The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker
Encyclopedia
The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (1971
) is an American motion picture released by Twentieth Century Fox, and was a comedy romance based upon the novel by Charles Webb. It was directed and produced by Lawrence Turman
, whose credits most notably include producing 1967's high-grossing hit The Graduate
(1967
).
It starred Richard Benjamin
in the lead role, Joanna Shimkus as his beleaguered wife, Adam West
, Elizabeth Ashley
, Patricia Barry
, and Tiffany Bolling
in supporting roles.
) and his wife Lisa (Joanna Shimkus), and how William uses voyeurism and extra-marital affairs to "spice up" his marriage. William gives up his career as a stockbroker, and takes up voyeurism full-time.
After putting up with her husband's various dalliances, and his persistent voyeurism, Lisa is advised by her outspoken sister Nan (Elizabeth Ashley
) how to end her marriage to William by giving him a divorce. Nan's own marriage to Chester (Adam West
), though, is in no better shape than Lisa's, and equally on the rocks. The film ends with William and Lisa reunited, with Lisa finally getting her 'revenge' on her husband.
felt that while the film was a "humorous and sad depiction of marital breakdown," the cast was let down by a script which "seems uncertain as to what point it wants to drive across," (Maltin, 1991: 769). Steven Scheuer concurred somewhat with Maltin, saying that while the film was "occasionally amusing" it also tended to be "generally heavy-handed," (Scheuer, 1990: 672).
Roger Greenspun
generally found the picture to be miscast, especially Richard Benjamin, feeling that while he is "a good comedian [he is] miscast [in this role]," (Greenspun, 1971). He also thought that the film was closer to an "unsuccessful television pilot," than a movie, in terms of its treatment of themes such as "sexual mechanics, the mechanics of marital supremacy, [and] the nuclear family as a machine for getting on in the suburbs," (Greenspun, 1971). Perhaps the most telling critique of the film comes from Leslie Halliwell
, who thought that it was a "sardonic adult comedy of the battle of the sexes," (Halliwell, 2000: 522).
1971 in film
The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
) is an American motion picture released by Twentieth Century Fox, and was a comedy romance based upon the novel by Charles Webb. It was directed and produced by Lawrence Turman
Lawrence Turman
Lawrence Turman is a film producer who presently serves as the director of The Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California. He was nominated for an Academy Award for The Graduate...
, whose credits most notably include producing 1967's high-grossing hit The Graduate
The Graduate
The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
(1967
1967 in film
The year 1967 in film involved some significant events. It is widely considered as one of the most ground-breaking years in film.-Events:* December 26 - The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour airs on British television....
).
It starred Richard Benjamin
Richard Benjamin
Richard Benjamin is an American actor and film director. He has starred in a number of productions, including Goodbye, Columbus , based on the novella by Philip Roth, and Westworld .-Life and career:...
in the lead role, Joanna Shimkus as his beleaguered wife, Adam West
Adam West
William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
, Elizabeth Ashley
Elizabeth Ashley
Elizabeth Ashley is an American actress who first came to prominence as the ingenue in the Broadway play Take Her, She's Mine, which earned her a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play.-Early life:...
, Patricia Barry
Patricia Barry
Patricia Barry is an American actor.-References:...
, and Tiffany Bolling
Tiffany Bolling
Tiffany Bolling, born Tiffany Royce Kral, is an American singer and actress most known for her appearances in '70s cult movies and television shows, such as Ironside , Kingdom of the Spiders, The Candy Snatchers, Wicked, Wicked, The Centerfold Girls,...
in supporting roles.
Movie Synopsis
The film mainly deals with the crumbling marriage of William Alren (Richard BenjaminRichard Benjamin
Richard Benjamin is an American actor and film director. He has starred in a number of productions, including Goodbye, Columbus , based on the novella by Philip Roth, and Westworld .-Life and career:...
) and his wife Lisa (Joanna Shimkus), and how William uses voyeurism and extra-marital affairs to "spice up" his marriage. William gives up his career as a stockbroker, and takes up voyeurism full-time.
After putting up with her husband's various dalliances, and his persistent voyeurism, Lisa is advised by her outspoken sister Nan (Elizabeth Ashley
Elizabeth Ashley
Elizabeth Ashley is an American actress who first came to prominence as the ingenue in the Broadway play Take Her, She's Mine, which earned her a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play.-Early life:...
) how to end her marriage to William by giving him a divorce. Nan's own marriage to Chester (Adam West
Adam West
William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
), though, is in no better shape than Lisa's, and equally on the rocks. The film ends with William and Lisa reunited, with Lisa finally getting her 'revenge' on her husband.
Critical reception
Critics of the film have been generally split about it. Leonard MaltinLeonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
felt that while the film was a "humorous and sad depiction of marital breakdown," the cast was let down by a script which "seems uncertain as to what point it wants to drive across," (Maltin, 1991: 769). Steven Scheuer concurred somewhat with Maltin, saying that while the film was "occasionally amusing" it also tended to be "generally heavy-handed," (Scheuer, 1990: 672).
Roger Greenspun
Roger Greenspun
Roger Greenspun was an American journalist and noted film critic. He is best known for his work with The New York Times in which he reviewed near 400 films, particularly in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and for Penthouse in which he was a columnist throughout much of the late 1970s and 1980s...
generally found the picture to be miscast, especially Richard Benjamin, feeling that while he is "a good comedian [he is] miscast [in this role]," (Greenspun, 1971). He also thought that the film was closer to an "unsuccessful television pilot," than a movie, in terms of its treatment of themes such as "sexual mechanics, the mechanics of marital supremacy, [and] the nuclear family as a machine for getting on in the suburbs," (Greenspun, 1971). Perhaps the most telling critique of the film comes from Leslie Halliwell
Leslie Halliwell
Robert James Leslie Halliwell was a British film encyclopaedist and television impresario who in 1965 compiled The Filmgoer's Companion, the first one-volume encyclopaedia devoted to all aspects of the cinema. He followed it a dozen years later with Halliwell's Film Guide, another monumental work...
, who thought that it was a "sardonic adult comedy of the battle of the sexes," (Halliwell, 2000: 522).