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Good performances from Redgrave, Mason, Rampling and Bates. A modest film that found international approval. In 1966, while it may have seemed shocking to hear UK girl Charlotte Rampling tell Alan Bates that she had "destroyed" two of his already, it's worth remembering that an American girl couldn't have a legal abortion unless there were extenuating circumstances. Roe v. Wade was still several years away. The wholesome longings of Goergie are sharply contrasted with her roommate, the ice cold Meredith. The lead was originally offered to Vanessa Redgrave and when she backed out her younger sister Lynne was cast. She was overwhelmingly brave playing Georgie as a girl you liked enough that when she does something embarrassing you can't help but flinch. It happens a lot. As she falls and fails she finds a life of her own. And that is oddly inspirational.

Unlike others reviewing this film I don't see Marilyn looking "out of it". As a matter of fact I think she is radiant and in better (physical) shape than her prior 3 films. Especially better than "Let's Make Love" where she is pushing the line between voluptuous and fat. That performance, which was also directed by George Cukor, was known to have been extremely sloppy and sporadic ultimately requiring the editors to piece takes together from short segments. In this incomplete film she seems to have made a concerted effort to not only lose weight, but to tone up as she was known to do in her younger days (living on Catalina Island while married to Jim Daugherty) where people were surprised to see a girl doing exercises and lifting small weights. To be realistic Marilyn's magic screen presence took a large amount of skill, desire and patience from those around her especially her director and co-stars. Less so in her early days, but by the mid fifties she had become insecure from too much drinking mixed with pharmaceuticals and too much ill applied Freudian psychiatry. Actors with self-discipline found her infuriating. As a member of the audience I don't think I'm alone in saying it was well worth it. With a decent script such as "Some Like It Hot" the fans found her better and better as she progressed from The Seven Year Itch to The Misfits. However difficult the creative process may have been. Fox sacrificed a good and possibly great film to instead support the bloated antics of Taylor and Burton that were bleeding the studio's shareholders for a rather muddled epic, "Cleopatra".

I agree with those who admire this film despite Allen's displeasure with Feldman's alterations to his script. It is more successful than Feldman's next extravaganza "Casino Royale". I suppose this is the precursor to the "uber agent" driven projects of the 90's like "Just Shoot Me" and 3rd Rock from the Sun" I do want to correct the comment that described Sellers using a kitty to blot his damp ink writing on a pad. The writer is thinking of "The Wrong Box" where Sellers is a down on his luck doctor signing a false death certificate for Peter Cooke to have his wealthy Uncle declared dead. Cats are everywhere in that great scene. Back to Pussycat, Manfred Mann with original singer Paul Jones singing "My Little Red Book" is on the soundtrack.