Group Marriage

Last updated
Group Marriage
Group Marriage.jpg
Directed by Stephanie Rothman
Written by Stephanie Rothman
Charles S. Swartz
Richard Walter [1]
Produced byCharles S. Swartz
executive
Lawrence H. Woolner
associate
Paul Rapp
Starring Victoria Vetri
Aimee Eccles
Claudia Jennings
CinematographyDaniel Lacambre
Edited byJohn A. O'Connor
Kirby Timmons
Music byMichael Andres
Production
company
Dimension Pictures
Distributed by Dimension Pictures
Release date
  • 28 July 1972 (1972-07-28) [2]
Running time
82 mins
CountryUSA
Language English

Group Marriage is a 1972 sex comedy film directed by Stephanie Rothman. [3] It was the first film she made for Dimension Pictures, a company in which she was a minor shareholder with her husband Charles Swartz along with Larry Woolner.

Contents

Plot

Chris (Aimée Eccles) who works at a car rental store alongside her friend Judy, squabbles with boyfriend Sandor (Solomon Sturges), who writes bumper sticker slogans. Chris meets parole officer Dennis (Jeff Pomerantz) when both try to get into the same car and she and Sandor give him a lift. Dennis winds up refereeing an argument between Sandor and Chris, which results in Chris accidentally hitting Dennis. They invite Dennis to spend the night at their place; during the evening, Chris gets into bed with Dennis and sleeps with him.

Sandor discovers Dennis in bed with Chris. Chris says she still loves Sandor but likes Dennis too. Sandor is originally annoyed but eventually calms down. In the interest of fairness, Dennis invites Chris and Sandor to dinner with his ex-girlfriend Jan (Victoria Vetri), an ex-stewardess. Jan and Sandor are clearly attracted to each other and wind up in bed, alongside Chris and Dennis, although Chris has troubles with her jealousy.

At a picnic on the beach, Jan meets lifeguard Phil Kirby (Zack Taylor), who later sleeps with Chris and moves in with the other five. Phil decides to bring in a third girl for the household and invites in Elaine (Claudia Jennings), a lawyer. There is tension between Phil and Elaine when he discovers the latter is representing Phil's ex wife, however they resolve these differences after they realise how much they like each other.

The "group marriage" of the six of them attracts media attention and much criticism. They decide to stay true to the arrangement. Chris announces she is pregnant, although she is unsure who the father is. Their car is firebombed by unknown assailtants. Elaine defiantly suggests they all get married in a group.

Jan chafes at the arrangement and has sex with a man outside the group. She winds up leaving them. However Jan returns at the ending to a wedding between Chris (now heavily pregnant), Elaine, Sander, Phil, Denis and the new member, Judy (Chris' workmate). Their gay friends Rodney and Randy also marry each other. [1]

There is a subplot about parole officer Dennis having to try to find a job for an ex-con, Ramon, who keeps getting in to fights. A running commentary on the group is provided by their gay neighbors, Rodney and Randy.

Cast

Production

According to Rothman, Larry Woolner, who ran Dimension, "wanted me to make a sexy film, and I tried to think of how I could do that and anchor it in something that said something about sexual mores." She was reading a book Future Shock which included discussion of group marriage and thought that "might be a wonderful framework in which to create a sex comedy that said something about the temperaments of the people involved, their goals, the social pitfalls of trying to do something like this in a society where it’s neither legal nor admired particularly.” [4]

Rothman was determined to handle the topic "in a way that was not sordid and sleazy" but rather "humorous and pithy and imaginative... my intention at least was to make something that was a surprise." [4]

"I was trying to make a bedroom farce," she said. Rothman admired that genre because "I like the fact that it’s very dynamic, things are always happening in it. The humor is fast and furious. The people are put in extreme situations and must devise ways to get out of them." (She had even acted in a production of Georges Feydeau's Hotel Paradiso.) [4]

She gave the characters different jobs because she "wanted a mix of people who... could draw on their work experience in some way that would affect the common life experience that they shared during the time of the story." [4]

The film was announced in January 1972 and filmed later that year. [5] Rothman said "I like comedy best of all and Group Marriage was the first chance I had to do an outright comedy. Unlike The Velvet Vampire , it didn’t go under the guise of being something else." [6]

Rothman later worked with Solomon Sturges on The Working Girls.

Like The Student Nurses the film featured a number of montages. Rothman later said:

The way I was making films at that time, in the amount of days I had to shoot in, it was a shorthand way of showing a certain quality of theirs, without dialogue. Which filled up time, to be very honest with you, that would make the film long enough to be feature length. Because in the amount of time I had to shoot, dialogue always takes more time to shoot than scenes that you can shoot without synchronized sound, and so I needed a certain number of those in every film. I had to carefully choose where to put thosescenes, so that they did advance the story and tell you something about the character, but at the same time allowed me to not use synchronized sound. [4]

Music

The soung "Darling Companion" which plays over the opening credits was written and performed by John Sebastian.

Reception

According to Rothman the film was received "very positively." [4]

Critical

The Boston Phoenix called it an "extraordinary comedy... this gem of a picture is well worth the search... that true rarity, a sexy comedy. Considering how quite difficult it is to make a sensuous picture to begin with, and noting how few deft comedy directors have emerged over the past twenty years, one would have to admire director Stephanie Rothman for her technical facility alone." [7]

A writer in The Gazette called it "a good example of what enlightened erotica can be like. It features female characters who are professionally and sexually assertive - but not intimidating. They are capable of making decisions for themselves, yet they're still able to love the men in their lives and be loved in return." [8]

Shock Magazine said "at its core the flick doesn’t know what it wants to be. At times it’s a Free Love forum pocked with messages on the “failure to communicate”. Other times it’s your standard, leering sex farce. Then odd, unnecessary subplots intrude, like one guy’s melodramatic job as a probation officer. And though the filmmakers obviously thought they were on the cutting edge, with all four leads in bed together, smoking grass, they never shed the old morality horseshit. Under its mod surface, it’s simple, romantic pabulum, swaddled in the latest trendiness, Ignoring all the comic possibilities in favor of generic, self-serious fodder." [9]

Dannis Peary later wrote:

If Group Marriage has a real weakness, it is that it tries to be daringly topical, even though the subject of “group marriage” seems more unusual than shocking. The violence that ensues when the angry public hears about their living arrangement is a little absurd. If the film has a real strength, it is that all the protagonists are as gentle as they are. It is certainly not typical of movie romances to have so many characters liking each other for an entire film when things are going on that would make everyday people despise one another. [10]

According to Henry Jenkins "This farcical film proposes a radical reconstruction of family relations and traces the process by which the various characters overcome their jealousies and find happiness in communal relations." [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Simon</span> American playwright, writer, and academic (1927–2018)

Marvin Neil Simon was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He received three Tony Awards and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for four Academy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. He was awarded a Special Tony Award in 1975, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1995 and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screwball comedy</span> Genre of comedy film

Screwball comedy is a film subgenre of the romantic comedy genre that became popular during the Great Depression, beginning in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1950s, that satirizes the traditional love story. It has secondary characteristics similar to film noir, distinguished by a female character who dominates the relationship with the male central character, whose masculinity is challenged, and the two engage in a humorous battle of the sexes.

<i>The Miracle of Morgans Creek</i> 1944 film by Preston Sturges

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is a 1944 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton, and featuring Diana Lynn, William Demarest and Porter Hall. Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamiroff reprise their roles from Sturges' 1940 film The Great McGinty. Set against the backdrop of World War II-era America, its plot follows a wayward young woman who, after attending a party with soldiers in her small town, awakens to find herself married and pregnant, with no memory of her new suitor's identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Hartman</span> Canadian actor (1948–1998)

Philip Edward Hartman was a Canadian-born American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, and his family moved to the United States when he was ten years old. After graduating from California State University, Northridge with a degree in graphic arts, he designed album covers for bands including Poco and America. In 1975, Hartman joined the comedy group the Groundlings, where he helped Paul Reubens develop his character Pee-wee Herman. Hartman co-wrote the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and made recurring appearances as Captain Carl on Reubens' show Pee-wee's Playhouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preston Sturges</span> American film director and screenwriter

Preston Sturges was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine May</span> American screenwriter, film director, actress, and comedian (born 1932)

Elaine Iva May is an American comedian, filmmaker, playwright, and actress. She first gained fame in the 1950s for her improvisational comedy routines with Mike Nichols, before transitioning her career regularly breaking the mold as a writer and director of several critically acclaimed films. She has received numerous awards, including a BAFTA Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award. She was honored with the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2013, and an Honorary Academy Award in 2022.

Pat (<i>Saturday Night Live</i>) Fictional character on Saturday Night Live

Pat O'Neill Riley is an androgynous fictional character created and performed by Julia Sweeney for the American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) from 1990 to 1994. The character was later featured in the film It's Pat. The central humorous aspect of sketches featuring Pat is the inability of others to determine the character's sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Watts</span> Fictional character from EastEnders

Sharon Watts is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Letitia Dean. Sharon was one of EastEnders' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Julia Smith. She first appeared in the first episode broadcast on 19 February 1985 as the teenage adopted daughter of pub landlords Den and Angie Watts. Dean originally quit the role in 1995 after ten years, with Sharon departing following the breakdown of her marriage. In May 2001, Sharon was reintroduced by producer John Yorke, before departing in January 2006. Dean's return was announced in February 2012, and she later made her on-screen return on 13 August 2012 in a special week of episodes. Dean took a temporary break from the show and departed on 9 January 2024, and Sharon returned on 1 April 2024.

<i>The Palm Beach Story</i> 1942 film by Preston Sturges

The Palm Beach Story is a 1942 screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, and starring Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor and Rudy Vallée. Victor Young contributed the musical score, including a fast-paced variation of the William Tell Overture for the opening scenes. Typical of a Sturges film, the pacing and dialogue of The Palm Beach Story are very fast. The film was distributed by Paramount Pictures.

<i>Gas-s-s-s</i> 1970 film by Roger Corman

Gas-s-s-s is a 1970 post-apocalyptic black comedy film produced and released by American International Pictures.

<i>Vixen!</i> 1968 film by Russ Meyer

Vixen! is a 1968 American drama film and satiric softcore sexploitation film directed by Russ Meyer and starring Erica Gavin. It was the first film to be given an X rating for its sex scenes, and was a breakthrough success for Meyer. The film was developed from a script by Meyer and Anthony James Ryan.

Stephanie Rothman is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter, known for her low-budget independent exploitation films made in the 1960s and 1970s, especially The Student Nurses (1970) and Terminal Island (1974).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorna Cartwright</span> Fictional character in the BBC soap opera "EastEnders"

Lorna Cartwright is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Janet Dibley intermittently between 31 July 1997 and 23 April 1998. Lorna was introduced primarily as a catalyst to break up Phil Mitchell's marriage to Kathy Beale. Although producers reportedly wanted to develop the character further, actress Janet Dibley declined their offer of an extended contract, as she disagreed with a proposed storyline that would see Lorna gang raped. The character returned on 17 March 2016, as part of Phil's cirrhosis storyline.

<i>Its a Bikini World</i> 1967 film by Stephanie Rothman

It's a Bikini World is a 1967 American musical comedy film starring Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley and Bobby Pickett. The film features cameos by the music groups the Gentrys, the Animals, Pat & Lolly Vegas, the Castaways and R&B girl group the Toys. Featuring a pro-feminist plotline, it is the only film in the beach party genre to be directed by a woman.

<i>The Working Girls</i> 1974 film by Stephanie Rothman

The Working Girls is a 1974 sexploitation film written and directed by Stephanie Rothman and starring Sarah Kennedy, Laurie Rose and Cassandra Peterson.

<i>The Velvet Vampire</i> 1971 film by Stephanie Rothman

The Velvet Vampire, also known as Cemetery Girls, is a 1971 American vampire film directed by Stephanie Rothman. It stars Celeste Yarnall, Michael Blodgett, Sherry Miles, Gene Shane, Jerry Daniels, Sandy Ward, and Paul Prokop. It has been cited as a cult film.

<i>The Student Nurses</i> 1970 American film

The Student Nurses is a 1970 American film directed by Stephanie Rothman. It was the second film from New World Pictures and the first in the popular "nurses" cycle of exploitation movies. It has since become a cult film.

<i>Terminal Island</i> (film) 1973 American action–drama thriller film directed by Stephanie Rothman

Terminal Island, released theatrically in the U.K. as Knuckle Men, is a 1973 American action–drama thriller film directed by Stephanie Rothman. It features early screen performances by Tom Selleck and Roger E. Mosley. Although an exploitation film, it has been treated with much serious discussion by critics and academics over the years. It is regarded as a cult film.

<i>Beyond Atlantis</i> (film) 1973 film by Eddie Romero

Beyond Atlantis is a 1973 Filipino-American science fiction horror film directed by Eddie Romero, written by Charles Johnson, based on a story by Stephanie Rothman, and starring Patrick Wayne and John Ashley.

<i>Welcome to the Jungle</i> (2013 film) 2013 American comedy film

Welcome to the Jungle is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Rob Meltzer and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Adam Brody, Megan Boone, Rob Huebel, Kristen Schaal and Dennis Haysbert. The film premiered at the 2013 Newport Beach Film Festival.

References

  1. 1 2 'Group Marriage' review at DVD Drive-In
  2. ↑ "Advertisement". The Lexington Herald. 28 July 1972. p. 27.
  3. ↑ 'Exploiting Feminism: An Interview with Stephanie Rothman (Part One)' Confessions of an Aca Fan: The Official Weblog of Henry Jenkins, Oct 16,2007
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Collings, Jane. "Interview of Stephanie Rothman" (PDF). UCLA Library Center for Oral History Research.
  5. ↑ "Movie Call Street". The Los Angeles Times. 14 January 1972. p. 61.
  6. ↑ Peary p 188
  7. ↑ "Group Marriage". Boston Phoenix. 2 October 1972. p. 5.
  8. ↑ Wexman, Virginia Wright (10 April 1976). "Porn films: the real complaint is sexism not sex". The Gazette. p. 17.
  9. ↑ "Group Marriage". Shock Cinema. No. 6. 1994. p. 37.
  10. ↑ Peary p 188
  11. ↑ Jenkins, Henry. "Exploring feminism in Stephanie Rothman's Terminal Island". Henry Jenkins.

Notes

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.