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Cactus Flower

Plot

Goldie Hawn won an Oscar for her performance as a Greenwich Village free spirit in Cactus Flower. Middle-aged dentist Winston (Walter Matthau) is enjoying an affair with Toni (Goldie Hawn) but doesn't want to be hemmed in by marriage. He prevails upon his non-glamorous assistant Stephanie (Ingrid Bergman) to pose as his wife so as to keep from campaigning for a ring. Then, to justify his "infidelity," Winston talks his pal (Jack Weston) into pretending to be Stephanie's illicit lover. Flattered by all the attention, Stephanie begins to "doll up." Confronted by a newly gorgeous Stephanie, Winston realizes that his Dream Girl has been right there in his office all along. As for Toni, she ends up in the arms of a writer (Rick Lenz), who has loved her since Reel One. Cactus Flower was adapted by Billy Wilder's frequent collaborator I.A.L. Diamond from the play by Abe Burrows -- which in turn was adapted from a French farce. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Review

Coming toward the end of the career for Ingrid Bergman and the beginning for Goldie Hawn, Cactus Flower turned out to be a surprisingly fine showcase for their respective talents, as well as co-star Walter Matthau. It's hard to think of a picture that is more inconsequential; the very essence of a romp, it practically threatens to float off the screen, despite a few half-hearted stabs at "substantive" issues (e.g., fear of commitment, double standards for the sexes, etc.) Still, its very featheriness gave Bergman one of her rare opportunities to show what she can do with a lightweight role. She finds depth and variety in her character that probably would surprise its many authors, and is especially fine in her "going out for drinks" scene with Matthau and her monologue to Hawn (in a record booth, yet). For her part, Hawn is playing a role we've seen her do many times since, but she's enchanting - perky, kooky, wildly innocent and enthusiastic, not to mention touching and endearing. Matthau has his hands full keeping up with the women, but he does a fine job and scores his own punches in scenes with each of them. Gene Saks direction is smooth and unobtrusive. Like many films from this period, Flower is terribly dated -- at times, embarrassingly so -- but still fun. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

Walter Matthau - Julian Winston
Ingrid Bergman - Stephanie Dickinson
Goldie Hawn - Toni Simmons
Jack Weston - Harvey Greenfield
Rick Lenz - Igor Sullivan
Vito Scotti - Senor Sanchez

Eve Bruce - Georgia; Irwin Charone - Store Manager; Irene Hervey - Mrs. Durant; Mathew Saks - Nephew

Credit

Miriam Nelson - Choreography, Anthony Ray - First Assistant Director, Gene Saks - Director, Maury Winetrobe - Editor, Quincy Jones - Composer (Music Score), Robert Clatworthy - Production Designer, Charles B. Lang - Cinematographer, Mike J. Frankovich - Producer, Edward Boyle - Set Designer, Robert Clatworthy - Set Designer, Arthur Piantadosi - Sound/Sound Designer, Whitey Ford - Sound/Sound Designer, I.A.L. Diamond - Screenwriter, Abe Burrows - Play Author, Jean-Pierre Grédy - Play Author, Pierre Barillet - Play Author

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