One of the last of the New York set sex comedies - though they continued a little longer on Broadway, I think, where you could be more risque. It has a decent central idea with plenty of potential - four businessmen who commute to Manhattan from Greenwich decide to pool resources and get a bachelor pad, and come into contact with Kim Novak, a sociology student who is studying them.
The movie has gloss, Michael Gordon directing, some star power, including Tony Randall who plays it the right tone. I'm not sure the stars are right - James Garner and Kim Novak channelling Rock Hudson and Doris Day, I guess. Garner, as someone noted, always makes films feel like TV. He doesn't have the affability of Hudson or Jack Lemmon. Novak is beautiful and has that "quality" but the role needed someone with more spark like Marilyn, Natalie Wood, Doris Day.
Howard Duff and that other guy aren't really funny. I think they wanted Gig Young for Duff's part - he would've been better (so might Jim Backus who has a small role). The wives, who include Patti Paige, are colourless. I had trouble telling the married guys apart - that's a basic error. They don't play different types of roles. The annoying boomer kids made me laugh.
Billy Wilder would've gone for it, and Sidney Sheldon or Norman Krasna could've made it funny. But it never seems sure of its tone. Once you know Garner is a divorcee you know he will wind up with Novak - and the script never seems to know how sleazy to make him (he has no love life, he's boringly reluctant to go along with the plan()
You know what would've been better? Had Garner been a player - all the others were jealous of him. They want to imitate his life. He falls for her.
The ending farcical situations when all the wives collide with the husbands feels sluggish and dull because you can't tell them apart.
This would be worth remaking.
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