Cactus Flower
Directed by Gene Saks
Written by I.A.L. Diamond based on a Broadway play by Abe Burrows – original play by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy
1969/US
IMDb link
First viewing/Amazon Instant
Dr. Julian Winston: Well, it’s different for a man. If a man is with a younger woman it looks entirely appropriate, but when it’s the other way around, it’s disg…
Stephanie: Well, you go to your church and I’ll go to mine.
A great cast is largely wasted in this pleasant but predictable romcom.
Dr. Julian Weston (Walter Matthau) is a New York City dentist, a confirmed bachelor and a ladies man. A central part of his practice is his no-nonsense dowdy nurse Stephanie (Ingrid Bergman). Julian has been having an affair with much younger free spirit Toni Simmons (Goldie Hawn). He tells her he is married so she won’t get any ideas. Toni’s cute young neighbor Igor Sullivan may have an ulterior motive for constantly barging in on their trysts.
Igor and Toni’s friendship makes Julian jealous and he decides he must marry her. Toni insists he produce his wife. Julian selects Stephanie as the stand-in, not knowing that behind her business like exterior lie more tender feelings. Jack Weston plays Julian’s friend that is corralled into standing in for Stephanie’s lover.
