''For Singles Only'' is a 1968 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Arthur Dreifuss Arthur Dreifuss (sometimes credited as Dreyfuss; March 25, 1908 – December 31, 1993)John Saxon John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Westerns and horror films, often playing ...

, Mary Ann Mobley,

Lana Wood Lana Wood (born Svetlana Lisa Gurdin; March 1, 1946) is an American actress and producer. She made her film debut in ''The Searchers'' as a child actress and later achieved notability for playing Sandy Webber on the TV series '' Peyton Place'' a ...

Peter Mark Richman Peter Mark Richman (born Marvin Jack Richman; April 16, 1927 – January 14, 2021) was an American actor in films and on television, who was for many years credited as Mark Richman. He appeared in about 30 films and 130 television series from th ...

and

Ann Elder Ann Elder (born Anna Velders; September 21, 1942) is an American actress, producer and screenwriter. Early life and education Ann Elder was born Anna Velders in Cleveland, Ohio. Career Elder won Emmy Awards for comedy writing, including o ...

Plot

Close friends Anne Carr ( Mary Ann Mobley) and Helen Todd (

) move into a singles complex where every tenant must be unmarried and under 30. A couple of neighbors make a wager with bachelor playboy Bret Hendley (

John Saxon John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Westerns and horror films, often playing ...

) that he can't seduce Anne successfully. Bret is too much a gentleman to accept, but when Anne learns the money would pay for Bret's college education, she willingly goes along with a romance. Mr. Parker ( Milton Berle), the building's manager, throws an engagement party for Bret and Anne, then proceeds to evict them from the premises. While they work through their issues, Helen endures a traumatic experience, making her consider giving up men for good.

Cast

as Bret Hendley * Mary Ann Mobley as Anne Carr *

as Helen Todd * Mark Richman as Gerald Pryor (as Mark Richman) *

as Nydia Walker * Chris Noel as Lily *

Marty Ingels Marty may refer to: Names * Marty (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters, also includes stage names * Marty (surname), a list of people Places in the United States * Marty, California, a former settlement * Marty, Min ...

as Archibald Baldwin * Hortense Petra as Miss Jenks * Charles Robinson III as Jim Allen * Duke Hobbie as Bob Merrick * Walter Wanderley Trio as Themselves * Talya Ferro as Self * Cal Tjader Band as Themselves * The Lewis & Clarke Expedition as Themselves (as Lewis & Clark Expedition) *

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constant ...

as Themselves * Sunshine Company as Themselves (as The Sunshine Company) * Milton Berle as Mr Parker

Production

Filming started 18 September 1967. It was a rare comedy role for John Saxon.

Critical reception

A contemporary review in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' by film critic

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...

described the film as "a mindless, witless romantic drama about the mindless, witless young people who live, swim and boogoloo all day in one of those southern California apartment houses restricted to chamois-skinned unmarrieds," adding that the movie "is really an impotent fantasy about the sex life of the young ..only an elderly movie producer living in southern California could remain alive and yet be so dead to the meaning of the world around him." In her review for AllMovie, critic Sandra Brennan wrote that the film "is basically about the exploitation ftwo naive young women," one of whom "gains firsthand experience with gang rape and suicide."

References

External links