Themes: Therapy, Looking For Love, Doctors and Patients
Main Cast: Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider, Capucine, Paula Prentiss
Release Year: 1965
Country: US/UK
Run Time: 108 minutes
Plot
A notorious womanizer, fashion editor Michael James (Peter O'Toole) decides to seek the help of a psychiatrist when he begins to feel that his inability to commit to a relationship is adversely affecting his personal life. Desperate to remain faithful to his fiancée Carole (Romy Schneider), Michael enlists the help of Dr. Fassbinder (Peter Sellers), blissfully unaware that as Dr. Fassbinder is making the moves on a patient who secretly longs for the seemingly irresistible Michael. As Michael and Carole check into the Chateau Chantelle in hopes of patching up their relationship, Dr. Fassbinder has also arrived at the Chateau in hopes of finally cementing his relationship with the comely patient. As the two couples check into the hotel, disaster looms just beyond the bend in a series of hilarious mishaps that will test both Michael's faithfulness and Dr. Fassbinder's sanity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Woody Allen - Victor Shakapopulis; Eddra Gale - Anna Fassbender; Katrin Schaake - Jacqueline; Jess Hahn - Mr. Werner; Elenore Hirt - Mrs. Sylvia Werner; Nicole Karen - Tempest O'Brien; Jean Parédès - Marcel; Michel Subor - Philippe; Jacqueline Fogt - Charlotte; Robert Rollis - Car Renter; Daniel Emilfork - Gas Station Man; Louis Falavigna - Jean; Jacques Balutin - Etienne; Annette Poivre - Emma; Sabine Sun - Beautiful Nurse; Tanya Lopert - Miss Lewis; Colin Drake - Durell; Louise Lasser - The Nutcracker; Gordon Felio - Fat Man; Ursula Andress - Rita; Georges Douking - Concierge at Renee's Apartment; Françoise Hardy - Mayor's Secretary; Richard Saint-Bris - The Mayor; Howard Vernon - Doctor; Maggie Wright - Stripteaser; Barbara Somers - Miss Marks
Credit
Jacques Saulnier - Art Director, Jean Guelis - Choreography, Gladys de Segonzac - Costume Designer, Mia Fonssagrives - Costume Designer, Vicky Tiel - Costume Designer, Clive Donner - Director, Fergus McDonell - Editor, John C. Shepridge - Executive Producer, Burt Bacharach - Composer (Music Score), Hal David - Composer (Music Score), Charles Blackwell - Musical Direction/Supervision, Charles Parker - Makeup, Jean Badal - Cinematographer, Charles K. Feldman - Producer, Charles Merangel - Set Designer, Woody Allen - Screenwriter
Notorious womanizer Michael James (Peter O'Toole) wants to be faithful to his fiancée Carole Werner (Romy Schneider), but every woman he meets seems to fall in love with him, including a neurotic American (Paula Prentiss) and a parachutist who accidentally lands in his car (Ursula Andress). His psychoanalyst, Dr Fassbender (Peter Sellers), cannot help either, since he's stalking one of his patients (Capucine) who in turn longs for Michael. A catastrophe appears on the horizon when all the characters check into a quaint hideaway hotel in the French countryside for the weekend, unaware of each other's presence.
Richard Burton has a cameo appearance as a man at the bar in a strip club.
Production
The film was planned to star Warren Beatty – the title was Beatty's way of answering the telephone. However Woody Allen, who had been hired by producer Charles K. Feldman to write the script, began relegating Beatty's character to a secondary role, increasing his own character at Beatty's expense. This led to tension between Beatty and the studio, especially as the screenplay Allen was delivering was considered funnier than the original idea. Eventually, Beatty was forced off his own project by the little-known Allen. Because of their feud, Allen and Beatty never worked together again. Coincidentally, both had long and significant relationships with the same woman, Diane Keaton, at different times.
Groucho Marx was to play Dr Fassbender in the Beatty version.
The movie was filmed in and around Paris between October 1964 and January 1965, and released in New York on 22 June 1965. It opened in Paris in January 1966 as "Quoi de neuf, Pussycat?". The total box office was $8.469[1] to $8.7[2] million.
In addition to the title theme, other songs featured were Here I Am by Dionne Warwick and My Little Red Book performed by Manfred Mann.
