Divorce American Style (1967)

After 17 years, things have got too predictable and stale. They argue, they visit a marriage counselor, Richard (drunk) visits a prostitute. They split up. After meeting other people, they ... See full summary »

Director:

Bud Yorkin

Writers:

Robert Kaufman (story), Norman Lear (screenplay)

Stars:

Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds, Jason Robards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dick Van Dyke	...	Richard Harmon
Debbie Reynolds	...	Barbara Harmon
Jason Robards	...	Nelson Downes
Jean Simmons	...	Nancy Downes
Van Johnson	...	Al Yearling
Joe Flynn	...	Lionel Blandsforth
Shelley Berman	...	David Grieff
Martin Gabel	...	Dr. Zenwinn
Lee Grant	...	Dede Murphy
Pat Collins	...	Herself
Tom Bosley	...	Farley
Emmaline Henry	...	Fern Blandsforth
Richard Gautier	...	Larry Strickland (as Dick Gautier)
Tim Matheson	...	Mark Harmon (as Tim Matthieson)
Gary Goetzman	...	Jonathan Harmon

Storyline

After 17 years, things have got too predictable and stale. They argue, they visit a marriage counselor, Richard (drunk) visits a prostitute. They split up. After meeting other people, they are re-united at a night club where they realize that their marriage was better than their divorce.

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | hypnosis | pregnant | lawyer | divorce lawyer | 

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Taglines:

This Love Story Has Three Sides... His Side... Her Side... And the Inside!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Divorce à l'américaine

Filming Locations:

Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

National General Production Inc., Tandem Enterprises Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Debbie Reynolds, Shelley Morrison, and Eileen Brennan would all go on to have significant roles in Will & Grace.

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Goofs

When the lady hypnotist turns toward the audience in the nightclub, a puff of cigarette smoke goes in reverse.

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Quotes

Nelson Downes: I can imagine how anxious you must be to find the right woman. Your present wife a blonde maybe?
Richard Harmon: Ya, ya.
Nelson Downes: Well sir, a nice cool brunette would be just what the doctor ordered.

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Connections

Referenced in Suddenly Susan: Love and Divorce American Style: Part 3 (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Let's Fall in Love"
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by Ted Koehler
Sung partially by Pat Collins

User Reviews

"Divorce is an extremely sad and, uh, unpleasant business."

I'm amazed I made it past the first half hour of this, beyond the scene where Lee Grant plays a hooker as if she was Joe Flynn's temperamental, demanding fiancée.

The plot is preposterous—an abrupt divorce, contrived for no real reason, railroaded by opportunistic acquaintances and lawyers. What's even more contrived is the legal system, as pointed out in the IMDb review by "trudyr". This movie is one of those where the theme (divorce) suddenly redefines the entire world. Everybody's divorced-- oh, and by the way, the kids are just fine with it. In one scene, a mishmash of men and women—1st husbands, 2nd husbands, ex wives, current wives, and all the combined children— leave a group picnic. It attempts Keystone Cops-style mayhem, and if that isn't funny enough (it isn't), wait for the punch line: they leave one kid behind because nobody is sure who's responsible for it.

The sad thing is that the four principals—Van Dyke, Reynolds, Robards, and Simmons—all do fine work. It's the only thing that raises this movie about the level of total disaster