Time and time again the new 2007 movie ("John Travolta version") is repeated on telly and I would say to my friends "Have you ever seen the original version?" Then I would say it's good, but I just could not find the words to explain why anyone should watch it. It's a cult classic, you'd have to have a little knowledge of John Waters' other works, otherwise, you probably wouldn't enjoy it fully.

After all, the new production was based on John Waters' original, and things were meant to be different. As a Broadway musical, it had to be made cleaner, probably in a faster tempo, and be generally accepted. More glamour, sharpness, and campness were added. And of course, the great music including the killer finale tune "You Can't Stop The Beat".

And there was "Hairspray Live!" broadcast on NBC in December 2016, where Jennifer Hudson stole the show. She so stole it with her performance of "I Know Where I've Been" that the rest of everything seemed ridiculously overshadowed. The less than 5 minutes scene in her record shop where Ms Hudson sings as Motormouth Maybelle is so moving and well-worth watching.

Anyone who hasn't seen the 1988 version might wonder how the original Motormouth Maybelle sang the songs - she didn't. The character was played by R&B singer Ruth Brown but there was no part of her singing any songs. The original was not a musical - a movie with just some great songs thrown in. 

The new version of Hairspray is clean, clear, crisp, fast and light. All the "Yang" side of Ying & Yang. And that's what I probably didn't like about it for a long time before I finally realized the new Hairspray was the whole quality in its own right. This was this, and that was that.

Ricki Lake made her debut as the main character in this film and was made famous by it. She really was. What I mean is - no disrespect to any of the recent Tracy Turnblad but - now it may seem that any actress can get Tracy's role as long as they're big, young, and bubbly. But looking back at the time, it was the concept that was brilliant. "Who's this big girl? She's so likeable but how did they find her? Is she a real actress?"

John Waters has actually said in a recent interview that back in those days, a fat girl would never win a movie. "No fat girls ever even applied for movie roles. There was no movement for it. Today, they would be, which is good, and I think Hairspray did have a little something to do with it."

And as for Ricki Lake, her transformation and the rest of her career is history. She also made a cameo appearance in the 2007 film.

#3 John Waters' Clan

John Waters repeatedly cast the same actors/actresses in his films, so it's good to check them out. Apart from Devine, Mink Stole has a role as Corny Collins' assistant. Susan Lowe and Mary Vivian Pearce both appear in a small role. Sadly Edith Massey, who had always had enormous, filthy, out-of-mind roles, died in 1984, four years before Hairspray was released. 

#4 Other Star Appearances

All the new versions (musical, 2007 film, and NBC live) are kept high-profile by the big-name Hollywood actors, but the 1988 original is full of unique actors and singers.

• Debbie Harry: previously she wrote a theme tune for Polyester (1981) with her famous Blondie bandmate, Chris Stein. The tune is "very Blondie" by the way, and Polyester is one of John Waters' best! Debbie Harry appears as Amber's "evil mother", Velma Von Tussle.
• Jerry Stiller: Ben Stiller's father, is cast as Tracy's nice & funny father, Wilbur Turnblad. He re-appears in the 2007 version with a different role, Mr. Pinky from Hefty Hideaway clothing store.
• Sonny Bono: Franklin Von Tussle, Amber's father owns Tilted Acres "segregated" Amusement Park where Corny Collins Show is filmed.
• Ruth Brown: as Motormouth Maybelle, the "Queen of Baltimore Soul".
• Pia Zadora: as the Beatnik Chick and Ric Ocasek, singer from The Cars: as the Beatnik Cat.
• Josh Charles: it was his film debut, as one of the Corny Collins Show's auditioners. "Would you ever swim.....in an integrated swimming pool?"
• John Waters himself: as a psychiatrist, Dr. Fredrickson.

"Feeling depressed, Penny? Want to talk about it? Think of all the white boys in school, and how much you'd like to date one. Be a good little girl and slip this on. Shock treatments are the answer. Come here, Penny. Good girl. Good girl."

#5 Memorable Quotes

The "cinemascope" line is re-adopted in the new version. But the hilarious thing about John Waters' films is often "adding fuel to the flames" level of bitching and bullying, which would be morally inappropriate nowadays. Colleen Fitzpatrick who plays Amber, plays as such a spoilt bitch throughout so well.

Headmaster: Once again, your hairdois getting you in hot water. l'm afraid we're just going to have to change your homeroom. Starting today, you report to class 10-D, room 108.

Tracy: Special Ed?

Headmaster: Yes, Miss Turnblad, Special Education.

Tracy: But that's for retards! And the black kids you try to hold back.!

"She's adopted!"

Amber spreads false rumours about Tracy in the school. This is a memo that she's passing to her classmates.

Tracy: How do you get your hair so straight and so flat!?

Beatnik Chick: With an iron, man. I play my bongos, listen to Odetta, and then I iron my hair, dig! Let's do some reefer. We'll get high and I'll iron the chick's hair.

Tracy: Drugs!?

Beatnik Chick: Locoweed. When I'm high, I am Odetta. Let's get naked and smoke.

"Penny Pingleton, you know you were punished! From now on, you're wearing a giant "P" on your blouse every day to school, so that the whole world knows that Penny Pingleton is Permanently, Positively, Punished!"

"You are no longer my daughter! You are punished even after you die!"

... Quotes by Penny's mother, Prudence Pingleton.

"Well, personally, I have nothing against them (black people). It's merely a matter of economics."

Amber's racist father talking to a news reporter in the midst of a race riot in Tilted Acre. "In order to protect America"? Sounds a little familiar now.

Velma, Amber's mother plans to ruin the "Miss Auto Show Pageant" by hiding a bomb in her hair, but it blows up prematurely, leaving herself covered in black soot. Where was she actually going to plant the bomb anyway? We're in the 21st Century, the idea would have been nothing but a serious "act of terrorism". Tom & Jerry used to throw dynamites at each other and blow themselves up every week - gone are the days!

The thing is, Debbie Harry looking fuming (literally) with a smudge-face and her hair all over the place, actually looks like she's having a great time playing the evil mother there.

#7 The Theme Tune "Hairspray"

I feel pretty heartbroken by the fact that this original tune sung by Rachel Sweet seems totally buried by all the great songs from the musical. Every time we talk about Hairspray, this song's still repeatedly played in my head.

"Hairspray! My mama told me not to use it. Hairspray! But if I don't I'm gonna lose it. Hairspray! Gimme gimme control. Hairspray, it's got stand-up 'soul'.