Les liaisons coupables

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.

you can't get better late 60's than this one: neophyte fonda, madame shelly, glynis johns, and claire bloom as "the nymphomaniac".

a wonderfully vivid, most-fun foto of ugly 60's misogynism.... the moment just before we found out that we're all nymphomaniacs.

jane struggles, shelly sniffles, glynis gurgles, and claire tears it up. the movie, in retrospect, is soooo gay. directed by cukor incidentally.

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.

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.

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.