A Guide for the Married Man (1967)

A man gives his co-worker a series of lessons on how to cheat on one's wife without being caught.

Director:

Gene Kelly

Writers:

Frank Tarloff (book), Frank Tarloff (screenplay)

Stars:

Walter Matthau, Inger Stevens, Sue Ane Langdon

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Walter Matthau	...	Paul Manning
Inger Stevens	...	Ruth Manning
Sue Ane Langdon	...	Mrs. Irma Johnson
Jackie Russell	...	Miss Harris, Manning's Secretary
Robert Morse	...	Edward L. 'Ed' Stander
Aline Towne	...	Mousey Man's Wife
Claire Kelly	...	Harriet Stander
Eve Brent	...	Joe X's Blowsy Blonde
Marvin Brody	...	Taxi Driver
Majel Barrett	...	Mrs. Fred V.
Marian Mason	...	Mrs. Rance G.
Tommy Farrell	...	Rance G.'s Hanger On
Linda Harrison	...	Miss Stardust, Rance's New Girl
Jason Wingreen	...	Harry 'Big Fella' Johnson
Pat Becker	...	Party Guest

Storyline

Ed convinces his best friend Paul that he should fool around with other women in order to preserve his happy marriage. Ed illustrates his point with a series of vignettes acted out by a lot of famous celebrities. The joke of it all is that Paul is married to lovely Ruth!

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Plot Keywords:

marriage | farce | extramarital affair | liar | motel | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 May 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Guía para el hombre casado

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The New York Times critic noted in his review of this film on May 27, 1967, that "? of all the witty demonstrations, one of the most amusing..." in the film was when Jayne Mansfield loses her bra in the home of Terry-Thomas. The sex symbol's two-minute cameo was shot under great personal distress, however. Filmed in mid-December, 1966, at the time, Zoltan Hargitay - Mansfield's youngest son with Mickey Hargitay - was recovering from spinal meningitis at Conjeo Valley Community Hospital, after undergoing brain surgery resulting from his being mauled by a lion in a freak accident at the Jungleland Park in Thousand Oaks, CA, on November 26, 1966. Zoltan spent exactly one month in the hospital, returning home to Jayne's "Pink Palace" on that year's Christmas morning. And though several Mansfield films would be released after her untimely death six months later, the scenes in this one were, as an actress, Jayne Mansfield's final moments before the professional movie cameras.

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Quotes

Paul Manning: That's the trouble with Ruth, she's such a wonderful wife.
Ed Stander: Look Paul, if you care enough for your wife you can always find something about her you can't stand.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1 (1999)

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Soundtracks

"A Guide For The Married Man"
Performed by The Turtles
Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
Music by John Williams

User Reviews

Blows AMERICAN PIE right out of the pastry shop

If you think four teenage guys trying to "score" before prom night is funny, wait'll you see the hilarious lengths married men go to philander successfully! A GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN was the original raunchy sex comedy (without ever resorting to the vomit-inducing scatological humor of recent years), and even after 33 years it holds up fairly well. Walter Matthau plays a neurotic businessman who struggles to remain faithful to his wife while being tempted by his friend's seemingly foolproof program of sexual infidelity. Lots of one-liners and cartoonish humor, and Matthau gives us a character whom we can laugh at and identify with at the same time. One of the best sex comedies of all time, if only because the scene where Matthau is driven out onto the fire escape by a roomful of perky secretaries is ten times funnier than Jason Biggs jamming his nether regions into a baked good.