Prudence and the Pill (1968)

The conflicting and comical attempts by a wealthy London banker and his mistress, together with four other couples, to avoid pregnancy by using contraceptive pills.

Directors:

Fielder Cook, Ronald Neame (uncredited)

Writers:

Hugh Mills (screenplay), Hugh Mills (novel)

Stars:

Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Robert Coote

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Deborah Kerr	...	Prudence Hardcastle
David Niven	...	Gerald Hardcastle
Robert Coote	...	Henry Hardcastle
Irina Demick	...	Elizabeth Brett
Joyce Redman	...	Grace Hardcastle
Judy Geeson	...	Geraldine Hardcastle
Keith Michell	...	Dr. Alan Huart
Edith Evans	...	Lady Roberta Bates
David Dundas	...	Tony Bates
Vickery Turner	...	Rose the Maid
Hugh Armstrong	...	Ted the Chauffeur
Peter Butterworth	...	Chemist
Moyra Fraser	...	Woman in Tea Shop
Annette Kerr	...	Gerald's Secretary
Harry Towb	...	Racetrack Official

Storyline

Prudence Hardcastle (Deborah Kerr) is on the pill. So is her sister-in-law, but someone has been swapping aspirin for their pills. Is it the teenage niece, the maid, the chauffeur, a lover, Prudence's husband Gerald (David Niven), or all of the above?

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Plot Keywords:

hot | sex scene | farce | name in title | female name in title | 

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Taglines:

The first comedy about the pill!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hayley Mills was named as a cast member early on, presumably for role eventually played by Judy Geeson.

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Quotes

[Prudence is engrossed in watching a Western on television. Gerald is bored with it and starts to talk to her]
Prudence Hardcastle: Oh, Gerald, do you mind. I'm trying to follow the plot.
Gerald Hardcastle: [scathingly] I'm sorry. I didn't realise there *was* one.

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Soundtracks

The Morning After
Written by Bernard Ebbinghouse
Performed by The Bernard Ebbinghouse Orchestra

User Reviews

How could anyone mistake a birth control pill for an aspirin or vitamin?!

The main idea behind "Prudence and the Pill" is one that doesn't make sense to me. While birth control pills might have looked VERY different in the UK in the 1960s, all the ones I've seen look absolutely nothing like aspirins or vitamins--which are much, much larger. So how could people be replacing another person's birth control pills with aspirins without anyone realizing it?

This 1960s sex comedy stars Deborah Kerr and David Niven...both of which made quite a few sophisticated sex comedies in the 1950s and 60s (such as the horrible CASINO ROYALE, BEDTIME STORY and THE GRASS IS GREENER). In this film, Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle have an open marriage and both have their lovers. In addition, Mrs. Hardcastle's niece (Judy Geeson) is sleeping with her boyfriend. However, someone is messing with these ladies' birth control pills and soon complications ensue.

Like most of the sex comedies of the era, this film talks a lot about sex (or, more rightly, INSINUATING a lot about sex) without really showing or saying much at all. Racy stuff for the time...very tame stuff when seen today. So, while it portrays folks who have affairs and premarital sex, it's done with 60s sensibilities--being both extremely broad-minded AND old fashioned at the same time.

So is this any good and is it worth seeing? Well, at least for me, no especially. I might have enjoyed it had it just been more interesting, made more sense or made me laugh. Plus, and I guess this makes me sound very prudish, but I thought the Hardcastles were a pathetic couple...and I really didn't care one bit about what happened with them. What was a kooky sex romp back in the day now just seems dated and sub-par despite the big-name stars in it.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 May 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Prudence and the Pill

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$3,570,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1