The Chapman Report (1962)

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Blistering performances.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Directed by the legendary George Cukor who was often acclaimed for his success in drawing award-winning performances from female stars, The Chapman Report would seem to be an ideal vehicle for his talents. Alas, his famous flair with women has not clicked this time around. Maybe his heart was not in it? Jane Fonda, for example, is simply awful. Claire Bloom, Shelley Winters and Glynis Johns are obviously not in love with their characters either. And as for the men, especially Ray Danton, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., and Ty Hardin, most of them seem to be sleep- walking through their roles. Even always-reliables like John Dehner and Harold J. Stone do not come across well. And to add to the movie's woes in my area, the censor has obviously made cuts here and there, destroying whatever momentum the tired plot has managed to build up.

****SPOILERS*** In studying the lives of middle to upper class suburban women in L.A. for prominent psychologist Dr. George C. Chapman, Andrew Duggan, his horny assistant Paul Redford, Efrem Zimbelist Jr, got romantically involved with one his subjects the pretty but cool, as an iceberg, to sex Kathleen Barclay, Jane Fonda,that really screwed things up for the serious, in his work, Dr. Chapman. It was the other three subjects in Dr. Chapman's study that resulted into him re-examining his study that most women don't cheat on their husbands. The fact that Kethleen's husband Boy-not the Boy in the Tarzan movies-,John Baer, who was more interested in flying then in getting his rocks off or having sex with her was killed in a crash while flaying a fighter plane that broke up in mid-air which was a major reason her becoming celibate.There's divorcée Naomi Shields, Claire Bloom,who after making it with the water-boy, Chad Everett, delivering Poland Spring Water later hooked up with band leader Wash Dillon,Corey Allen, who in fact was married with children. After she was told by Redford to straighten out her life she got fully involved with Dillon's band of beatniks in a midnight jam and sex session and ended up being gang raped by the band members after getting her drunk on whiskey and vodka and everything else in between. Hurt & humiliated by what happened to her Naomi ended up killing herself with an overdose of sleeping pills before the booze, that helped kill her, wore off. Another victim of Dr. Chapman's meddling in people's lives was actress Tereas Harnish, Gynis Jones, who being being interviewed by one of his aids ended up getting involved with beach boy Ed Karski, Ty Hardin, who while playing touch football on the beach-stripped down to his skimpy shorts-remained her of a Greek God she saw at a local art museum. Eddie who in Teresa encouraging him to have sex with her responded by him man not woman handled her so brutally that she ended up losing all interest in sex with him or any one else. And the last of Dr. Chapman's victims middle-age Sarah Garnell, Shelly Winters, who was cheating behind her husband Frank's, Harold F. Stone, back with her acting coach Fred Linden, Ray Danton, who was also married but estranged from his wife. In that by her getting mixed signals by him in how much in love he was with her ended up leaving Frank and planning to shack up with Danton at a swingers commune. Only to later-in less the an hour-come back crawling on her hands & knees begging Frank for forgiveness and for him to take her back! That's when she found out that lover-boy Linden was planning to drop her for a much younger chick, one of his students, and check out together with her to Mexico City!Not as shocking as it was back in 1962 before the sexual revolution came into full swing and made the actions of those on the screen look like child's play in comparison.In fact the only good results out of this meaningless study by Dr. Chapman was that both Paul Redford and Kathleen Braclay the only two who seemed to be normal ended up getting married and hopefully staying together; Which is more then any of the other persons who were subjected to what turned out to be the very flawed Chapman Report, in reporting that as much as 97% of married couples in the USA didn't cheat on their spouse's, that ended up ruing their marriages and relationships as well as their very lives.

George Cukor (Golden Globe nomination) was known as a women's director in the 1930's and 1940's, so it's no small wonder he turns up here directing The Chapman Report (Golden Globe nomination as best picture). However, the hallmarks of Cukor's films were signature framing, which is apparent throughout the film, and strong female characterizations. The strong female characters are what's missing in this adaptation of Irving Wallace's book, which was influenced by the Kinsey Report at the time. Sex researchers Andrew Duggan and Efrem Zimbalist Jr come to suburban America's backyard to speak about sex at a women's club, setting four stories of different (meaning 1962 clichés) women in motion.Shelley Winters plays Sarah Garnell, married to Frank played by Howard J. Stone (Golden Globe nomination). Winters is currently involved in an affair with Ray Danton, a theater director when the film opens. Winters has little to do but play the duped woman who eventually crawls back to her husband once Danton dumps her. Jane Fonda is the frigid Kathleen Barclay taken advantage of in a 1962 way by Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Zimbalist's Paul Radford is so far over the line of discretion; someone should have pulled him back by his suit coat. Then again, back then nobody knew what the line was. The Winters and Fonda segments are barely watchable. Glynis Johns (Golden Globe nomination) plays Teresa Harnish happily married to John Dehner's Geoffrey. Johns begins to question just how happily when she eyeballs a group of young men playing football on the beach. Johns takes a liking to Ed Krasky, played by the overly virile Ty Hardin, and she gets more than she bargained for when she convinces Krasky to pose for her while she sketches. The Johns segment comes off the best. Claire Bloom is Naomi Shields, an alcoholic nymphomaniac who can't control her desires as she encounters Chad Everett playing a water delivery boy and Corey Allen as Wash Dillon, an irresponsible musician of questionable upbringing. Bloom is always good and does what she can in her brief scenes. Aside from the expected clichés of the period, the film suffices as superficial, high-gloss, soapy entertainment. The film is quite long at over two hours, but I guess that gives it time to convince us that Zimbalist Jr. is on the up and up; we even get to see him meeting Fonda's father. It is a bit funny though when he lectures Fonda about leaving the role of "Daddy's girl" when he himself is old enough to be her father as well. Viewers should look fast for Richard Mulligan (of Soap fame) as one of the jazz musicians, Grady Sutton in a bit part, a young Cloris Leachman as Miss Selby, and the dour Henry Daniell as Dr. Jonas. **1/2 of 4 stars.

Daryl Zanuck and his son Richard Zanuck left 20th Century Fox and produced this film at Warner Bros. For the elder Zanuck it was a return to the studio he gained fame under Jack L. Warner.I read that the Zanuck's cast the female leads while the film was in development at 20th Century Fox. Cast are Jane Fonda, Claire Bloom, Glynis Johns, and Shelley Winters the film is an adult expose of the morals of the 4 women the aforementioned stars portray. Lifting the film from the "B" Category is the fact legendary director George Cukor directed this film and Cukor's style and emphasis on Art Direction are obvious. George Cukor cast Warner Bros. stars Ty Hardin, Efrem Zimbalist Jr, and Ray Danton to be the male leads; Chad Everett has a small role. George Cukor is said to have been overwhelmed with Ty Hardin and threw much of the picture to that Warner Bros. star. Of all the players both male and female, it is Mr.Hardin who is presented most scantily clad. For an early 60's film Ty Hardin is showcased in brief bathing suit. Ms. Fonda known for her intelligent performances shines in this film, and I never recalled Glynis Johns-she of the unique voice-to be very attractive but in this film Ms. Johns is drop dead gorgeous. Glynis Johns scenes with Ty Hardin are the best in the film. George Cukor would remain at Warner Bros and direct My Fair Lady and win that long sought Oscar.PS For all of Cukor's direction of Ty Hardin, the Men never worked together after this film.