Once Is Not Enough (1975)

Director:

Guy Green

Writers:

Julius J. Epstein (writer)
Jacqueline Susann (novel)

Release Date:

20 June 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

The Husband for sale - bought for $3 million. The Daughter - a virgin eager to make up for lost time. The Novelist who couldn't live the fantasies he wrote about.

Plot:

An over-the-hill movie producer marries a wealthy, spiteful woman and closeted lesbian just to please his spoiled daughter who then...

Plot Keywords:

Movie Producer | Lesbian | Producer | Older Man Younger Woman Relationship | Seduction

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Mike Wayne
Alexis Smith	...	Deidre Milford Granger
David Janssen	...	Tom Colt
George Hamilton	...	David Milford
Melina Mercouri	...	Karla
Gary Conway	...	Hugh Robertson
Brenda Vaccaro	...	Linda Riggs
Deborah Raffin	...	January
Lillian Randolph	...	Mabel
Renata Vanni	...	Maria
Mark Roberts	...	Rheingold
John Roper	...	Franco
Leonard Sachs	...	Dr. Peterson
Jim Boles	...	Scotty
Ann Marie Moelders	...	Girl at El Morocco

Also Known As:

Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Company:

Aries Productions

Trivia:

The title of the Jacqueline Susann novel and film "Once Is Not Enough" derives from a conversation Susann had with her old friend, comedian Joe E. Lewis, on his deathbed. Trying to perk up his spirits, she supposedly said, "Come on, Joe. Didn't you always say 'you only go around once, but if you play your cards right, once is enough'? Lewis responded, "I was wrong, Jackie. Once is not enough."

Quotes:

January: I didn't know men used hairspray.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Isn't She Great (2000)

In this case, once IS enough

Jacqueline Susann's glamorous, emotional, highly personal novels always lost something in their translation to the screen. Once Is Not Enough is another prime example. But it doesn't have the unintended hilarity of Valley of the Dolls, nor the compelling sleaziness of The Love Machine. The most outrageous and memorable elements of the book are excised completely, and the result is two hours of sudsy romantic nothingness. Without the pills, vitamin shots, wild sex (including an acid-fueled orgy), and disturbing violence that infused the compelling novel, the story is as flat as week-old ginger ale.

It's a slick production with an all-star cast, including the engaging Deborah Raffin as January, but the material is awful. The filmmakers' were obviously trying for a "respectable" approach, and the results are just plain boring. Case in point: Jackie provided the book with a surreal, escapist conclusion that's wholly amazing, whereas the movie just...ends. The book was about a naive girl trying to deal with life, and the movie is about--say it with me now!--LOOOOOOOVE! And it's like every other mediocre movie on the subject.

However, things are brightened by Brenda Vaccaro in her Golden Globe-winning, Oscar-nominated turn as uninhibited magazine editor Linda Riggs. She's the perfect realization of Susann's character (albeit with toned-down material) and provides a lot more spirit than this tepid production deserves. Her performance alone merits a viewing, but everything else is a daytime-TV-style mess. About as shocking as a trip to the supermarket--perhaps even less so.