Main Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Richard Attenborough, James Booth, Freddie Jones, William Rushton
Release Year: 1968
Country: US/UK
Run Time: 93 minutes
Plot
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom stars Shirley MacLaine as Harriet Blossom, the wife of a moderately successful British brassiere manufacturer Robert Blossom (Richard Attenborough). When Harriet's sewing machine breaks down, her husband decides to save a few quid by sending one of his own employees to fix it. That employee is Ambrose Tuttle (James Booth), to whom Harriet takes such a fancy that she hides him in her attic, there to make love to her whenever she is so inclined. Her husband's "delusion" that he hears noises in his attic leads to a nervous breakdown, but the hidden Mr. Tuttle comes to the rescue by passing along stock tips which turn Mr. Blossom into a millionaire. When he finally does learn the truth, Mr. Blossom generously allows his wife and her lover to remain together -- and even presents Tuttle with his bra factory as a gift! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Although it's quite "mod" in that special 1960s way, The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom is at heart a quirky and rather sweet comedy, albeit about a woman involved in a very unusual romantic triangle. There are many who won't be able to get past the particulars of Blossom's triangle, as well as some that will wish that the humor was on a slightly higher level. But most viewers will find it a charming and quite engaging way to while away a couple of hours. Certainly, fans of 1960s fashions will have a field day, for Blossom has some of the most "contemporary" clothes one could ever wish to find, and they are a total treat. The art direction is similarly very much of its period, so as a visual time capsule of 1968 Britain, Blossom is invaluable. Blossom also benefits from its wonderful trio of lead actors. Shirley Maclaine is in very fine form here, avoiding many of the mannerisms that marred much of her other work in this period, and utilizing her considerable skill as both actress and comedienne to very good advantage. Richard Attenborough is perhaps even better, a lovably stuffy husband who makes his nervous breakdown a joy to watch. And James Booth is just right as the lover in the attic that gets everything moving. Blossom's not a classic comedy, and it sometimes becomes a bit campy, but it's a film that's rather hard to resist. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Bob Monkhouse - Dr. Taylor; Patricia Routledge - Miss Reece; John Bluthal - Judge; Barry Humphries - Art Dealer; Sandra Caron; Julian Chagrin; Clive Dunn; Geraldine Sherman; Sheila Steafel; Marianne Stone; Frank Thornton; Harry Towb - Doctor; John Cleese; Michael Segal - Robert's counsel
Credit
Bill Alexander - Art Director, George Lack - Art Director, Jocelyn Rickards - Costume Designer, Joseph McGrath - Director, Ralph Sheldon - Editor, Riz Ortolani - Composer (Music Score), Norman Newell - Composer (Music Score), Trevor Crole-Rees - Makeup, Assheton Gorton - Production Designer, Geoffrey Unsworth - Cinematographer, Josef Shaftel - Producer, Josef Shaftel - Screen Story, Alec Coppel - Screenwriter, Denis Norden - Screenwriter
Robert Blossom is a workaholicbrassiere manufacturer. When his wife Harriet's sewing machine breaks down, he sends his bumbling employee Ambrose Tuttle to repair it. Mrs. Blossom seduces him, then hides him in the attic, instructing him to sneak out in the middle of the night. Ambrose, however, is enchanted by the woman and decides to settle in to serve as her secret paramour. When he's reported missing, Det. Sgt. Dylan from Scotland Yard is assigned to the case, one he doggedly pursues for years. The mysterious noises Robert frequently hears overhead finally lead to his nervous breakdown, but Ambrose saves the day by passing along stock tips that turn his employer into a millionaire. The grateful Mr. Blossom not only allows Ambrose to remain with his wife, but presents the couple with his factory as a wedding present.
Story
The film is loosely based on a real incident. In the early 1920s, Walburga Oesterreich kept her lover, Otto Sanhuber in the attic where he lived for many years. The real story doesn't have the happy ending of the movie.
In his review in the New York Times, Howard Thompson called the film "roguish, restrained and absurdly likable, with a neat climactic twist." [1]
Variety described it as "a silly, campy and sophisticated marital comedy, always amusing and often hilarious in impact . . . although basically a one-joke story, [the] idea is fleshed out most satisfactorily so as to take undue attention away from the premise. Performances are all very good, Attenborough's in particular." [2]
Time Out New York calles it a "coarse comedy which looks a little like Joe Orton gone disastrously wrong . . . any sparks in the script or performances are ruthlessly extinguished by atrocious direction." [3]
