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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 6166
Released: February 3, 2009 |
| Our Price: $4.30 |
| Used Price: $3.49 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
A sex farce very loosely based on "Sex and the Single Girl" by Helen Gurley Brown
Description of Sex and the Single Girl:
Once upon a time there was a publishing phenomenon called Sex and the Single Girl, a book that opened the door to the sexual revolution in the 1960s. Sure enough, Hollywood noticed, and Helen Gurley Brown's advice volume was turned into a 1964 sex comedy with a newly invented plot. Natalie Wood plays Brown herself (well, a completely fictionalized person named Helen Brown), whose success as an author infuriates Tony Curtis, a writer for a Playboy-esque men's magazine. He pretends to need her help as a psychologist, a masquerade that leads to sparks. It's all vintage stuff, from Tony's swinging bachelor pad to the barrel-sized highballs slugged down by unhappy marrieds Henry Fonda and Lauren Bacall, who live next door to Curtis. Director Richard Quine (Bell Book and Candle) made some sharp comedies around this time, and there are some good sight gags along the way (check the scene, with Count Basie and his orchestra, of Fonda and Bacall doing the twist). Alas, the movie leans a little too easily on the bedroom-farce leer, which Curtis had perfected at this point, and it's clear that Gurley Brown's ideas about female independence are not taken terribly seriously here. The movie's got a nice performance by screwball-comedy stalwart Edward Everett Horton, and smokin' hot '60s songstress Fran Jeffries contributes a few songs (this was about the time she sashayed into The Pink Panther, too--she must have impressed Richard Quine, because they were married shortly thereafter). One intriguing credit: this is one of the few films partly scripted by Catch-22 author Joseph Heller. Try to find his voice, if you can. --Robert Horton
Sex and the Single Girl Reviews:
Really dated 
2009-09-19 - This movie is one of the tame early sixties "sex comedies" that contained little comedy and no sex. The first part of the movie is very slow and talky. There are only a couple of laughs and they aren't really that funny.
Once the car chase begins, things get a little more interesting, but not much. It starts off funny but gets silly and predicatable. The best part is when all the actors get on an American Airlines plane to Fiji- American never flew there.
Even the cartoon on the DVD stinks.
However, if you like to look at Natalie Wood at her sexiest, a little of Leslie Parrish- who I think never got a real chance, and Fran Jeffries, then the movie won't be a total waste of time.
Just don't say you weren't warned.
Sex and the Single Girl
2009-06-24 - I felt that this movie was attempting to imitate the Doris Day movies, and it fell short. Natalie Wood was very stilted in her performance. She had a lot of talent, but it wasn't evident in this movie.
Great fun. 
2009-06-09 - This is a fun adult comedy where "adult" means appealing to non-children and not for obscene content. Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis are good together but Henry Fonda and Lauren Bacall steal the show as Tony's bickering married neighbors. Natalie is gorgeous here and any fan should buy this movie for that. For the rest of us, just sit back and watch some funny situations grow to out-of-hand laugh riots.
Some of the dialog and attitudes are clearly out-of-date but really, for a movie over 40 years old, it isn't that far from today's outlooks. In short, you should be entertained by the jokes and situations anyway. Recommended
"I'm going to Fiji, where the women are women and the men are worms!"
2009-05-28 - The whole world is buzzing with Helen Gurley Brown's revolutionary new book "Sex and the Single Girl", but what if Helen's, shall we say, not as familiar with the practice as she is with theory? That's the idea that propells Stop Magazine's star writer Bob Weston (Tony Curtis) to pen an explosive article that could tear Helen's professional reputation to shreds.
Disguising himself as his neighbour, stocking manufacturer Frank Broderick (Henry Fonda), Bob pours out his heart and soul to sex therapist Helen (Natalie Wood), who concludes that "Frank" feels imasculated by domineering wife Sylvia (Lauren Bacall) and in turn sees her as a father figure. Pretty soon the sparks begin to fly, and demure Helen starts falling for her sympathetic client...
Arguably Natalie Wood's most adorable and accomplished comedy performance, SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL is a candy-coloured romp with some of the most talented stars from the period. Lauren Bacall is delicious as the snide Sylvia with most of the choice one-liners. Singing star Fran Jeffries (who later married director Richard Quine) plays Bob's girlfriend and has no less than three great numbers with the swinging Count Basie orchestra. Also keep an eye out for lovely Leslie Parrish in a small but showy role as Bob's secretary. 1930s screwball character actor Edward Everett Horton is the editor of Stop Magazine and has some great scenes with Curtis.
Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis would be reunited the following year for Blake Edwards' epic comedy "The Great Race".
Haven't received product 
2009-05-16 - Today is May 16, 2009. I was promised my purchase before the 12th of May. As of this date have not received product.
