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The real-life Kinsey Report on modern-day sexual beliefs and behaviors is barely disguised here while being used as a facile backdrop, with the melodramatic film concentrating more on the hang-ups of four suburban women who have agreed to be surveyed for the project. Gene Allen, Wyatt Cooper, Don Mankiewicz, and Grant Stuart adapted the book by Irving Wallace, but tip their collective hand immediately when delineating the troubles of Claire Bloom's Naomi, a divorcée and man-magnet who is supposed to be a nymphomaniac; the way the character is rendered here, she's more of an alcoholic who (somehow unintentionally) ends up debasing herself with men, always with "no! no!" on her lips. The picture is about pinpointing where sexual repression and ideas of indecency ultimately come from, yet the screenwriters fall into their own trap with Naomi: judging her condescendingly, making her an unhappy lush, and failing to let us see what turns this woman on, what motivates her to meet strange men in seedy places (she isn't allowed to have any sexual fun--this is 'freedom' with an ultimate price). Jane Fonda is a frigid young widow who learns to loosen up with one of Dr. Chapman's own associates (!), while married Shelley Winters has convinced herself she's in love with her playboy and Glynis Johns is busy throwing herself at a beach bum. The sex survey is just an angle to get the movie going, and the professional question-and-answer sequences awkwardly turn into psychotherapy sessions for these frustrated ladies. What might have been an incisive glimpse into today's mores and morals has instead become a glossy, middle-brow soap opera, and everyone involved suffers from the slushy handling. ** from ****

The eminent director George Cukor did The Chapman Report for Warner Brother. It's based on the book by Irving Wallace, which was inspired by the Kinsey report about sexual activity.

The Warner Brothers actors cast include Efrem Zimbalist as one of the interviewers who works for Mr. Chapman (Andrew Duggan), Ray Danton as a libidinous film director, and Ty Hardin as someone Glynis Johns meets on the beach. According to film lore, George Cukor was impressed enough with Hardin's good looks and physique that he ended up with a showy role in the film. Look for Chad Everett as a water delivery man in the beginning of the film.

But the women are the real stars: Jane Fonda, Glynis Johns, Clare Bloom, and Shelley Winters, all of whom are terrific.

Chapman and Paul Radford (Zimbalist) come to a town to do interviews with women for their statistics on sexual activity. That's all pretty dated. The film focuses on four women: Fonda as a widow of a bad marriage who thinks she's frigid and becomes involved with Radford; Bloom as a nymphomaniac; Winters as a cheating wife; and Johns as a woman who wonders if she's getting enough from her marriage, which seems happy enough. She's the comic relief, and she's a blast.

The best scene in the film occurs when Johns goes to Hardin's place to pose nude for her, with the idea of seducing him. Fonda, Bloom, and Johns are all gorgeous. Winters by this time was doing the more housefrau type of role. She's excellent as a desperately unhappy woman involved in an illicit affair with Danton.

This is the '60s idea of an adult film so everything is talked around, in half sentences, or shown as a fadeout. The only one who takes his clothes off is Hardin.

It's trash, but it's high-class trash and one does become involved with the characters.

A few notes about this film. Apparently, director George Cukor was unhappy with the finished product. The studio (Warner Brothers) and producer (Darryl Zanuck) caved to pressure from the Catholic Legion of Decency and altered the ending in order to provide a morally-correct resolution for the main characters (and audience).

It would certainly be interesting to see a director's cut of this film, or at least a shooting script to get a better idea of what Cukor and Zanuck intended. Probably Zanuck's goal was to create a film where people more openly discussed sex. However, America was not quite ready to do that yet in 1962, and with the Legion of Decency hovering over the scene, it would be nearly impossible.

I do think there are some excellent performances in this film, namely Glynis Johns and Claire Bloom who prove that British actresses often surpass their North American counterparts.

Vapid, profoundly trashy film, somewhat redeemed by fair performances and glossy production values. Jane Fonda's acting, however, is indeed surprisingly weak; it's hard to believe that the same actress gave such a powerful and moving performance in "The Chase", only four years later. The film is both sleazy and tame; it deals exclusively with the subject of sex, but it is very un-sexy, and never says anything meaningful, either. At least it's painless to watch.

The director was male. The screenplay was co-authored by two men. The story adaption was by two men. The source material was a book written by a male. The producers were two men. The music, cinematography, editing, and makeup were done by men. How many red flags do I have to wave before you get the point? (BTW, this reviewer is a male in his 50s.)

Even the costuming was done by a man. Yes, I'm going there, because it's important. The non-lead males wore boring shirts and ties; but the allegedly sexy, virulent men is another story. Hardin wore shorts that barely covered his manhood. Danton wore shirts and sweaters unbuttoned to the naval. Allen shows up in a plunging V-neck that showcased his chest hair. And Everett wore a tight, tailored work uniform.

This film is drenched with a testosterone-driven point of view. If you don't like those 50s and 60s movies where everything is the woman's fault, you'll want to skip this.

What you ultimately have is the story of four women and their sexual mores and behavior as presented solely by men. Based on the Kinsey Report made famous in the 1950s revolving around sexual behavior amongst its volunteering interviewees, it's ironic that Alfred Kinsey, himself, eventually was accused of having sex with both the female and male volunteers. Even some of his staff were accused. The Kinsey Foundation eventually issued a formal, public apology.

Approach this with the lowest of expectations. That way, maybe you'll find some redeeming quality in it. I did; and it was the performances of the female leads, despite the pathetic, ridiculous script.

For a film that's supposed to lift the lid on female promiscuity, The Chapman Report is surprisingly narrow-minded. A thinly-veiled Kinsey Report follows researchers as they interview suburban women about their sex lives, focusing on four in particular: Shelley Winters, Jane Fonda, Glynis Johns, and Claire Bloom.

Shelley is a married woman cheating on her husband with the young, handsome Ray Danton. But it's clear the film thinks she's behaving badly and should atone for the pain she's caused her family. Jane is a beautiful, young widow who's afraid to admit she never enjoyed sex. Instead of taking an accepting tone (because there other things in life), or writing a series of escapades to allow her exploration with different types of men, the film takes the stance that only true love (and another marriage) will provide an enjoyable bedroom experience. Glynis is already happily married and has a great sex life, but with all the probing questions, she fears she's missing out on an adventure. This segment is the comic relief, making fun of her attempts at infidelity and never taking seriously the option of leaving her husband. Claire is the resident nymphomaniac, and while it is interesting to see her struggle with herself when random guys show up at her door, it's clearly bad behavior. She's just "the fallen woman" and her "continued falls" are clearly shown as a cautionary tale, rather than an option of how women can be as free as men.

I'm not touting free love or feminism; I'm just commenting on the dichotomy of the film's professed and actual message. The demise of the Hays Code promised loose morals without consequence, but The Chapman Report seemed to continually preach on the wages of sin. If you do want to rent it, though, you'll get to see a soapy, scandalous movie from the 1960s. Jane Fonda looks beautiful (of course) and Shelley Winters has a very effective emotional interview. And you'll never hear "Oh, for Heaven's sake!" the same way again, thanks to Glynis Johns.

The Chapman Report is about sex and how it plays into the life of an average suburban housewife. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. is a pollster for the survey, and he meets Jane Fonda, by way of interviewing her and then taking a liking to her. While they look like they make a good couple, they became boring with all their talk. Claire Bloom is interviewed, but she is anything but normal. While I knew that Claire Bloom is an exceptional actress, her plot ultimately disinterested and depressed me, despite the fact she has some Oscar-worthy scenes. Shelley Winters, another good actress, is another housewife. Her plot held some interest for me, as she becomes disloyal to her husband. But I ultimately felt unmoved by her plot and grew tired of it. The only person who really shines in this movie and gives it its only charm and bright spot is Glynis Johns as an artist. She sees Ty Hardin on the beach and is enamored by his body. She befriends him and convinces him to pose for her, but then, when she tells him what she really wants, something happens she didn't expect. At least, not in the way she wanted. If you're a Glynis Johns fan, then you must see this film. If not, don't bother. If you want to learn about sex, buy a book, ask a parent or better yet find a partner. Don't watch this.

Andrew Duggan plays the title role in The Chapman Report, he's the doctor who is conducting a survey of marriage from the women's point of view. Today there ain't no way that he could do this and not use women interviewers.

Three married women and a young widow are zeroed in on and we see that all is not well in their relationships. The young widow is Jane Fonda suffers from frigidity. She won't let herself go with any man.

The other three don't have that problem. Glynis Johns who is an artist and a nymphomaniac has her story done for comic relief as she goes great lengths to get some alone time with Ty Hardin whom she eyes like prime cut in the butcher shop. Shelley Winters is involved in a long term affair with Ray Danton, cheating on her husband John Dehner.

Claire Bloom has the best story and The Chapman Report would have been a great film had it been just her story. It had the potential to be a stand alone story. Bloom has just allowed herself to be degraded and used by men. She has one real bad encounter and the results are tragic.

Overall the film is trash, high class trash to be sure, but still trash. This maybe the worst film that George Cukor ever put his name to.

I think sone viewers will be offended by the archaic views of women's sexuality and putting them into categories. Why bother. It was trash 60 years ago. Fun trash if you view it as such. Have fun with it. Whether you are male or female, which character do you identify with?

Clair Bloom the nymphomaniac Jane Fonda FRIGID Shelley Winters the cheater Glynis Johns, obsessed with a Himbo

Enjoy! Sometimes you can find a copy on YouTube.

A fictional movie based VERY loosely on the Kinsey studies of the 1950s. Dr. Chapman (Andrew Duggan) goes to a suburban California town to study women's sex behavior through interviews helped by handsome Paul Radford (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.). They meet young widow Kathleen (Jane Fonda) who is frigid and has a VERY protective father; Naomi (Claire Bloom) who is pill-popping alcoholic nymphomaniac; Sarah (Shelley Winters) a pathetic married woman who is cheating on her husband and Teresa (Glynis Johns) a happily married woman who decides to have a fling with young hunky Ed (Ty Hardin).

This is what passed for as adult entertainment in 1962. What was considered pretty risqué in 1962 is laughably tame today. The sexual talk is frank and kind of silly. This comes off as little more than a big-budget soap opera...but it IS entertaining enough. The acting is pretty good all around but Fonda comes off as a little shrill. Bloom is excellent her role but really--its beneath her. The same year she played a lesbian in "The Haunting" proving she was willing to take on risky roles. All in all a silly soap opera but entertaining.

Daryl Zanuck and his son Richard Zanuck left 20th Century Fox and produced this film at Warner Bros. For the elder Zanuck it was a return to the studio he gained fame under Jack L. Warner.

I read that the Zanuck's cast the female leads while the film was in development at 20th Century Fox. Cast are Jane Fonda, Claire Bloom, Glynis Johns, and Shelley Winters the film is an adult expose of the morals of the 4 women the aforementioned stars portray. Lifting the film from the "B" Category is the fact legendary director George Cukor directed this film and Cukor's style and emphasis on Art Direction are obvious. George Cukor cast Warner Bros. stars Ty Hardin, Efrem Zimbalist Jr, and Ray Danton to be the male leads; Chad Everett has a small role. George Cukor is said to have been overwhelmed with Ty Hardin and threw much of the picture to that Warner Bros. star. Of all the players both male and female, it is Mr.Hardin who is presented most scantily clad. For an early 60's film Ty Hardin is showcased in brief bathing suit. Ms. Fonda known for her intelligent performances shines in this film, and I never recalled Glynis Johns-she of the unique voice-to be very attractive but in this film Ms. Johns is drop dead gorgeous. Glynis Johns scenes with Ty Hardin are the best in the film. George Cukor would remain at Warner Bros and direct My Fair Lady and win that long sought Oscar.

PS For all of Cukor's direction of Ty Hardin, the Men never worked together after this film.

Women from various backgrounds and with variances in their sexuality are on full display while opening up being interviewed by Dr. George C. Chapman (Andrew Duggan) and his protégé Paul Radford. Of course the film comes across somewhat like a soap opera but it is still worth watching just for actress Glynis Johns stellar performance. Glynis plays a happily married woman until one day while on the beach she comes across a young and muscular stud named Ed Kraski (Ty Hardin). In the process of attempting to seduce the young stud Eddie she is not prepared for the virility that Eddie reciprocates with.

This is a film that has been compared to other films from the 1960s but ignore the other reviews. I believe The Chapman Report is a good film well worth watching for the various character portrayals by both the female and male leads in the film.

I give it a worthy 7 out of 10 IMDb rating.

This movie largely consists of four stories about four women involved in a sex survey. The stories involving Shelley Winters, Claire Bloom, and Jane Fonda aren't worth mentioning, but the episode with Glynis Johns works because it's played for comedy. Glynis is an aspiring sculptor who persuades a hunky football player to pose for her. Ty Hardin appears as the "jock" and while there's talk of him posing in the nude, nothing, alas comes of this. (Though he gets to appear bare-chested for long stretches of film and, boy, what a chest!) Glynis makes her scatterbrained character fresh and appealing and Ty shows a flair for light comedy that should have been explored in his later career.

Movies about nymphomaniacs are always labeled "cheap and tawdry." Well, movies with these women as the focal point of these films are similar to the ladies who appear in porn (a multi-BILLION dollar business). Men are interested in these "strange creatures" with "weak flesh," who can't get enough sex, and the public is fascinated with them: Claire Bloom in "The Chapman Report," Merle Oberon in "Of Love and Desire," Suzanne Pleshette in "A Rage to Live," Joanne Woodward in "From The Terrace," etc.

We sit fascinated by them, but condemn them for the "illness" from which they suffer. To be frank, nymphos behave sexually EXACTLY like men (straight and gay). If hetero men had the opportunity to get the amount of stranger sex that "loose women" get, they wouldn't hesitate one iota. Straight men don't get nearly as much sex as gay men do, for instance. Why? Because str8 guys are dealing with "just say no" women. Gay men with the same mentality about sex as their hetero counterparts don't have the "woman factor" to hassle with on dates. A huge amount of gay men feel that sex on the first date is expected, not some hopeful wish. Some gay guys don't care about being labeled a "tramp" or a "slut." But women DO.

Yes, women like Claire Bloom, who are "suffering" with their nymphomania are sad creatures being taken advantage of by cruel, sex-hungry men who know their "condition," and cannot wait to take advantage, like the sleazy musician, Corey Allen and his band buddies, also, the water delivery guys in "Chapman Report." Or, Barbara Loden in "Spendor in the Grass," the rebellious sister of Warren Beatty, who acted like a tramp to defy her absent parents. She nearly got gang-banged during a drunken New Year's party. All these scenes are "titilating," but being Americans, we feel guilty and believe that we must dismiss them as "cheap and tawdry." They might be, but most viewers can't take their eyes off the screen.

The ironic thing is that hardcore porn is practically in every household in America, not to mention the rest of the world. We can be such hypocrites!

What's the first word that comes to mind when George Cukor's name is invoked? Tasteful, right? So why in the name of all that is sleazily, trashily holy is he directing this precursor to "Desperate Housewives"? (Shoulda gotten Blake Edwards or Frank Tashlin instead). The result, as could have been predicted, is an overly talky, undersexed bore.

As a serious study of sexual mores this is pretty much a waste of time but as chance to see four terrific actresses at work with a director who was the best at drawing excellent performances from women it couldn't be better.

Glynis Johns is a daffy delight as a somewhat bohemian wife, Jane tightly coiled as a female frigidaire, Shelley quietly touching as conflicted woman who finds passion outside a marriage that has become staid and Claire Bloom profoundly sad as a very lost woman.

Its too bad they're playing off a block of wood like Zimbalist but ignore him and just enjoy the quality work turned in by the ladies.