The Secret Life of an American Wife
| The Secret Life of an American Wife | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Axelrod |
| Written by | George Axelrod |
| Produced by | George Axelrod |
| Starring | Walter Matthau Anne Jackson Patrick O'Neal Edy Williams |
| Cinematography | Leon Shamroy |
| Edited by | Harry W. Gerstad |
| Music by | Billy May |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $3,000,000 (US/ Canada)[1] |
The Secret Life of an American Wife is a 1968 comedy film written and directed by George Axelrod. The film was released by 20th Century Fox in 1968, and was considered a box-office failure. It features a music score by Billy May. Edy Williams has a supporting role in the film as the Laytons' blonde bombshell neighbor.
Plot
Victoria Layton (Anne Jackson) is a suburban housewife who is dissatisfied with her marriage and fears that her sex appeal is fading. Her husband (Patrick O'Neal) works as a press agent, and his only client is a movie star who is known as an international sex symbol (Walter Matthau).
Upon hearing that The Movie Star (the character is not given a name, and Matthau is credited as "The Movie Star" in the closing credits) indulges in the services of prostitutes, Victoria decides to pose surreptitiously as one in order to prove to herself that she is still sexually attractive.
Cast
- Walter Matthau as The Movie Star
- Anne Jackson as Victoria Layton
- Patrick O'Neal as Tom Layton
- Edy Williams as Susie Steinberg
- Richard Bull as Howard
- Paul Napier as Herb Steinberg
- Gary Brown as Jimmy
- Albert Carrier as Jean-Claude
Reception
According to Fox records the film required $4,300,000 in rentals to break even and by 11 December 1970 had made $3,725,000 so made a loss to the studio.[2]
References
- ^ "Big Rental Films of 1968", Variety, 8 January 1969, p. 15. Please note this figure is a rental accruing to distributors.
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M (1988). The Fox that got away : the last days of the Zanuck dynasty at Twentieth Century-Fox. L. Stuart. p. 327.
External links
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- 1968 films
- 1960s sex comedy films
- 20th Century Fox films
- Adultery in films
- American films
- American sex comedy films
- English-language films
- Films directed by George Axelrod
- Films scored by Billy May
- Films set in Connecticut
- Films set in New York City
- Films shot in Connecticut
- Films shot in New York City
- Films with screenplays by George Axelrod
- 1968 comedy films
- 1960s comedy film stubs