While glamorous girls like Faye Dunaway, Jane Fonda and Raquel Welch had become established stars by the late 1960's, it was the quirky girls or British ladies who got the share if acclaim as the decade changed. Between Liza, Barbra and Goldie, each of them took home an Oscar, while also topping the list of box office stars as well as the headlines. To pair quirky Goldie with eccentric funnyman Peter Sellers seemed an ideal pairing, but their film was doomed to become a dated product of its time within a few years.
For Goldie to all of a sudden be falsely called "Mrs. Danvers" (Seller's character's last name) is an inside joke, if an obscure one. Sellers is the British Dick Cavett, but a confirmed bachelor suddenly matched to the much younger Hawn, taking her to a wine show in France and finding romance he didn't expect. They actually work well together, not surprising considering that he eventually became involved down the road with the equally off the beam Liza.
It's not just the sexual freedom of this era that dates it, but everything in its technical set up. Hawn is pretty emancipated, but changes from feisty, independent and often difficult, to vulnerable and feminine. Sellers' character changes as well, for different reasons. There are funny moments, touching moments and ultimately bitter sweet.
For Goldie to all of a sudden be falsely called "Mrs. Danvers" (Seller's character's last name) is an inside joke, if an obscure one. Sellers is the British Dick Cavett, but a confirmed bachelor suddenly matched to the much younger Hawn, taking her to a wine show in France and finding romance he didn't expect. They actually work well together, not surprising considering that he eventually became involved down the road with the equally off the beam Liza.
It's not just the sexual freedom of this era that dates it, but everything in its technical set up. Hawn is pretty emancipated, but changes from feisty, independent and often difficult, to vulnerable and feminine. Sellers' character changes as well, for different reasons. There are funny moments, touching moments and ultimately bitter sweet.