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Playmates is a 1972 American made-for-television romantic comedy film starring Alan Alda, Connie Stevens, Barbara Feldon, Doug McClure and directed by Theodore J. Flicker. It originally aired as the ABC Movie of the Week on October 3, 1972.

Stevens called it "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice that doesn't cop out at the key moment."

Plot

Marshall and Kermit are two good friends who are divorced from their respective wives. While Marshall is a well-educated lawyer who runs his own practice, Kermit is a welder who makes minimum wage. One weekend, Marshall hosts his ex-wife Lois, Kermit, and Kermit's ex-wife Patti for a meal at his apartment. The men get friendly with each other's former spouses, leading to romantic entanglements.

Cast

• Alan Alda as Marshall Barnett
• Connie Stevens as Patti Holvey
• Barbara Feldon as Lois Barnett
• Doug McClure as Kermit Holvey

Reception

The Los Angeles Times said it "packs a wallop". The Village Voice was more critical, noting that in the film, "women come off as fools whose interests are to be ridiculed. Intellectuals come off as impotent frauds unable to be good in bed or in things cultural. Working men come off as boors, unable to appreciate anything except to worship status and money".

This was a large ratings success, ranking among the 20 most viewed films on TV for a time.

References

1. "Playmates' to be filmed as a movie of week". Los Angeles Times. Jun 22, 1972. ProQuest 156940819.
2. Haber, J. (Jul 6, 1972). "Connie to fatten her batting average". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 157012040.
3. Murphy, M. (Oct 3, 1972). "'Playmates' a comedy of divorce". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 157031855.
4. Solkoff, Joel (March 8, 1973). "Stuck too far behind the lines". The Village Voice. pp. 40, 74. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
5. "'Sex symbol' due in nation's homes". Los Angeles Times. Jul 25, 1974. ProQuest 157599961.
6. "Unbreakable Connie cries real tears". Los Angeles Times. Sep 15, 1974. ProQuest 157644271.

External links

• Playmates at IMDb
• Playmates at the TCM Movie Database

• 1972 television films
• 1972 films
• 1972 romantic comedy films
• 1970s buddy comedy films
• American romantic comedy films
• ABC Movie of the Week
• Films about divorce
• Films directed by Theodore J. Flicker
• Films scored by Jack Elliott (composer)
• 1970s American films