No doubt these two innocents were shocked
SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL, a 1964 comedy, could stand as a barometric readout on where (American) society and Hollywood were balanced on the titillation teeter-totter of the day. Warner Brothers dolled out $200,000 (nearly $2,000,000 in 2023) for the rights to Helen Gurley Brown’s 1962 non-fiction bestseller, put vetted pros in the cast under a director with a proven track record. Too bad it’s about as funny as a gallbladder attack. *
Natalie Wood plays a flippant fictive version of Brown—as a doctor and psychologist as well as author of the role-quaking book—pursued by a lascivious writer (Tony Curtis) for “Stop”, a magazine that revels in the tawdry. Intent on smearing her as a”23-year-old virgin“, ‘Bob’ fakes being a patient to get the ‘undercover/s’ scoop. This entails posing as a pal (Henry Fonda), a straight-laced manufacturer of ladies stockings whose harridan wife (Lauren Bacall) is convinced he cheats on her. Brown’s fellow shrink (Mel Ferrer, start snoring) hovers around the edges, while Bob’s singer-dancer girlfriend (Fran Jeffries, hot enough to met steel) writhes and undulates enough that we keep watching to see if anything actually clever comes up.
Wood (looking fab) and Curtis spar expertly but the material is just pathetic. Fonda is way out of his element (he detested this part—at least he made up for it that year with Fail Safe and The Best Man), Bacall is charmlessly shrill and Ferrer…know any Mel Ferrer fans? Me neither.
A debit for director Richard Quine, but there wasn’t much anyone could do with the puerile wink-wink screenplay, written by Joseph Heller (yes, of “Catch-22”) and David R. Schwartz (Robin and the 7 Hoods). Nonetheless, the book’s popularity, the cast draw and the whole idea of S-E-X ensured green at the till, $12,100,000 and 20th place among the 1964 teasers. Dare we now, guys & gals, follow France, Italy, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Polynesia and Latin America and dive into the forbidden reaches of—gulp—“making it”? **
A slew of capable supporting players stuck with wan writing: Leslie Parrish (wasted), Edward Everett Horton, Larry Storch (wasted), Stubby Kaye, Otto Kruger, Howard St. John, Max Showalter, Helen Kleeb, Burt Mustin, Barbara Bouchet, William Fawcett and Robert Foulk. Count Basie & his Orchestra are on hand as well, to no avail. You do get to see Fonda and Bacall do The Twist. 114 minutes.
* Richard Quine had delivered wins with comedy (The Solid Gold Cadillac, Bell Book and Candle) and drama (The World Of Suzie Wong, Strangers When We Meet), the latter two revolving around couples coupling, but this bow-wow script handed him a mashed potato with no fixin’s. His other ’64 outing, Paris When It Sizzles, likewise flailed, though it’s much better than ‘Single Girl’. The following year he did How To Murder Your Wife, which was a hoot: then, apart from the underrated Hotel, the rest of his output was dismal. He did wed sexbomb Fran Jefffries as a result of Sex And The Single Girl, bliss eventually turning to “extreme cruelty” when they divorced five years later.
** Catnip for grownups ‘circa ’64—nummy (Goldfinger, The Carpetbaggers, Zorba The Greek, The Night Of The Iguana, The Pumpkin Eater, Marriage Italian Style) or numbing (What A Way To Go!, Goodbye Charlie, Kiss Me Stupid, Of Human Bondage, Kitten With A Whip, A House Is Not A Home).
Thoughtful bonus pic of Fran Jeffries because after all what was this movie about? Sociology? Roles? Yeah…
Movies ala Mark 
I’ve always loved this film, particularly the cast and the vintage pop culture aspect of it. Some of the humour is a bit awkward but it was the 60’s and they were still testing the waters. I thought everyone was stellar, especially Lauren who I had never seen in a comedy role before. She was an absolute hoot! I don’t mind Mel Ferrer although I much prefer Miguel (no relation, of course).
This kind of picture is a sign of the times. It came before forced political correctness ruled the masses. It’s just innocent, silly fun that today falls immediately into the “cancel” category. You just have to take it for what it is. :-)
I’m all for cancelling the cancel crowd. There’s a mischief reservoir in me that can be tapped by a good many of these silly sallies of yore, but this one just didn’t cut it for me (wish it did, I like the actors). However, my Theory of Enjoyment philosophy (he said, removing pipe, placing hands on lectern) is that if a movie (song, picture, whathaveya) works for you, you win. Vive la dif!