A Guide for the Married Man

A Guide for the Married Man is a 1967 American bedroom farce comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, and Inger Stevens. It was directed by Gene Kelly. It features a large number of cameos, including Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Terry-Thomas, Jayne Mansfield, Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Joey Bishop, Art Carney and Wally Cox. The title song, performed by The Turtles, was composed by John Williams with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse.

Plot
Paul Manning discovers one day that his dear friend and neighbor Ed Stander has been cheating on his wife. Curious, he asks Ed about it and is given the history and tactics of men who have successfully committed adultery. With each new story, Paul can't help noticing the attractive blonde, Irma Johnson, who lives nearby.

Paul gets close to cheating on his wife, Ruth, but he never quite goes through with it. In a scene near the end when he is in a motel room with another woman, Jocelyn, a wealthy divorcee, Paul hears sirens approaching. He looks out the window to see the police, and they are going to the room next door where his friend Ed is in bed with Mrs. Johnson. Paul takes this opportunity to flee the scene and run home to his beloved wife.

Cast

 * Walter Matthau–Paul Manning
 * Inger Stevens–Ruth Manning
 * Sue Ane Langdon–Irma Johnson
 * Robert Morse–Ed Stander
 * Elaine Devry–Jocelyn
 * Jackie Joseph–Janet Brophy
 * Aline Towne–Mousey Man's Wife
 * Claire Kelly–Harriet Stander
 * Eve Brent–Joe X's Blowsy Blonde
 * Marvin Brody–Taxi Driver
 * Jackie Russell–Miss Harris, Manning's Secretary
 * Majel Barrett–Mrs. Fred V.
 * Linda Harrison–Miss Stardust

Cameo appearances

 * Lucille Ball–Mrs. Joe X
 * Jack Benny–Ollie 'Sweet Lips'
 * Polly Bergen–Clara Brown
 * Joey Bishop–Charlie
 * Ben Blue–Shoeless
 * Sid Caesar–Man at Romanoff's
 * Art Carney–Joe X
 * Wally Cox–Man Married 14 Years
 * Ann Morgan Guilbert–Charlie's Wife
 * Jeffrey Hunter–Mountain Climber
 * Marty Ingels–Meat Eater
 * Sam Jaffe–Shrink
 * Jayne Mansfield–Girl with Harold
 * Hal March–Man Who Loses Coat
 * Louis Nye–Irving, House Buyer
 * Carl Reiner–Rance G.
 * Michael Romanoff–Romanoff's Maitre'd
 * Phil Silvers–Realtor
 * Terry-Thomas–Harold 'Tiger'
 * Heather Young–Girl with Megaphone

Critical reception
The movie is simply "a series of dumb skits" in Pauline Kael's estimation, and the famous names in the cast are all wasted: "what they do is no more memorable than the plugs for brand-name products that are scattered throughout".