get things moving.
Jill: Oh, grow up! You never stop moving! You never go anywhere! Grow up! Grow up - grow up!
Jill: I don't want girls looking at me and knowing and me not knowing. It will help me if you tell me because then I will know that you've lied and you're incapable of love and that'll help me.
George: I don't trust anybody but you.
The Stanley Rubric:
Legacy: 3.5
Impact/Significance: 8.5
Novelty: 4
Classic-ness: 2.5
Rewatchability: 1.83
Audience Score: 6.3 (70% Google, 56% RT)
Total: 26.63
Remaining Questions:
Why so much focus on Richard Nixon here?
Would Jackie have been happier with Lester or George?
Does George end up with a successful salon of his own?
Listener Questions:
@revalmanac:
Dana, can you name all the different kinds of pasta you know in Bubba Gump style?
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