Hollywood’s Awkward Phase

This is the clip we ran out of time for during Wednesday’s discussion section.  As we move into our week on New Hollywood, I wanted to give you a taste of an incredibly awkward transitional period for Hollywood that Tom Schatz makes some mention of in this past week’s reading.  Following is a clip from Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, which was released in 1969 (the same year as Hello Dolly!).  I think it’s a nice example of Hollywood trying desperately to be “hip” and appeal to the young, edgy generation as Schatz writes about and the slightly awkward period before the “Hollywood Renaissance.”

The film tells the story of Bob and Carol (featured in the clip below), an extremely hip California couple who, after having their minds opened at a relationship retreat, decide to pursue a new openness about sex and relationships in their marriage.  They soon drag their good friends, married couple Ted and Alice, into this new outlook as well and the latter part of the film focuses on the question of whether Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice will decide to have an orgy in Las Vegas.  In the clip below, Bob and Carol work through some adjustments in their marriage as they try to stick to their new “modern” rules.