Prudence and the Pill

The pill was to blame for everything ( Prudence and the Pill ) is the title of a British comedy film from the year 1968.

Action

Gerald Hardcastle, President of one of the largest banks in London, is married to Prudence for twelve years. They have a big house with a park, a maid - Rose - and a chauffeur - Ted. You run a modern marriage with separate interests, separate rooms, and with them goes a long time nothing more.

Gerald also has a brother, Henry. The and his wife Grace are quite old-fashioned, they love each other and have a daughter, Geraldine. One evening, the two catch her ​​daughter with a man in bed. Dad takes the boy to his chest, his name is Tony. Tony is from a good family, fatherless, and Auntie Roberta his guardian. Mama in turn subjected her daughter also to cross-examination, mainly because of a possible pregnancy. Geraldine takes Thenol, the pill. Grace wants to know where they have since the. Well, just from Mama's bedside drawer, and thus does not notice, she has always taken refilled with aspirin tablets. At once it overflows Mama alternately hot and cold, and her husband is made immediately familiar with the enlargement of the family.

Henry tells the story of the pill exchange his brother. Gerald has already read the name " Thenol " somewhere, but where? Right! He finds the tablets with his wife. And immediately he suspected: She has a lover! But who is it? He must necessarily discuss with someone, with Elizabeth, his secret lover. She proposes to him, but there his niece Geraldine emulate. He does this because even and exchanges Prudence pills to aspirin to.

Ted and Rose also have a secret love affair. He has unwittingly worried the pill, she transferred to a vitamin pill bottles and highly recommend her for daily intake. But Rose wants no vitamins, she wants the pill. Consequently, they exchanged the vitamins to fight against the alleged pills from the bedside table of her mistress.

Spring is here, and Rose is pregnant. She cries and clamored, and the thing with the pill exchange comes out. Only when the Hardcastle her and Ted want to help in shaping a common future, she calms down again.

One day meet Tony and Geraldine at the races happen to Gerald and Elizabeth. Gerald is extremely embarrassing, but his niece finds the cool. She promises to keep quiet. Elizabeth, it 's enough with Gerald clandestine fuss, she separates from him. A suicide note, and that's it. Gerald puts her letter in his suit jacket.

Controversy exists but also at home. The two Hardcastle brothers wanted to go with their wives along with Geraldine, Tony and his aunt in Cornwall to get to know each. But Prudence pretends to be sick and not being able to ride, her husband does not trust her but.

By chance he discovers the real reason. She wants to go away with her lover, a Dr. Hewitt, who always prescribe you the pill. Gerald is Prudence to speech, but that has counter-arguments: Elizabeth's letter had been found, as the suit for cleaning should. They throw their mutual contempt and talk of divorce, but he refused her consent. Prudence takes off yet, and Gerald moves without them with the other to Cornwall.

As Gerald returns to London, Prudence asks him for a meeting. She now lives with her boyfriend and wants to marry him. She wants a divorce again. Gerald has therefore not in a hurry, but probably Prudence because she is pregnant. Unexpectedly, sees Gerald Elizabeth on the road again. Also she is pregnant by him. Now wants and he can marry her immediately. So when Dr. Hewitt himself timidly a new trial because of the divorce starts, it runs an open door. And since Geraldine is pregnant already, they bring, Grace, Elizabeth, Prudence and rose to her children, where Rose is particularly successful with their twins.

Reviews

  • The critics felt that too much was packed into the film, too many players and too many subplots. Among the film had suffered.
  • " Prudence and the Pill, the first comedy film, which dealt with the new birth control pill, earned in 1968 notoriety. How could such prominent actors like Niven, Kerr, Robert Coote and Dame Edith Evans in these glossy nonsense into? Prudence and the Pill was not only pointless, but was anachronistic in its performance. " (Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide )
  • "At least David Niven makes a good figure in the comedy, the Director - after differences with producer -. Passed by J. Fielder Cook at Ronald Neame " ( Encyclopedia of the International Films)
  • " Under these circumstances, it is understandable that the actors all look a bit rushed In fact, the only survivor of this disaster is director Fielder Cook, who managed to make a hasty retreat before the film was finished -. Giving him an unfair advantage procured by the public. " (Time)
  • Roger Ebert said on September 10, 1968, mutatis mutandis, that it was a lousy idea to start with the film, and the result was lousy.
1968 in film Screenplay Film score Ted Moore Lord David Dundas Hal Erickson (author)
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