The Stepford Wives (1975)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Bryan Forbes

Writers:

Ira Levin (novel)
William Goldman (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 February 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Something strange is happening in the town of Stepford.

Plot:

Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents.

Plot Keywords:

Robot | Cleaning | Housework | Photographer | Secret

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Katharine Ross	...	Joanna Eberhart
Paula Prentiss	...	Bobbie Markowe
Peter Masterson	...	Walter Eberhart
Nanette Newman	...	Carol Van Sant
Tina Louise	...	Charmaine Wimpiris
Carol Eve Rossen	...	Dr. Fancher (as Carol Rossen)
William Prince	...	Ike Mazzard
Carole Mallory	...	Kit Sunderson
Toni Reid	...	Marie Axhelm
Judith Baldwin	...	Patricia Cornell
Barbara Rucker	...	Mary Ann Stravros
George Coe	...	Claude Axhelm
Franklin Cover	...	Ed Wimpiris
Robert Fields	...	Raymond Chandler
Michael Higgins	...	Mr. Cornell
Josef Sommer	...	Ted Van Sant (as Josef Somer)
Paula Trueman	...	Welcome Wagon Lady
Martha Greenhouse	...	Mrs. Kirgassa
Simon Deckard	...	Dave Markowe
Remak Ramsay	...	Mr. Atkinson
Mary Stuart Masterson	...	Kim Eberhart
Ronny Sullivan	...	Amy Eberhart
John Aprea	...	Young Cop
Matt Russo	...	Moving Man 1
Anthony Crupi	...	Moving Man 2
Kenneth McMillan	...	Market Manager
Dee Wallace	...	Nettie
Tom Spratley	...	Charlie the Doorman
Patrick O'Neal	...	Dale Coba
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Emma Forbes	...	Alison Van Sant (uncredited)
Dennis Kear	...	Young Grocery Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Bryan Forbes

Writing credits
Ira Levin		(novel)
William Goldman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gustave M. Berne	....	executive producer
Roger M. Rothstein	....	associate producer
Edgar J. Scherick	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Small

Cinematography by
Enrique Bravo
Owen Roizman

Film Editing by
Timothy Gee

Casting by
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Gene Callahan

Set Decoration by
Robert Drumheller

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Andy Ciannella	....	makeup artist
Romaine Greene	....	hair stylist
Dick Smith	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Neil A. Machlis	....	unit manager (as Neil Machlis)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Haley	....	second assistant director (as Mike Haley)
Peter R. Scoppa	....	first assistant director (as Peter Scoppa)

Art Department
Don Bachardy	....	draughtsman
Stanley Cappiello	....	scenic artist
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	property master

Sound Department
Janet Davidson	....	sound editor
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor
James Sabat	....	sound mixer
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Enrique Bravo	....	camera operator
Muky	....	still photographer
Gary Muller	....	second assistant camera
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	first assistant camera
Dusty Wallace	....	gaffer
Robert Ward	....	key grip (as Bob Ward)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Peggy Farrell	....	wardrobe
George Newman	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Patrick McMahon	....	assistant editor
Irving Rathner	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Suzanne Ciani	....	musician: electronic music
Michael Small	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Raymond Hartwick	....	transportation

Other crew
B.J. Bjorkman	....	script supervisor
Martin Fribush	....	executive: Fadsin Cinema Associates
Shari Leibowitz	....	production secretary
Gaetano Lisi	....	production assistant (as Tom Lisi)
Kay Summersby	....	fashion consultant
Robert Ellis	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Fadsin Cinema Associates
• Palomar Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• VideoFilmes (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Lloyd Zeiderman & Assoc.  location auditing
• Trans / Audio  sound re-recording

Runtime:

115 min | UK:100 min (2004 DVD release) | UK:110 min (2001 DVD release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Darien, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Fadsin Cinema Associates

Trivia:

Joanna Cassidy was cast on the role of "Bobbie" by producer Edgar J. Scherick and actually shot a few scenes, but was abruptly fired and replaced by Paula Prentiss, who had but recently given birth to her second child.

Goofs:

Continuity: As the Eberharts enter Stepford for the first time riding in their station wagon, Joanna's head scarf disappears and reappears several times as the scenes change.

Quotes:

Charmaine Wimperis: Ed never loved me. Sure, he married me because I look great and would make an impression on the other executives. He just NEVER loved me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ted (#2.11)" (1997)

Heaps better than the remake

I'm sure 'The Stepford Wives' spoke more to the audiences of 1975 than it does to the audiences of today, but this holds its own as decent, satisfying thriller. Really little more than a variation on 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers,' 'Stepford' follows that film's structure of slowly unspooling clues and suspicions and saving its bigger 'gotcha!' moments for the end. Katherine Ross was no doubt the star of this film, but Paula Prentiss really stood out for me. Gawky and enjoyable, she oddly predicted Geena Davis by a full generation. At one point in the film, my girlfriend commented of her wardrobe, 'Wow, can you imagine a grown woman today wearing a hot pant jumper?' The '70s… yikes!

I had the misfortune of both seeing the remake of 'The Stepford Wives' before seeing the original and *actually seeing* the remake of 'The Stepford Wives.' If the original serves any purpose, it is to expose the remake for the gutless, toothless, anemic waste of everyone's time that it is. God, what a terrible movie…