How to Commit Marriage (1969)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Norman Panama

Writers:

Michael Kanin (writer)
Ben Starr (writer)

Release Date:

12 June 1970 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Bob Hope and Jackie Gleason request the honor of your presence at a swinging session on How to Commit Marriage.

Plot:

Young couple decide to live together and they wind up having a baby. They decide they should give the baby up for adoption. The baby's Mother's parents wind up adopting the baby using a fake name.

Plot Keywords:

Reference To Moby Dick | Beautiful Woman | Independent Film

Cast

Bob Hope	...	Frank Benson
Jackie Gleason	...	Oliver Poe
Jane Wyman	...	Elaine Benson
Leslie Nielsen	...	Phil Fletcher
Maureen Arthur	...	Lois Grey
Tina Louise	...	Laverne Baker
Tim Matheson	...	David Poe (as Tim Matthieson)
Paul Stewart	...	Willoughby
Irwin Corey	...	The Baba Ziba (as Professor Irwin Corey)
JoAnna Cameron	...	Nancy Benson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Glenn Corbett	...	Detective Sergeant Charlie Bancroft (archive footage)
Victoria Shaw	...	Christine Downs (archive footage)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG

Company:

Naho Productions

Trivia:

This movie is the film debut of the California progressive psychedelic hippie band "The Comfortable Chair", recording artists on CBS-Ode Records, whose six band members appear as themselves in the movie. They were discovered and produced by John Densmore and Robby Krieger of famous rock band The Doors. They are: Bernie Schwartz - lead vocals, Barbara Wallace - lead vocals, Gene Garfin - lead guitar, Gary Davis - bass guitar, Greg LeRoy - drums & percussion, and Tad Barczak - synthesizer & piano keyboards.

Quotes:

Lois Grey: Mrs. Benson, you're husband is a very attractive man, but just for the record I'm not in the habit of meeting a gentleman in his office at one o'clock and sleeping with him in his bed at three thirty.
Elaine Benson: I never accused you of sleeping with a gentleman.

Movie Connections:

Features The Crimson Kimono (1959)

What a Waste

When you see the names Bob Hope and Jackie Gleason, you pretty much expect and instant classic. Well this film was just the opposite, an instant dud. This film was obviously somebody's idea of trying to poke fun at the hippie culture of the 1960's and the whole idea of free love. Unfortunately, by the time this film was made, everything was out of date, even the music and the fashions. You could pretty much tell by this film that Bob Hope's film career was pretty much at an end and that he was ready to concentrate on television. Also, Jane Wyman is pretty much a waste in this film as well as Tim Matheson (its hard to believe he would survive this film and make one of the great comedies of the 70's, Animal House). Also, you pretty much can tell that everyone was just in it for a paycheck. This is one film that definitely hasn't aged well.

Also, WHO THE HELL WERE THE COMFORTABLE CHAIR?