Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story

As the clips became more plentiful, this became a not only deeply researched but also rather captivating portrait of a one-off — even if every time he sang one of his ditties I couldn’t get Monty Python’s “Penis Song” spoof out of my head.

The final invention, from uneducated to the highest paid writer in the world came through a means that still should be recommended to every child, no matter what their circumstances.

If anyone wants to take a mesmerising journey into matchless wit and style, watch Mad About the Boy, Barnaby Thompson’s documentary on Noël Coward.

This very enjoyable and informative documentary, directed by Barnaby Thompson, digs into the contradictions underpinning the life and work of one of the most prolific and versatile talents of the 20th century.

A suitably expansive look at a giant talent.

The film is really just a timeline, but even the most Wiki-ish telling of the Coward story bumps into so much 20th-century history, it is hard not to get hooked.

I saw documentaries, the majority of them excellent, about gay men, a maybe gay man, a bi woman, and a wobbly straight woman who is the ultimate gay icon. My very favorite of the bunch was Mad About the Boy: the Noel Coward Story

In the film's second half we get glimpses of a more self-reflective man, no longer popular at home and exploring a career between Las Vegas nightclub shows and a relaxed life in Jamaica.

An affectionate and respectful swing at a storied and fascinating life.

It draws on numerous starry observers both archival and newly-interviewed to commemorate a multimedia “master."