What's New Pussycat (1965) is a definite product of the 60s...which is a good thing

Following the recommendation of my good friend and fellow blogger Irene, I finally had the chance to see this awesome film. First let me describe what I had to go through to finally watch it. I ordered it through Amazon over a month ago along with some other titles. The other movies came in 2 weeks ago and Amazon said they were still trying to find a copy to send me. The other day they sent me an email saying it was still out of stock and for me to cancel my order and resubmit at a later time. Which I did. So I then went to TCM and they did have the movie listed but it was out of stock. I was getting quite irritated now. Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target did not have it either. But thanks to my awesome blu-ray player and the online service that comes with it, I was able to watch it through them. And glad I did. Whew..now on to my review.

Michael and Herr Doctor Fritz

Set during the height of 60's frantic comedies, What's New Pussycat pairs the two Peters, Sellers and O'Toole in this madcap farce set in England, about a young man named Michael James (O'Toole) who has trouble committing to his girlfriend Carole (ahhhh my new love Romy Schneider). You see Michael loves women. All women. He can't help himself. He has bedded so many women it's hard to keep track of them all. So he seeks out the help of a psychoanalyst named Fritz Fassbender (Sellers) who has problems of his own. He is married but longs for the life Michael has. Their sessions are quite interesting to say the least.

Carole and Michael

Carole wants to get married but Michael has cold feet and keeps putting her off. It doesn't help the matter much when he keeps running into different women and having sex with them. Including a transplated American stripper named Liz (a kooky performance by Paula Prentiss); a refined aristocratic nymphomaniac named Renee (Capucine in a departure for her usual staid roles); and a friendly parachutist named Rita (Ursula Andress). He also has to deal with his buddy Victor (played by Woody Allen, who also wrote the screenplay) who works at a gentleman's club. Victor also happens to love Carole and they have a funny scene in which Carole gets a little tipsy.

 LIZ

 RENEE

RITA

All the characters wind up a a hotel in the country for a wild and riotous afternoon of mistaken identity and sexual shenanigans. Things get sorted by the end as Michael and Carole walk down the aisle but it's a mad finish to the altar. And even then things are not bliss. Loaded with surprise cameos and in-jokes and that catchy title song by Tom Jones, What's New Pussycat is one hilarious movie. Some may find it over the top and childish at times but it's all in good fun. The sex is never vulgar and the mood is quite often funny for the most part.  I liked it quite a bit.


Rating: *** out of ***** stars

Things get out of hand frequently in this movie

My love of classic movies is beyond measure

Monty