The Love God? (1969)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Nat Hiken

Writer:

Nat Hiken (writer)

Release Date:

August 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

So many women... Not enough man.

Plot:

Abner Audubon Peacock (Don Knotts) is the publisher of a bird-watcher's magazine which is converted into a girlie mag by an unscrupulous operator Osborn Tremaine (Edmond O'Brien). |

Plot Keywords:

Playboy | Sex | Male Female Relationship | Magazine Publisher | Love

Cast

Don Knotts	...	Abner Audubon Peacock IV
Anne Francis	...	Lisa LaMonica
Edmond O'Brien	...	Osborn Tremaine (end credits: Osborn Tremain)
James Gregory	...	Darrell Evans Hughes
Maureen Arthur	...	Evelyn Tremaine (end credits: Eleanor Tremain)
Maggie Peterson	...	Rose Ellen Wilkerson
Jesslyn Fax	...	Miss Love
Jacques Aubuchon	...	Carter Fenton
Marjorie Bennett	...	Miss Pickering
Jim Boles	...	Amos Peacock
Ruth McDevitt	...	Miss Keezy
Roy Stuart	...	Joe Merkel
Herb Voland	...	Atty. Gen. Frederick Snow
James Westerfield	...	Rev. Wilkerson
Bob Hastings	...	Shrader

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sex-related material.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:12 (re-rating) (2006) | UK:A (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (1996)

Company:

Universal Pictures

Quotes:

Evelyn Tremaine: That's the dirtiest thing I ever heard in my life!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "My Three Sons: The Love God (#11.15)" (1971)

Soundtrack:

Mr. Peacock

The People versus Don Knotts

Clean and decent ornithologist Don Knotts (as Abner Peacock IV) is about to see his poor-selling bird-watching magazine peck it in. Meanwhile, smut-peddling publisher Edmond O'Brien (as Osborne Tremain) loses his magazine's license, due to pornographic content. To continue printing his bosomy babes, O'Brien tricks Knotts into turning over his periodical's editorial content. After sending Knotts off on safari, O'Brien turns the tame "Peacock's Magazine" into a titillating masturbatory aide.

Knotts returns to find himself corralled into becoming the defendant in a "free speech" case. With assistance from enterprising editor Anne Francis (as Lisa La Monica), Knotts is transformed into a Hugh Hefner-type publishing giant. Then, Ms. Francis falls in love with playboy Knotts...

Knotts can't help but be funny; this particular characterization was perfected in his role of "Mr. Furley" on the TV series "Three's Company". His "Abner Peacock" is little less sure, perhaps necessarily so, considering the times. Note, the screeching and shouting was not part of Knotts' later routine. Under-appreciated writer/director Nat Hiken cleverly mixes satire and sexy women. "The Love God?" is colorful, and features a delightful supporting cast. Unfortunately, by the last act, the film's direction, and humor, has pointedly unraveled.

***** The Love God? (1969) Nat Hiken ~ Don Knotts, Anne Francis, Edmond O'Brien