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		A Guide for the Married Man
A Guide for the Married Man The Film | The Music Audio | Video | Sheet Music References | Links Compositions: Films Previous: The Plainsman Next: Valley of the Dolls Chronological filmography Alphabetical filmography Television films Miscellanea		The Film Release date: May 26, 1967 Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Running time: 89 minutes Director: Gene Kelly Cast: Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, Inger Stevens, Sue Ann Langdon, Claire Kelly, Linda Harrison, Elaine Devry, Michael Romanoff, Jason Wingreen, Fred Holliday, Pat Becker, Jackie Russell, Aline Towne, Eve Brent, Marvin Brody, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Polly Bergen, Joey Bishop, Sid Caesar, Art Carney, Wally Cox, Jayne Mansfield, Hal March, Louis Nye, Carl Reiner, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas,  Ben Blue, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Jeffrey Hunter, Marty Ingels, Sam Jaffe Technical information: Panavision (2.35:1), DeLuxe color The idea for A Guide for the Married Man originated with screenwriter Frank Tarloff. Blacklisted in the 1950s, he survived for the next decade by writing TV scripts, first through the auspices of fronts such as Carl Reiner and Sheldon Leonard, then under the pseudonym David Adler. Tarloff traveled to England in the early 1960s, hoping to break back into features outside of the Hollywood system, but his next screen credit actually came for 1964's Father Goose, an American production for which he shared an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
		While in England, Tarloff had a discussion with an acquaintance who lamented the downside of marital infidelity: getting caught. The happily married Tarloff set about interviewing those friends, acquaintances and strangers he knew to be engaged in extra-marital activities and who were willing to share their experiences. The result was a screen treatment for A Guide for the Married Man, which, with the help of his friend Nunnally Johnson, he sold to Twentieth Century-Fox. (Although the film credits indicate Tarloff's screenplay is based on his own book by the same name, the book was actually an afterthought of the studio publicity department; it was published in 1967, shortly before the film's release.) While Fox studio executives were convinced of the commercial appeal of the screenplay, they were wary of causing public outrage should the material be handled too salaciously. Another problem facing producer Frank McCarthy was the implementation of his idea to cast A-list comedy stars in cameo roles as the "technical advisers" who play out the skits demonstrating the dangers of marital infidelity: a well-respected director was required to attract these stars to the project and keep them happy during their brief shooting schedules. Both McCarthy and Tarloff agreed that Gene Kelly was the perfect choice for the job. Most famous as one of the screen's greatest dancers, Kelly's career had shifted from leading man to character actor (such as the role of the H. L. Mencken-like newspaperman in 1960's Inherit the Wind) and director (of Tunnel of Love, a 1958 Doris Day film, and Gigot, a 1962 Jackie Gleason vehicle). As a director, Kelly had been attached to a number of projects between 1962 and 1966, each of which had fallen through for one reason or another during pre-production. So, while he too had reservations about the tone of the script and the salacious nature of the film's premise, he jumped at the chance to direct a film for which there was rock-solid financing and the full backing of a major studio. Some of the challenges facing director Kelly were more easily solved than others. The big-name guest stars (such as Lucille Ball, Jack Benny and Phil Silvers) sought by producer McCarthy signed on immediately when they learned Kelly was helming the project. Frank Tarloff agreed to make changes in the script, shifting the focus of ridicule from the cuckolded wives to the philandering husbands. While the cameo sequences still detailed a long list of ways to avoid getting caught having an affair, the connecting storyline now amounted to something of a morality tale. Paul Manning (Walter Matthau), a neophyte in extra-marital relations, is married to Ruth Manning (Inger Stevens), the perfect wife in every imaginable way, thus he would be an idiot to stray from her. Paul's tutor in the art of spousal deception, Ed Stander (Robert Morse), gets found out by his wife at the end of the film, while Paul chickens out and returns home. Yet Kelly was still faced with the challenge of convincing Walter Matthau to take a leading role in the film. Recovering from a recent heart attack, and not wanting to duplicate his previous film role (as a sleazy lawyer in The Fortune Cookie) too closely, he repeatedly turned down the role of Ed Stander. Kelly persisted and finally Matthau relented, on the condition that the filmmakers accept the suggestion of his friend, director Billy Wilder, and cast Matthau as Paul Manning, the "schnook." While far from highbrow entertainment, the resulting film was nonetheless quite successful at the box office, finishing among the top 20 moneymakers for 1967, and turning a handsome profit for the studio. Viewed a third of a century later, the film remains quite funny. Though decidedly politically incorrect, any shock value it once had pales in comparison to today's prime time sitcom fare.
A Guide for the Married Man The Film | The Music Audio | Video | Sheet Music References | Links		The Music Music: Johnny Williams Lyrics: Leslie Bricusse Song Sung by: The Turtles Orchestration: Herbert Spencer Music recorded: September, 1967 It has been said that acting or directing comedy is much harder than is drama. The same can be said for scoring a comedy film. At times, the music might be required to be outright cartoonish in nature, while at other times playing against the film with straightforward, "serious" music might bring the best results. Striking the right balance, while keeping the score from being too funny in and of itself - thus detracting from the film - can be a tricky business. A Guide for the Married Man posed additional challenges for John Williams: because the film skips quickly from one sequence to another, tied together by voiceovers, the score was required not only to support the comedic action, but to tie the disparate sequences into a seamless whole. While serving to bind together the many scene changes and underline the visual jokes with the musical equivalent of a wink and a nod, Williams' music is also given a strong narrative voice in the storytelling. Afforded many opportunities to pastiche and parody various film music conventions, Williams often uses as a model the ballet scores of Prokofiev and Shostakovich (by way of Carl Stalling) to underscore many sequences with the appropriate musical tongue in cheek. It is not surprising that the score would be balletic in nature, given Gene Kelly as the director and given that many sequences include finely choreographed slapstick. Though by necessity many cues "Mickey-Mouse" the screen action, this is often done within the context of a larger musical framework. This is even true of the source music: when Paul and his attractive neighbor, Irma Johnson (Sue Ane Langdon), share a dance at a party (track 11), a saxophone crescendo - which seems not at all out of place when heard apart from the film - takes on added meaning when played underneath Ed Stander's warning glance; later, at Chez Mau-Mau (track 16), a brass trill lingers a second or two longer than expected to underline the shock Paul receives when he spies Irma at the same hideout. Williams' score for A Guide for the Married Man is a veritable catalog of the diverse styles in which he had become adept at writing over the previous decade: everything from goofy, faux-hip source music to bold orchestral scoring featuring brass fanfares and his trademark woodwind runs. (Astute listeners will note many instances which foreshadow the music he would provide a decade later for space epics and adventure films.) The year 1967 was an important turning point in Williams' career in many ways. He would soon leave Hollywood for significant periods of time, working in England on the adaptation of music for the screen musicals Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Fiddler on the Roof. While abroad he would score two high-profile television films produced in Europe, Heidi and Jane Eyre, and an Italian-produced drama, The Story of a Woman. These projects allowed him to unleash the melodic voice which we now so closely associate with Williams, and proved to be stepping-stones to more high-profile assignments upon his return to the United States, beginning with two Mark Rydell films, The Reivers and The Cowboys. It was also the year in which his screen credit would change from "Johnny Williams" to more mature-sounding "John Williams". A Guide for the Married Man also marked the beginning of a long professional relationship between Williams and orchestrator Herbert Spencer. The two had met in previous years when Williams, who was under contract to Universal during the early 1960s, was employed from time to time as a studio pianist at Fox. While Spencer didn't think much of Williams' scoring assignments (including Guide), he admired the high quality of Williams' writing ("very up-town") for inferior pictures. Over the next quarter century, until his death in 1992, Spencer would work almost exclusively for Williams on nearly all of the composer's classic scores. Another friend and co-worker of Williams', lyricist Leslie Bricusse, also contributed to A Guide for the Married Man. Williams and Bricusse had penned a pair songs the previous year, "Two Lovers" from How to Steal a Million and the title song for Penelope, but their most enduring work would follow: Williams' adaptation of Bricusse's songs for Goodbye, Mr. Chips, "Can You Read My Mind" from Superman, several songs for an aborted Spielberg film musical of the Peter Pan story (one of which survives in the non-musical end-product, Hook), as well as "Somewhere in My Memory" and three other songs from Home Alone and Home Alone 2. For Guide, Bricusse had the unenviable task of fashioning lyrics around the film's awkward title. He met this challenge, striking the proper balance between a necessary exposition of the film's central thesis and the goofy tone of the film itself. As had been the case with Williams' scores for Not With My Wife, You Don't! and Penelope, the tune was originally intended to be sung by a studio chorus but in this instance an existing pop group, The Turtles, was brought in to record the song. While several musical motives recur during the film, the title tune is the only melody used by Williams throughout the picture. The composer subjects it to a wide range of variations, always associating the melody exclusively with Paul Manning and his (eventually unsuccessful) quest to join the ranks of cheating husbands. Prologue A brief animated prologue depicting marital infidelity through the ages opens the film. Amelodic passages with massed woodwinds in extreme registers accompany a caveman and dinosaur; brass fanfares underscore a Roman procession; and a genteel tune for harpsichord, cello and flute evokes Victorian England. (The music for a brief transition sequence in the Manning bedroom was missing from the master tapes.)  Off to Work As the scene shifts to the following morning, we hear idyllic woodwind music when Paul kisses Ruth goodbye, then burlesque-style brass and guitar as he eyes Irma Johnson. "A Guide for the Married Man" The Turtles' rendition of the title song plays over scenes of Paul Manning commuting to work, encountering hordes of beautiful women at every turn. In the film, the third of the four verses recorded was excised.  Williams' original conception of the title song was performed by a small studio chorus; while it hasn't aged as gracefully as the Turtles' rendition, it serves as a wacky memento of the period. (Of particular note: the use of orchestral percussion - such as timpani and glockenspiel - in a pop idiom, and the Tijuana Brass-style trumpet interlude.) Why Do They Do It? A collection of cues which underscore brief sequences depicting Ed Stander's explanation of the various motivations for adultery: three technical advisers provide one-line answers to the question at hand; in an idealized flashback to Paul and Ruth's first encounter, they run toward each other through a meadow to the tune of a grand romantic love theme; a brief transition cue back to the Manning pool follows; another technical adviser (Wally Cox) snaps in front of his wife and accosts every woman in sight; the title tune reappears as a self-important march as Paul attempts to play the bust-up scene (see below) himself. Backyard Barbecue Source music plays on a radio as the Mannings visit the Stander home for a poolside get-together. The Bust-Up Scene Joe X (Art Carney) initiates a fight with his wife (Lucille Ball) so that she will kick him out of the house, giving him the perfect cover for a night on the town with his girlfriend. A carefree tune for trombone and strings accompanies his transformation from working stiff to Mr. First-Nighter. This up-tempo melody segues into a more relaxed interlude for saxophone and violin, backed by jazz piano trio, as he and his friend (Eve Brent) dance in a restaurant. The first tune then returns as he reverses the transformation. Quieter music featuring flutes and tuba underscores his telephoned apology the following morning. The episode concludes with a snappy coda. The Perfume Problem Another collection of short cues: when Paul and Ed meet Irma Johnson on the street, they both admire her walk; when Fred V. (Hal March) attempts to air out his clothing on a cab ride home from an amorous encounter, he loses his jacket - Williams provides a carefree woodwind tune interspersed with brass glissandi; after throwing out his back, Paul is driven to a local steam bath by his wife, to the accompaniment of an under-the-weather variation of the title tune; Mrs. Fred V. (Majel Barrett) spies tire marks on her husband's suit. The Movie Star Famous movie star Rance G (Carl Reiner) leaves home for work; at the studio he spies Hollywood starlet Miss Stardust (Linda Harrison). The Globetrotters Rance arranges an amorous rendezvous with Miss Stardust at a remote location on the other side of the world. Williams begins this cue with a rock and roll riff, which he slowly develops as it repeats and the key modulates upward. As the journey continues, the composer introduces a James Bond-style tune. The rock riff returns briefly, followed by another exposition of the Bond tune, now embellished with brass stings. A third motive is then introduced: a grand romantic love theme. These three elements take turns at the fore until the romantic melody builds to a great climax as the two lovers finally embrace in their secret cabin hideaway - but the actor's wife, with photographers in tow, bursts into the room and the cue concludes with a brief, tragic fanfare. (An extended section in the middle of this track, as well as the ominous ostinato which concludes it, were not used in the film.) Smelly Concoction Paul prepares an odiferous potion designed to trick his wife into buying him some strong aftershave. Williams reprises his theme from "The Perfume Problem" but this time at a slower tempo and accompanied by clustered chords and wrong-note harmonies to indicate the foul smell musically. Later that night, Ruth closes the windows in the Manning bedroom to keep the stench from blowing in her direction. The Party Source music for a gathering of married couples hosted by the Mannings; more source music is heard as Paul Manning and Irma Johnson share a dance. What Was I Wearing? At the aforementioned party, husbands and wives congregate separately to discuss the hows and whys of infidelity; afterward, Irma Johnson's husband (Jason Wingreen) gives the wrong answer to a trick question; the track concludes with  Who Was the Most Attractive? After the Manning party, Paul struggles to find the least incriminating answer to a question from Ruth. Piano Bar Reflective piano music for a restaurant scene as Paul and Ed discuss adultery over lunch. Williams performs this track himself. Search for the Hideaway A collection of source cues as Paul searches for the perfect out-of-the-way nightclub for their secret trysts: he narrowly avoids a vice squad at Skin City; Bedlam A-Go-Go proves too hot to handle; the third piece of source music was unused in the film. Romanoff's When Paul spies a friend (Sid Caesar) with a girlfriend at a fancy restaurant, the man creates havoc attempting to avoid discovery. The cue begins with an elegant tune for strings (ostensibly source music, although the scene is played completely without sound effects and dialogue), which segues to a frenetic, Prokofiev-flavored scherzo that manages to catch all of the manic screen action. The Considerate Husband After spying a married friend (Sid Caesar) with a girlfriend at a fancy restaurant (see track 27), Paul relates the episode to Ed. He describes to Paul how a more considerate husband would have handled the situation. Williams uses virtually the same music, but intersperses a carefree tune with the scherzando music. This time the cue catches different screen actions, giving different import to the same musical gestures. Misdirection When Sid W (Phil Silvers) is spied near a motel with his "secretary" by an enemy (Louis Nye), he quickly concocts a diversion. Emergency Kit Paul and Ed embark on a trial run, to the accompaniment of another variation of the title theme, here led by muted brass. Ed, preaching the virtues of keeping spare clothing on hand, relates the tale of Murray T (Ben Blue), who leaves his shoes behind when forced to make a quick getaway; Williams provides another scherzo, this time for flute and pizzicato strings. Bantu Cuisine Paul finally locates the perfect hideaway, Chez Mau-Mau, featuring exotic food and even more exotic dancing, for which Williams provides this wild number. Trial Run Paul and Ed check in to the Happy Hour Motel, raising the eyebrows of the desk clerk. Ed tests Paul by smearing lipstick on his shirt. The next morning, Paul demonstrates he has learned his lesson well, disposing of the evidence to the accompaniment of a lazy trombone tune. Later, Ed rules out his secretary as a potential date for Paul, then relates the case of Clara Brown (Polly Bergen), who learns from a wrong number that her husband has been cheating on her. The Divorcee Ed warns against dating single girls. A sultry melody for saxophone and strings accompanies Paul's first meeting with Jocelyn Montgomery (Elaine Devry), a wealthy divorcee who meets all of the requirements for an extra-marital partner. Yet another scherzo introduces Harold W (Terry-Thomas), who brings his friend (Jayne Mansfield) home for a fling while his wife is out of town. The next morning she can't find a delicate article of clothing, instigating an unsuccessful search, accompanied by a frantic variation of the previous scherzo. Making the Move Elegant string writing accompanies a montage of Paul giving Jocelyn financial advice; a sultry saxophone enters as she flirts with him. When a technical adviser (Jack Benny) wants to break off an affair with his current girlfriend to make way for the next one, he feigns bankruptcy; Williams intersperses a wobbly violin solo, cleverly referencing Benny's real-life musical ability. After Charles T (Joey Bishop) is caught by his wife (Ann Morgan Guilbert) in bed with another woman, he denies everything, bewildering Mrs. Charles T. The Real Thing Paul embarks on his initial voyage into infidelity, faking a bad back, renting a car, picking up Jocelyn, and registering under a fake name at the Happy Hour Motel. The score references music from earlier cues, including "The Trial Run" Second Thoughts Hesitant trombones indicate Paul's reluctance to get down to business at the Happy Hour Motel, while muted interjections of Jocelyn's saxophone music indicate that her powers of persuasion over Paul are fading. The Race Home Hearing a commotion in the next bungalow, Paul peers out the window to see Ed Stander and Irma Johnson caught in the act by a horde of photographers and private detectives. Frenetic action music and frantic variations of the title tune accompany Paul's wild car ride as he unloads Jocelyn and races back home. A tender violin motive associated with Ruth Manning makes its final appearance as Paul kisses her good night. Williams composed two version of this cue, the second of which is heard in the film; they are substantially the same, but the music underscoring Paul's reaction to Ed Stander's discovery at the Happy Hour Motel is much darker than in the second draft. Finale The next morning, we see a double-speed recapitulation of the main title sequence, but this time Paul makes every attempt to avoid the hordes of beautiful women. Williams accompanies the scene with Vaudevillian silent-movie music. No Place Like Home A follow-the-bouncing-ball rendition of "There's No Place Like Home" concludes the film. End Cast: "A Guide for the Married Man" Williams recorded a reprise of the studio chorus version of the title song for the end cast credit crawl. This was replaced in the film by an excerpt from The Turtles' rendition.
FSMCD Vol. 4 No. 17		Audio The Turtles' version of the title song was issued as a 45 RPM single at the time of the film's release and was soon after included on their LP Happy Together; for over three decades, this was the only available recording of music from the film. In July of 2000, Film Score Monthly released a soundtrack album (FSMCD Vol. 3 No. 5) featuring virtually all of the 55 minutes of music heard in the film, except for two brief segments: music for a short pre-credit scene in the Manning bedroom, which was missing from the master tapes; and some calliope source music by composer David Raksin that was tracked in to an early amusement park scene. A fair amount of additional material not used in the film are featured as bonus tracks. Limited to a pressing of 3000 copies, the CD is available through FSM's Web site as well as various specialty soundtrack dealers.
A Guide for the Married Man The Film | The Music Audio | Video | Sheet Music References | Links		Video A Guide for the Married Man is available on DVD in both letterboxed and pan-and-scan formats (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment — purchase).
Hastings H73-2		Sheet Music A piano/vocal version of the title song was issued in 1967 by Hastings Music Corporation. This sheet music is long out of print. References A Guide for the Married Man, Frank Tarloff Los Angeles: Price/Stern/Sloan, 1967.  186pp. "Film Reviews: A Guide for the Married Man," Robe. Variety, April 19 1967, 6:5+ "Review: A Guide for the Married Man," Bosley Crowther New York Times, May 27 1967, 16:1 "Film Review: Guide for Married Man Outspoken," Charles Champlin Los Angeles Times, July 14 1967, IV, 1:2+
A Guide for the Married Man The Film | The Music Audio | Video | Sheet Music References | Links		Links Internet Movie Database entry for A Guide for the Married Man Cinebooks Database entry for A Guide for the Married Man All Movie Guide entry for A Guide for the Married Man The official web site of The Turtles
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