Cactus Flower (1969)
Directed by Gene Saks
Genres - Comedy, Romance, Drama |
Sub-Genres - Romantic Comedy |
Release Date - Dec 16, 1969 (USA - Unknown), Dec 16, 1969 (USA) |
Run Time - 104 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - PG
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Goldie Hawn won an Oscar for her performance as a Greenwich Village free spirit in Cactus Flower. Middle-aged dentist Winston (Walter Matthau) is enjoying an affair with Toni (Goldie Hawn) but doesn't want to be hemmed in by marriage. He prevails upon his non-glamorous assistant Stephanie (Ingrid Bergman) to pose as his wife so as to keep from campaigning for a ring. Then, to justify his "infidelity," Winston talks his pal (Jack Weston) into pretending to be Stephanie's illicit lover. Flattered by all the attention, Stephanie begins to "doll up." Confronted by a newly gorgeous Stephanie, Winston realizes that his Dream Girl has been right there in his office all along. As for Toni, she ends up in the arms of a writer (Rick Lenz), who has loved her since Reel One. Cactus Flower was adapted by Billy Wilder's frequent collaborator I.A.L. Diamond from the play by Abe Burrows -- which in turn was adapted from a French farce.
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Keywords
employer/employee, free-spirit, receptionist, romance, girlfriend, love, dentist, mid-life-crisis, mistress, secretary