Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writers:

Paul Mazursky (written by) and
Larry Tucker (written by)

Release Date:

16 January 1970 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice request the company of your pleasure.

Plot:

Documentary film-maker Bob Saunders and his wife Carol attend a group therapy session that serves as the backdrop for the opening scenes of the film...

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Foursome | Sex | Therapy | Infidelity

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Natalie Wood	...	Carol Sanders
Robert Culp	...	Bob Sanders
Elliott Gould	...	Ted Henderson
Dyan Cannon	...	Alice Henderson
Horst Ebersberg	...	Horst
Lee Bergere	...	Emilio
Donald F. Muhich	...	Psychiatrist
Noble Lee Holderread Jr.	...	Sean Sanders
K.T. Stevens	...	Phyllis
Celeste Yarnall	...	Susan
Lynn Borden	...	Cutter
Linda Burton	...	Stewardess
Greg Mullavey	...	Group Leader
Andre Philippe	...	Oscar
Diane Berghoff	...	Myrna

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) | UK:X | West Germany:16 | France:-16 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | USA:R | Australia:M | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

To test the market, this film was shown in Denver, Colorado. It drew a lot of laughs.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the restaurant scene, the Elliott Gould character starts eating his desert. In the next scene, it is served to him.

Quotes:

Alice Henderson: He wanted to know why I had a tee-tee...
Psychiatrist: Pardon me? I don't know what a tee-tee is.
Alice Henderson: A vagina.
Psychiatrist: Oh, it's a pet expression of yours.
Alice Henderson: Yes, you know words: tee-tee, tinkle, po-po, wee-wee, kee-kee, poo-poo.
Psychiatrist: I had never heard tee-tee before.
Alice Henderson: What expression do you use with your children?
Psychiatrist: Vagina.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Catalina Caper (#3.4)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

I need to be be'd with

Clever & Cool & Classy & Funny

What a delightful movie! I don't think its aged one bit. Sure the clothes are different, the latest self-help fads are different, the priorities are different--but SO much still resonates today. The relationship between love and sex and spouses and friends. Human desire, and commitment are timeless topics, and they are explored with great wit and panache in this thoroughly entertaining movie. And the dialogue! Many scenes purely consist of the twists and turns of intelligent people in verbal games--some of the scenes feel like being in a verbal

amusement park, going up and down roller-coasters of clever and surprising

dialogue. The funny moments are priceless: the tennis instructor asking for a glass of Pernod, Dyan Cannon in the therepist's office--probably the funniest and most perceptive take on the "therepy experience" ever shown on film-- (along with Kirstie Alley's therapist melt-down scene in Woody Allen's

"Deconstructing Harry"), the opening group therapy session in the beautiful

California countryside, that first dinner in the restaurant with Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice all declaring their love for each other in front of the table of bemused gay diners--it is a film filled with endless, perceptive and highly

amusing details. Its a terrific entertainment. (One last comment--Dyan Cannon lights up the screen everytime she appears, with her sexy persona, her high

spirits, her warmth and generosity, and that truly infectious laugh!)