Husbands (1970)

[eisenbahn9]

While channel-flipping, I happened on a scene from John Cassavetes' 1970 film "Husbands" showing him on a bed with a blonde-haired actress I didn't recognize. He's sort of wrestling around with her and, right at the point I started watching, he tickles her ribs a bit.

It's a really strange and disturbing scene because this woman keeps protesting as he tries to cajole her both physically and verbally into having sex with him. She seems to be in physical distress too, yet at other moments she appears to find his clumsy efforts amusing.

Anyway, he ends up removing one of her shoes. Unfortunately he doesn't use this opportunity to tickle her further but the scene ends with her sliding half off the bed onto the floor and all you see are both of her feet raised above the bed with the sheer stockinged sole of her left foot exposed for several moments (if you're a foot fan, this shot alone is worth renting the movie to see).

So has anyone else seen this film? Peter Falk and Ben Gazzara starred as the other two husbands but who was the actress with Cassavetes?

 

[nontkl]

It's one of my favorite movies (though it's DEFINITELY not for everyone's tastes) and the actress is some English actress that never did anything again, I don't know her name. The scene is REALLY distrubing and LONG, UNCOMFORTABLE! I remember seeing it with my girlfriend (who knew my 'thing") and I was just praying it would end, haha.

Dude, there's an AMAZNING scene near the beginning of that movie, when they're all in a bar....it has nothing to do with tickling.....it's just a great scene where they're all having a singalong, it goes on forever, haha, just like this scene.

 

[eisenbahn9]

Thanks for responding nontkl. I was beginning to despair that anyone had seen this.

The scene in question DOES seem to go on forever and it's VERY uncomfortable watching (but so hard to tear one's eyes away!). Given that I had just stumbled into the middle of it and had no idea what the context was, I felt like I had accidentally opened the wrong hotel room door and chanced upon this couple engaging in a decidedly weird intimate moment together, completely oblivious to my presence. You stand there trying to comprehend what's going on between them and it's very disorienting.

I have since read that Cassavetes worked extremely hard to make his films appear completely spontaneous and unscripted. This scene alone would convince me that was the case. I am eager to see the rest.