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Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
(1969)
In Paul Mazursky's satirical film about changing sexual
mores in the late 60s, with the tagline "Consider the Possibilities" -
and its story of encounter groups, permissive sex, counter-cultural
temptation and emotional openness among affluent adults:
- two couples: Bob and Carol Sanders (Robert Culp
and Natalie Wood) and their best friends Ted and Alice Henderson
(Elliott Gould and Dyan Cannon), who had their marital vows of
fidelity challenged during a weekend 'swinging' trip to Las Vegas
- the scene of Alice drunkenly urging everyone to do
what she (and they) wanted to do, and what they logically had come
there for:
"Orgy, have an orgy. Orgy, orgy"
- Carol's suggestion to Ted to have sex with her - mate-swapping:
("It's physical fun, it's just sex. Oh, come on, it'll
be fun"); Ted added as the couples began to help themselves
get undressed: "First, we'll have an orgy and then we'll go
see Tony Bennett"
- the film's publicity - the view of the couples
in the bedroom, lined up in bed (and naked under the sheets) and
feeling very awkward about proceeding with group sex and/or mate-swapping
- the film's sappy ending with the couples leaving
the hotel without trading partners after all, following an aborted
attempt (with only brief kissing), and the playing of the Burt Bacharach
song "What the World Needs Now (Is Love, Sweet Love)"
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"Orgy, have an orgy. Orgy, orgy"
Leaving the Hotel
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