Main Cast: Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, Inger Stevens, Sue Ane Langdon, Claire Kelly
Release Year: 1967
Country: US
Run Time: 91 minutes
Plot
Ed Stander (Robert Morse), with the help of an all-star cast, teaches Paul Manning (Walter Matthau) the fine art of philandering in A Guide for the Married Man. Paul, happily married to sexy Ruth (Inger Stevens), has no burning desire to cheat, but Ed makes the prospect sound very attractive. Finally taking the "big step" with a glamorous brunette after months of careful preparation, Paul finds that he loves his wife way too much to betray her -- while the ever-careful Ed ends up in divorce court. Among the myriad of "advisors" peppered throughout Guide for the Married Man are Art Carney, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Jayne Mansfield, Terry-Thomas, and Carl Reiner. The best guest-star vignette features Joey Bishop as a man caught in bed with another woman by his wife -- whereupon he calmly puts on his clothes, straightens up the room, and quietly responds to his wife's outrage by saying "What bed? What girl?" Adapted by Frank Tarloff from his book of the same name, Guide for the Married Man was directed by Gene Kelly, who makes a cameo "appearance" of his own as a voice on a TV set. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Quite dated nowadays, A Guide for the Married Man was in its day a somewhat bold attempt on Hollywood's part to take a satirical look at the ways of the philandering male. Even in its day, however, the satire was never really as sharp as it wanted to be or thought it was; contemporary audiences will likely miss the satire completely and have to settle for the film's jokes. Fortunately, if one can get past the misogyny inherent in the premise, Guide actually is very funny. Unlike a lot of 1960s sex comedies, Guide provokes genuine laughter. Some credit certainly goes to Frank Tarloff, whose screenplay, if obvious, often hits the low humor marks at which it aims. And Gene Kelly has directed things with style and a certain amount of brio, keeping things moving at a nice fast clip and integrating the "lessons" into the main story very well. But it's really Guide's cast that makes it worth a look. Walter Matthau and Robert Morse are in fine form, even when much of what they are doing is playing straight men setting up the "lessons." No one will ever believe that Matthau would consider cheating on a lovely and luscious wife such as Inger Stevens, but she plays her part well. And the cameos, from Art Carney and Lucille Ball to Carl Reiner and Jack Benny, are a great deal of fun. For once, the "all-star" approach works well, instead of being a mere distraction. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Elaine Devry - Jocelyn Montgomery; Linda Harrison - Miss Stardust; Michael Romanoff - Maitre d'Hotel; Jason Wingreen - Mr. Johnson; Pat Becker - Party Guest; Joey Bishop - Technical Adviser; Sid Caesar - Technical Adviser; Wally Cox - Technical Adviser; Jayne Mansfield - Technical Adviser; Hal March - Technical Adviser; Louis Nye - Technical Adviser; Carl Reiner - Technical Adviser; Phil Silvers - Technical Adviser; Terry-Thomas - Technical Adviser; Ben Blue - Technical Adviser; Ann Morgan Guilbert - Guest Artists; Jeffrey Hunter - Technical Adviser; Marty Ingels - Technical Adviser; Sam Jaffe - Technical Advisor; Majel Barrett - Mrs. Fred V.; Polly Bergen; Art Carney; Heather Carroll - Mrs. Miller; Nancy de Carl - Woman with Baby; Mickey Deems - Waiter; Tommy Farrell - Rance G's Hanger-on; Tim Herbert - Shoe Clerk; Fred Hollyday - Party Guest; Jackie Joseph - Party Guest; Evelyn King - Female Plaintiff; Ray Montgomery - Party Guest; George Neise - Man in Bed; Warrene Ott - Woman with Gun; Robert Patten - Party Guest; Eddie Quillan - Cologne Salesman; Jackie Russell - Miss Harris; Patricia Sides - Patricia Sides; Julie Tate - Woman in Bed; Aline Towne - Mrs. Mousey Man; Dale Van Sickel - Stunt Driver; Virginia Wood - Bubbles; Heather Young - Girl with Megaphone; Karen Arthur - Lady Dinner Partner; Eve Brent - Joe X's Blowzy Blonde; Jimmy Cross - Mr. Brown; Dee Carroll - Party Guest; Chanin Hale - Miss Crenshaw; Sharyn Hillyer - Girl in Bed; Damian London - Lone Male Diner; Pat McCaffrie - Motel Clerk
Credit
William Glasgow - Art Director, Jack Martin Smith - Art Director, Moss Mabry - Costume Designer, Paul Helmick - First Assistant Director, Gene Kelly - Director, Dorothy Spencer - Editor, The Turtles - Composer (Music Score), John Williams - Composer (Music Score), Leslie Bricusse - Songwriter, Ben Nye, Sr. - Makeup, Joe MacDonald - Cinematographer, Frank McCarthy - Producer, Raphael Bretton - Set Designer, Walter Scott - Set Designer, L.B. Abbott - Special Effects, Art Cruickshank - Special Effects, Emil Kosa, Jr. - Special Effects, David Dockendorf - Sound/Sound Designer, Harry Lindgren - Sound/Sound Designer, Frank Tarloff - Screenwriter, Frank Tarloff - Book Author
Paul Manning discovers one day that his dear friend and neighbor Ed Stander has been cheating on his wife. Curious, he asks Ed about it and is given the history and tactics of men who have successfully committed adultery. With each new story, Paul can't help but notice the attractive blonde, Irma Johnson, who lives nearby.
Paul gets close to cheating on his wife Ruth, but he never quite goes through with it. In a scene near the end when he is in a motel room with another woman, he hears sirens approaching. He panics and waits for the police, only to find them going to the room next door where his friend Ed is in bed with Mrs. Johnson. Paul takes this opportunity to flee the scene and run home to his beloved wife.
