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Hollywood Sex Comedies, 1953–1964
A Critical Analysis of 25 Films
by Hal Erickson
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Book Presentation:
The Hollywood “sex comedy”—a feature-length film in which sex motivates the storyline and the laughs are triggered by sexual situations—came into its own with the 1953 release of the once-controversial The Moon Is Blue. That film received very positive critical and audience response despite being denied a seal of approval from the Production Code Administration and receiving a “Condemned” rating from the Legion of Decency. (These two formidable watchdog agencies would continue to be challenged—and audiences would continue to be convulsed—by the abundance of sex comedies still to come.)
The present informal survey focuses on 25 selected examples of the genre, released between 1953 and 1964. Along with such familiar works as The Seven Year Itch, The Tender Trap, Pillow Talk and Kiss Me, Stupid, several lesser-known sex comedies like I Married a Woman, The Tunnel of Love, Happy Anniversary and Period of Adjustment are documented, analyzed and placed in context with their times. Some are masterpieces, others mildly amusing and a few downright awful, but all are fascinating artifacts of a bygone era in popular entertainment.
About the Author:
Hal Erickson is the author of numerous media-related books and was for many years a primary editor of the All-Movie Guide website. He lives and works in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Press Reviews:
"This book is an engrossing trip through one of the liveliest parts of the transition between Old and New Hollywood. Classicmovie fans will find this an entertaining overview of the genre and probably some of their favorite films. Some may even add one or several new titles to their to-watch list."—Library Journal
See the publisher website: McFarland & Co
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