Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writers:

Paul Mazursky (written by) and
Larry Tucker (written by)

Release Date:

16 January 1970 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice request the company of your pleasure.

Plot:

Documentary film-maker Bob Saunders and his wife Carol attend a group therapy session that serves as the backdrop for the opening scenes of the film...

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Foursome | Sex | Therapy | Infidelity

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Natalie Wood	...	Carol Sanders
Robert Culp	...	Bob Sanders
Elliott Gould	...	Ted Henderson
Dyan Cannon	...	Alice Henderson
Horst Ebersberg	...	Horst
Lee Bergere	...	Emilio
Donald F. Muhich	...	Psychiatrist
Noble Lee Holderread Jr.	...	Sean Sanders
K.T. Stevens	...	Phyllis
Celeste Yarnall	...	Susan
Lynn Borden	...	Cutter
Linda Burton	...	Stewardess
Greg Mullavey	...	Group Leader
Andre Philippe	...	Oscar
Diane Berghoff	...	Myrna

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) | UK:X | West Germany:16 | France:-16 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | USA:R | Australia:M | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Donald F. Muhich, who played Alice Henderson's therapist, was director Paul Mazursky's real-life therapist. He later appeared in three other Mazursky films.

Goofs:

Continuity: In Dyan Cannon's scene with the psychiatrist, the large ashtray on the couch moves from her right to her left and back again.

Quotes:

Carol Sanders: My DARLING, you did NOT cheat, you TOLD me about it. If you HADN'T told me about it, THAT would have been cheating!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: The Dad Who Knew Too Little (#14.8)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

I need to be be'd with

Classic from Paul Mazursky

Underrated director Paul Mazursky's satiric hit film deals with two couples facing the let-it-all-hang-out, '60's counterculture attitude. The title seems part of today's culture but not the film itself; that being the case, it's too bad because there's buried treasure here. Dyan Cannon creates some magic with her bitchy, uptight Alice: memorable, seemingly improvised therapy scenes where the character's awkward communication skills are highlighted ring very true-as does her frustration near the end when she tries to initiate the orgy. A bedroom scene between Alice and Ted (Elliot Gould) is played with pitch-perfect comedic timing and showcases both actor's ability to balance seriousness and lunacy. Ms. Cannon won the NY Film Critics Best Supporting Actress Award and both she and Mr. Gould were nominated for Academy Awards; a feat almost unheard of for work done in a comedy.

Robert Culp's Bob and Natalie Wood's Carol balance quite nicely; Mr. Culp is square-jawed sexy with a slight deadpan delivery while Miss Wood was at the height of her looks and popularity. Displaying a knock-out figure and wide bedroom eyes, she's obviously game for the comedy as well as the sexual undercurrent. Their deluded characters set the ball rolling and score in their own setpieces: the bedroom confession that's played out on the bathroom floor, the discovery of Carol's mid-afternoon romp with a stammering tennis pro. When all four lead unite in the Las Vegas hotel room, a sequence begins that exudes hilarity, sexuality, uncomfortability, and ultimately, a bittersweet melancolia topped by a Fellini-esque finale. It's a great movie.