Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) (film)
Encyclopedia
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972) is Woody Allen
's fourth film, consisting of a series of short sequences loosely inspired by Dr. David Reuben
's book of the same name
.
The film was an early smash for Allen, grossing over $18 million in the U.S. alone against a $2 million budget.
by Cole Porter
.
The film is divided into seven vignettes, as follows:
An August 1972 review by Time
said that many of the film's ideas "sound good on paper" but that the "skits wind down rather than take off from the ideas"; the film includes "some broad, funny send-ups of other movies (Fantastic Voyage
, La notte
), and its fair share of memorably wacky lines" but that "overall it is just Woody marking time and being merely a little funnier".
The Time Out Film Guide noted that some of the film's sketches are "dross, but the parodies of Antonioni (all angst and alienation of a wife who can achieve orgasm only in public places) and of TV panel games ('What's My Perversion?') are brilliantly accurate and very funny. Best of all is the sci-fi parody entitled 'What Happens During Ejaculation?'."
In 2004, Christopher Null
, founder of filmcritic.com, called it a "minor classic and Woody Allen's most absurd film ever."
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's fourth film, consisting of a series of short sequences loosely inspired by Dr. David Reuben
David Reuben (sex author)
David R. Reuben is a California psychiatrist, sex expert, and author of several books, such as Any Woman Can! and How to Get More out of Sex. He is most famous for his book Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex , published in 1969.-External links:...
's book of the same name
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex is a book by U.S. physician Dr. David Reuben. It was one of the first sex manuals that entered mainstream culture in the 1960s, and it had a profound effect on sex education and in liberalizing attitudes towards sex...
.
The film was an early smash for Allen, grossing over $18 million in the U.S. alone against a $2 million budget.
Film structure
The credits at the start and close of the film are played over a backdrop of a large mass of white rabbits, to the tune of Let's MisbehaveLet's Misbehave
"Let's Misbehave" is a famous song written by Cole Porter in 1927, originally intended for the female lead of his first major production, Paris...
by Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
.
The film is divided into seven vignettes, as follows:
- Do Aphrodisiacs Work?
In which a court jester (played by Allen) gives a love potionPotionA potion is a consumable medicine or poison.In mythology and literature, a potion is usually made by a magician, sorcerer, dragon, fairy or witch and has magical properties. It might be used to heal, bewitch or poison people...
to a Queen (played by Lynn RedgraveLynn RedgraveLynn Rachel Redgrave, OBE was an English actress.A member of the well-known British family of actors, Redgrave trained in London before making her theatrical debut in 1962...
), but is foiled by her chastity beltChastity beltA chastity belt is a locking item of clothing designed to prevent sexual intercourse. They may be used to protect the wearer from rape or temptation. Some devices have been designed with additional features to prevent masturbation...
. There are references to Shakespeare'sWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
throughout. - What is Sodomy?
In which a doctor (Gene WilderGene WilderGene Wilder is an American stage and screen actor, director, screenwriter, and author.Wilder began his career on stage, making his screen debut in the film Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. His first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1968 film The Producers...
) falls in love with the partner of an Armenian patient ... a sheep. - Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm?
About a woman (played by Louise LasserLouise LasserLouise Lasser is an American actress. She is known for her portrayal of the title character on the soap opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. She was married to Woody Allen and appeared in several of his films.-Personal life:...
) who can only reach orgasm in public. Allen's homage to Italian film-making in general and Casanova 70Casanova 70Casanova 70 is a 1965 Italian comedy film produced by Carlo Ponti, directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi, and Michele Mercier.-Plot:...
, Michelangelo AntonioniMichelangelo AntonioniMichelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
and Federico FelliniFederico FelliniFederico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
in particular. - Are Transvestites Homosexuals?
In which a middle-aged married man (played by Lou JacobiLou JacobiLouis Harold "Lou" Jacobi was a Canadian character actor.-Life and career:Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in Toronto, Ontario to Joseph and Fay Jacobivitch...
) experiments with women's clothes. - What Are Sex Perverts?
Which features a parody of the television game showGame showA game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
What's My Line?What's My Line?What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
called What's My Perversion?, filmed in B&WBlack-and-whiteBlack-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
kinescopeKinescopeKinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
-style and hosted by Jack BarryJack Barry (television)Jack Barry was an American television game show host and producer via Barry & Enright Productions, his production company with Dan Enright...
. The four panelists who attempt to guess the contestant's perversion are Regis PhilbinRegis PhilbinRegis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
, Robert Q. LewisRobert Q. LewisRobert Q. Lewis was an American radio and television personality, game show host, and actor. Lewis added the middle initial "Q." to his name accidentally on the air in 1942, when he responded to a reference to radio comedian F. Chase Taylor's character, Colonel Lemuel Q...
, Pamela MasonPamela MasonPamela Mason was a British actress, author, and screenwriter who appeared in a number of British films.-Early life and career:...
, and Toni Holt. After they fail to guess that the contestant's perversion is "Likes to expose himself on subways," a second segment of the show is presented, in which a selected viewer (in this case a rabbi) gets to act out his bondage and humiliation fantasy while his wife eats pork. - Are the Findings of Doctors and Clinics Who Do Sexual Research and Experiments Accurate?
In which a researcher (played by Allen) and journalist Helen (Heather MacRaeHeather MacRaeHeather MacRae is an American stage, film and television actress, perhaps best known for her role in the Woody Allen 1972 comedy film Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* ....
), visit a researcher (played by John CarradineJohn CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
) who formerly worked with Masters and JohnsonMasters and JohnsonThe Masters and Johnson research team, composed of William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders and dysfunctions from 1957 until the 1990s....
but now has his own laboratory complete with a lab assistant named IgorIgor (fictional character)Igor is the traditional stock character or cliché hunch-backed assistant or butler to many types of villain, such as Count Dracula or a mad scientist, familiar from many horror movies and horror movie parodies, the Frankenstein series and Van Helsing films in particular.-Origins:Dwight Frye's...
(played by Ref SanchezRef SanchezRef Sanchez was an American actor who appeared mostly in television shows in smaller acting parts. He worked as a fashion photographer in the 1950s through the 1970s.-Early life:...
). After they see a series of bizarre sexual experiments underway at the lab and realize the researcher is insane, they escape before Helen becomes the subject of another of his experiments. The segment culminates with a scene in which the countryside is terrorized by a giant runaway breast created by the researcher. The first part of this segment is a parody of Ed Wood's Bride of the MonsterBride of the MonsterBride of the Monster is a 1955 sci-fi horror film starring Bela Lugosi, along with Tor Johnson, Tony McCoy and Loretta King Hadler. It was produced, directed and co-written by Edward D. Wood, Jr....
. - What Happens During Ejaculation?
Which is set in a man's brain (and other parts of the body) as he gets involved in a sexual clinch with an NYU graduate (knowledge of which, assures coital success) portrayed by Erin FlemingErin FlemingErin Fleming was a Canadian actress who was best known as the companion and caregiver to Groucho Marx in his final years.-Early career:Fleming was born Marilyn Fleming in New Liskeard, Ontario, Canada...
. We see the NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
-like control center in the man's brain (headed by Tony RandallTony RandallTony Randall was a U.S. actor, comic, producer and director.-Early years:Randall was born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Julia and Mogscha Rosenberg, an art and antiques dealer...
and featuring Burt ReynoldsBurt ReynoldsBurton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
as the switchboardSwitchboardThe term switchboard, when used by itself, may refer to:*Telephone switchboard*Electric switchboard*Printed circuit board*Mixing console*In computing, Switch board...
operator) and see the soldier-like, white-uniformed sperm (one of them portrayed by bespectacled Allen) as they are dispatched paratrooperParatrooperParatroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
-style into the great unknown.
Cast
- Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
as Victor / Fabrizio / The Fool / Sperm - John CarradineJohn CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
as Dr Bernardo - Lou JacobiLou JacobiLouis Harold "Lou" Jacobi was a Canadian character actor.-Life and career:Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in Toronto, Ontario to Joseph and Fay Jacobivitch...
as Sam Musgrave - Louise LasserLouise LasserLouise Lasser is an American actress. She is known for her portrayal of the title character on the soap opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. She was married to Woody Allen and appeared in several of his films.-Personal life:...
as Gina - Anthony QuayleAnthony QuayleSir John Anthony Quayle, CBE was an English actor and director.-Early life:Quayle was born in Ainsdale, Southport, in Lancashire to a Manx family....
as The King - Tony RandallTony RandallTony Randall was a U.S. actor, comic, producer and director.-Early years:Randall was born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Julia and Mogscha Rosenberg, an art and antiques dealer...
as The Operator - Lynn RedgraveLynn RedgraveLynn Rachel Redgrave, OBE was an English actress.A member of the well-known British family of actors, Redgrave trained in London before making her theatrical debut in 1962...
as The Queen - Burt ReynoldsBurt ReynoldsBurton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
as Switchboard - Gene WilderGene WilderGene Wilder is an American stage and screen actor, director, screenwriter, and author.Wilder began his career on stage, making his screen debut in the film Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. His first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1968 film The Producers...
as Dr Ross - Jack BarryJack BarryJack Barry may refer to:* Jack Barry * Jack Barry , television host and producer* Jack Barry , 1930s radio singer* Jack Berry , an Irish sportsperson-See also:...
as Himself - Erin FlemingErin FlemingErin Fleming was a Canadian actress who was best known as the companion and caregiver to Groucho Marx in his final years.-Early career:Fleming was born Marilyn Fleming in New Liskeard, Ontario, Canada...
as The Girl - Elaine GiftosElaine GiftosElaine Giftos is an American actress.Trained by George Balanchine as a member of the New York City Ballet, Giftos performed on the Broadway stage before moving to California to pursue a career in movies and television.Her first television appearance was in an episode of I Dream of Jeannie as a...
as Mrs Ross - Toni Holt as Herself
- Robert Q. LewisRobert Q. LewisRobert Q. Lewis was an American radio and television personality, game show host, and actor. Lewis added the middle initial "Q." to his name accidentally on the air in 1942, when he responded to a reference to radio comedian F. Chase Taylor's character, Colonel Lemuel Q...
as Himself - Heather MacRaeHeather MacRaeHeather MacRae is an American stage, film and television actress, perhaps best known for her role in the Woody Allen 1972 comedy film Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* ....
as Helen Lacey - Pamela MasonPamela MasonPamela Mason was a British actress, author, and screenwriter who appeared in a number of British films.-Early life and career:...
as Herself - Sidney MillerSidney Miller (actor)-As actor:*1988 Memories of Me*1983-1985 Dungeons & Dragons *1972 Every Thing You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask*1955 The Donald O'Connor Show *1954 Dragnet...
as George - Regis PhilbinRegis PhilbinRegis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
as Himself
Critical response
The film currently has a rating of 89% in Rotten Tomatoes, based on 19 reviews.An August 1972 review by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
said that many of the film's ideas "sound good on paper" but that the "skits wind down rather than take off from the ideas"; the film includes "some broad, funny send-ups of other movies (Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby.Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it....
, La notte
La Notte
La Notte is a 1961 Italian film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. It is considered the central film of a trilogy beginning with L'avventura and ending with L'Eclisse.- Plot :...
), and its fair share of memorably wacky lines" but that "overall it is just Woody marking time and being merely a little funnier".
The Time Out Film Guide noted that some of the film's sketches are "dross, but the parodies of Antonioni (all angst and alienation of a wife who can achieve orgasm only in public places) and of TV panel games ('What's My Perversion?') are brilliantly accurate and very funny. Best of all is the sci-fi parody entitled 'What Happens During Ejaculation?'."
In 2004, Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Christopher Null is a film critic, columnist and former blogger for Yahoo! Tech, editor of Drinkhacker.com, and is the founder and editor in chief of Filmcritic.com.-Publications:...
, founder of filmcritic.com, called it a "minor classic and Woody Allen's most absurd film ever."