Doctors' Wives (1971 film)

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Doctors' Wives
Doctors' Wives FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by George Schaefer
Screenplay by Daniel Taradash
Based onDoctors' Wives
by Frank G. Slaughter
Produced by M. J. Frankovich
Starring Dyan Cannon
Richard Crenna
Gene Hackman
Carroll O'Connor
Rachel Roberts
Janice Rule
Diana Sands
Cara Williams
Cinematography Charles Lang
Edited byCarl Kress
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Color process Eastmancolor
Production
company
Frankovich Productions
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • February 3, 1971 (1971-02-03)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Doctors' Wives is a 1971 American drama film directed by George Schaefer [1] and starring Dyan Cannon, Richard Crenna, Gene Hackman, Carroll O'Connor, Rachel Roberts, Janice Rule, Diana Sands and Cara Williams. It was based on a novel by Frank G. Slaughter. [2]

Contents

The theme song, "The Costume Ball", was sung by Cass Elliot.

Plot

While playing cards with her girlfriends, all of whom suspect their doctor husbands of having affairs, Lorrie Dellman volunteers to seduce each of them to find out more.

The plan backfires when Lorrie is caught in bed with Paul McGill by her husband, brain surgeon Dr. Mort Dellman, who shoots them both.

Dr. Pete Brennan is able to save McGill's life, but Lorrie is dead. Brennan is fed up with wife Amy and her migraines. He is having an affair with Helen, a nurse.

Dr. Dave Randolph is a psychiatrist. His wife, Della, is frigid. Randolph discovers that she's had a lesbian relationship with the late Lorrie.

Maggie, an alcoholic] is found face-down in her swimming pool by Dr. Joe Gray, her husband.

With all of their lives in turmoil, they attend Lorrie's funeral, where Helen reveals that her young son needs a brain operation. The doctors agree that Dr. Dellman is the man best suited to do the surgery, but Dellman is in jail for having shot his wife.

The district attorney, Douglas, agrees to release the surgeon for a few hours to perform the surgery, under a police guard. He is unaware that Dellman has made a deal with Lorrie's wealthy father, Jake Porter, to help him flee to Mexico as soon as the operation is done.

Cast

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 20% of 5 critics' reviews are positive. [3]

See also

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References

  1. "Doctor's Wives". Turner Classic Movie Database. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  2. Greenspun, Roger (February 4, 1971). "Schaefer's 'Doctors' Wives':Dyan Cannon Portrays Unfaithful Spouse 4 Other Features Bow in Local Showings". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  3. "Doctors' Wives". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg