| A Guide For The Married Man
Starring: Walter Matthau, Lucille Ball, Carl Reiner,
Art Carney, Sid Caesar, Robert Morse
Gene Kelly's light-footed comedy is a guide to the psyche of the suburban male, circa the mid-1960s. Walter Matthau is Paul Manning, a happily married father of one who is nonetheless intrigued by his pal Ed's many extramarital affairs. In a series of lessons and parables, Ed gives Paul a crash course in how to have the perfect affair while still being considerate of one's wife. Paul is fascinated and eager, but Ed urges caution so as to perfect the technique. When he thinks Paul is ready, Ed makes him do a "trial run," with Ed standing in for the hypothetical girl. Paul passes with flying colors, and when Ed gives him the go-ahead, a likely candidate seems to fall into his lap--literally. The movie is peppered with vignettes of Ed's cautionary tales, featuring cameos from countless Hollywood stars. Matthau is his usual brilliantly dry comic self in this tongue-in-cheek exploration of infidelity and marriage.
At the time, a new movie classification--"A"--allowed producer Frank McCarthy to produce a comedy that condoned adultery. McCarthy specifically wanted Kelly to direct the film because he knew Kelly was well-liked enough in Hollywood to be able to procure the film's many cameos. At the time of filming, Walter Matthau was recovering from a recent heart attack. Majel Barrett, a former regular on the original STAR TREK series and wife of Gene Roddenberry, has a small role as Mrs. Fred V.
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