The Private Lives of Adam and Eve

This is one of the very strangest films I have ever seen. Several travelers are en route to Reno, when thunderstorm causes them to take refuge in an abandoned church. Falling asleep, the two leads dream they are Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. The "Eden" sequence, up until the "expulsion" is in color. The first twenty minutes of the film are actually pretty decent, and seem to build up to something good, but the dream sequence in "Eden" is just too silly for words. The sight of Mickey Rooney playing the Devil in a padded snake suit is alone worth watching the film for. Paul Anka sings the theme song and has a rather minor role in the film. Also noteworthy is Tuesday Weld who does not appear in the dream sequence, but who sparkles during her screen time. The film ends with Eve requesting a pickle from Ad. A definite must-see!

One may say "The Private Lives of Adam and Eve" should be judged on its own terms, that of a low-budget drive-in entry without any aim other than being a mild amusement; that is to say, it doesn't aspire to be high art--but then, since it isn't amusing, it must be noted that the movie has questionable aspirations, without the proper handling to steer it in the right direction. A small busload of people en route to Reno, Nevada stop off in nearby Paradise, where the driver picks up a teenage hot-rodder and two married couples on the rocks; after their trip is sidelined by a storm, the passengers take refuge in a church, where one of the frightened couples share the same dream about the Garden of Eden. Co-directed by Albert Zugsmith and Mickey Rooney (who also stars), the film is a shambles on even the most basic cinematic level. In the crude but watchable black-and-white framing story, we at least have Cecil Kellaway as the Christian bus driver who suggests the group sings "Rock of Ages" when the flood waters come. This section also has Tuesday Weld as a possible runaway and Paul Anka as the crooning teen (he also sings the title song in the film's kickiest sequence). But the color dream sequence in Eden, with Martin Milner and Mamie Van Doren as Adam and Eve, is amateurish in the extreme, particularly with an excruciatingly hammy Rooney playing the Devil. Still, one can't dismiss the movie as camp quite so easily. There is quite a bit of serious talk early on about God and the Bible, and later Van Doren shouts and cries to the Heavens, asking God to speak to her. It's a mind-boggling venture that wants to be two different things: a quickie flick for sniggering teens and an earnest character portrait in the manner of John Steinbeck's "The Wayward Bus". But you don't have to see it to believe it, because the picture isn't worth seeing. * from ****

i saw this movie on late-night t.v. back in 1962. i had no idea what it was about, as i had never watched it anytime before. i was a teenager and really am a fan of teen oriented movies, and like Paul Anka and his singing, i decided to see the movie and observe where it was headed. i noticed it was in b&w and an obscure film. after seeing it, i looked for it to play maybe at a later time but years passed and it was never shown. this makes me realize the rarity and vintage appreciation of the film as i myself am a vintage-teen movie buff and i try to collect as many 40's-50's-and 60's movie that i can find .some are shown on pay-cable t.v., others on e-bay to purchase, most reproduced on to d.v.d. the private lives of Adam and eve, i feel, even though the story is weak, due to it's obscurity and the vintage of its production era, it's a collectors prize.

It's been years since I saw this movie, but I thought it was wonderful. It's about a group of travelers that get stranded in a storm and start talking about the creations with each traveler becoming a character in the creation. While there's some religious overtones this is a comedy and playing the devil is Mickey Rooney. The Devil (Rooney) trying to get Adam and Eve to take a bite of the apple. Dressed as the snake, his tail splashing in the water of a river and then dressed as an umpire. I can't remember what was said, I just remember I was laughing a lot and it was late at night. If you have the chance I suggest you watch this, it's worth your time. As it was said above this movie didn't win any awards, but I liked it and would buy it if they put it on DVD.

Very peculiar comedy is alternately clever and lame... but ultimately it succeeds in providing some mild amusement. It's hard to fathom why it was so soundly condemned in its day, perhaps making a surreal comic travesty out of part of the Bible was just too far ahead of its time. It is certainly far less irreverent than "The Life of Brian." Some sequences (such as the devil's playing piano and having a barbecue) may have provided the inspiration for such scenes as the Herod scene in "Jesus Christ, Superstar." Another thing that might have irritated the bluestockings is the fact that Adam, Eve, and Lillith are definitely hot, Milner looking better out of his clothes than he ever looked in them. It's kind of like a sexy, live action Flinstones, altogether harmless and amusing. Catch the cave scene where A&E quarrel over moving the boulders (furniture)and the one in which the devil convinces Eve to cut her long hair (strategically pasted to her breasts) only to reveal a leaf -pattern bra underneath! It's full of little comic gems and some funny dialog regarding the pair's living conditions and social standing. Eve: "If I had a mother, I'd go home to her!" Adam: "Don't be silly...I AM your mother!"