Polyester
“It’s Scentsational!”
Synopsis
Blessed with a keen sense of smell and cursed with a philandering pornographer husband, a parasitic mother, and a pair of delinquent children, the long-suffering Francine Fishpaw turns to the bottle as her life falls apart -- until deliverance appears in the form of a hunk named Todd Tomorrow. Originally screened with "Odorama" scratch and sniff cards so the audience could (at their own risk) smell along with the film.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
John Waters' POLYESTER TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2021-08-09
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Divine
Francine Fishpaw
Tab Hunter
Todd Tomorrow
Edith Massey
Cuddles Kovinsky
David Samson
Elmer Fishpaw
Mary Garlington
Lu-Lu Fishpaw
Ken King
Dexter Fishpaw
Mink Stole
Sandra Sullivan
Joni Ruth White
La Rue
Hans Kramm
Heintz
Stiv Bators
Bo-Bo Belsinger
Rick Breitenfeld
Dr. Arnold Quackenshaw
Michael Watson
Freddy Ashton
Derek Neal
Pimp
Jean Hill
Gospel Bus Hijacker
Jim Hill
Picket Reporter
John Brothers
TV News Announcer
Mary Vivian Pearce
Nun A
Sharon Niesp
Nun B
Release History & Theatrical Window
Fantasia Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
May 29, 1981
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$300K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1.1M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
3.73x
+$820K net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Waters
- Screenplay & Story
- Debbie Harry, John Waters
- Original Score
- Michael Kamen
- Original Title
- Polyester
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- Mandarin, English
- Runtime
- 1h 26m
- Production Budget
- $300K
- Worldwide Gross
- $1.1M
- Production Studios
- New Line Cinema, Dreamland, Michael White Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Waters
Debbie Harry, John Waters
Michael Kamen
David Insley
Charles Roggero
Robert Shaye, John Waters, Michael White
Department Leadership Roster
John Waters
Director
David Insley
Director of Photography
John Waters
Producer
Charles Roggero
Editor
Michael Kamen
Original Music Composer
Van Smith
Costume Design
Michael White
Producer
John Waters
Writer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Polyester.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Polyester.
My Movies
Master List In Progress
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Polyester
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Polyester about?
Blessed with a keen sense of smell and cursed with a philandering pornographer husband, a parasitic mother, and a pair of delinquent children, the long-suffering Francine Fishpaw turns to the bottle as her life falls apart -- until deliverance appears in the form of a hunk named Todd Tomorrow. Originally screened with "Odorama" scratch and sniff cards so the audience could (at their own risk) smell along with the film.
Who directed Polyester?
Polyester was directed by John Waters.
Who stars in Polyester?
The principal cast of Polyester includes Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, David Samson, Mary Garlington.
When was Polyester released and how long is it?
Polyester was released in 1981 with a total runtime of 1h 26m.
What was the box office and production budget of Polyester?
Polyester had a reported production budget of $300K and grossed $1.1M at the worldwide box office (3.73 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Polyester?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Polyester was composed by Michael Kamen.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Polyester?
Polyester holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: TP; US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).