What's New Pussycat?

What's New, Pussycat?
Directed by	Clive Donner
Written by	Woody Allen
Produced by	Charles K. Feldman
Starring	See below
Music by	Burt Bacharach
Distributed by	MGM
Release date	1965
Running time	108 minutes
Languages	English, French

What's New, Pussycat? is a 1965 film. Ladies' man Michael James (Peter O'Toole) seeks the help of therapist Dr. Fritz Fassbender (Peter Sellers) in order to sort out his very active sex life.

This was Woody Allen's film debut, as well as his first produced script.

Starring

• Peter Sellers — Dr. Fritz Fassbender
• Peter O'Toole — Michael James
• Romy Schneider — Carole Werner
• Capucine — Renee Lefebvre
• Paula Prentiss — Liz Bien
• Woody Allen — Victor Shakapopulis
• Ursula Andress — Rita
• Michel Subor — Philippe
• Eddra Gale — Anna Fassbender (as Edra Gale)
• Richard Burton — Man in Strip Club
• Katrin Schaake — Jacqueline
• Eléonore Hirt — Mrs. Sylvia Werner
• Jean Parédès — Marcel
• Jacques Balutin — Etienne
• Jess Hahn — Mr. Werner
• Howard Vernon — Doctor

Trivia

American film critics condemned the film as decadent and immoral.

Warren Beatty was originally to have played the part of Michael with Groucho Marx as Dr Fassbender. All of Michael's girlfriends were to have been played by the same girl. Beatty fell out with Charles Feldman over the script and quit.

The film is apparently banned in Norway because of the scene where Peter Sellers tries to immolate himself wrapped in the Norwegian flag.

Capucine played Renee Lefebvre; in real life, her name was Germaine Lefebvre.

Quotes

Michael joins Victor at a pavement cafe where he is playing chess with a girl. He is followed by Toulouse Lautrec who sits at another table with Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.

Later in the same scene:

Michael: "Did you get a job?"

Victor: "Yes, I got something at the strip-tease, I help the girls dress and undress"

Michael: "Nice job"

Victor: "Twenty Francs a week"

Michael: "Not very much"

Victor: "It's all I could afford"

A typical Woody Allen one-liner: at one point, when under extreme pressure to marry, Michael says "Marriage? That's for life! It's like cement!"

Peter O'Toole bumps into Richard Burton in a strip club; Burton says: "Excuse me, but don't you know me from somewhere?" O'Toole answers, "The name's familiar, but I just can't place the face..."

Referencees

The Times, 2nd & 6th September 1965

External links

• What's New, Pussycat? at IMDb