THE WORLD IS FULL OF MARRIED MEN

UK, 1979, 107 minutes, Colour.
Anthony Franciosa, Carroll Baker, Sherri Lee Cron, Paul Nicholas, Georgina Hale, Anthony Steel.
Directed by Robert Young

Another of the ambiguous pictures of the sleazy world of show business and advertising from the book by Jackie Collins. She was also responsible for the novels and screen play of The Stud and The Bitch. She shows the real/fantasy world of the filthy rich and their amoral behaviour. While wallowing in the trimmings and the visuals of such a world, she presupposes in the audience both a prurient curiosity as well as a moral stance of traditional values. It is surprising to see Tony Franciosa and Carroll Baker in the central roles. There is good support from many of the British cast especially Georgina Hale. Anthony Steel, in contrast to his being a hero of so many British films of the fifties, resumes the style of decadence he portrayed in The Story of O The film is introduced by Bonnie Tyler singing the title song. The film is a seventies' version of familiar soap opera material - straining for the R Certificate but trying to keep within the propriety of entertainment for a wide audience.

1. The world of Jackie Collins and her books, expectations? The world portrayed? how real, unreal? For what audience was the film made, for prurient curiosity, moral judgments?

2. The moral presuppositions of the film in terms of marriage, fidelity, advertising and truth? Using these moral presuppositions while exploiting them? Playing on audience curiosity? The moral fable tone taken - and the melodramatic ending? Popular acceptance of this kind of material - not taking it too seriously, getting the point?

3. The gloss of the production, the stars, the treatment? The emphasis glamour? The world of filmmaking, advertising, pornographic on wealth, films, the Rock world., decadence? The use of the songs throughout the film with their lyrics? The title song and its presentation at the beginning and end?

4. The significance of the title and its ironies? From a man's point of view, women's? The films basic presuppositions about the roles and behaviour of men, of women?

5. The quality of the screen play - the reality and unreality of the dialogue and situations, the use of cliche? The taking for granted or the conventions of the filins about such a world, soap opera conventions?

6. Seeing him in his relationship? How credible a character was David, with his girlfriend, the lies to Linda? His work, caught up in the advertising world? His friendship with Jay and their mutual lies? The devotion of his secretary? His cavalier attitudes, his blindness towards Linda's feelings? The importance of the discovery sequence? His being thrown out by Linda, the new apartment and his way of life? His clash with his girl friend? The infatuation of the secretary and his living with her? His relationship with Jay and Lori, hostility towards Conrad Lee? His reaction to Linda’s behaviour with Gem? His attitude towards the children? Such sequences as his dining out, his daughter's birthday? The divorce proceedings? How credible was the final shooting - as regards the plot and his watching the proceedings on television, as regards motivation? A character from the real world, from the world of the paperback?

7. Carroll Baker's performance as Linda? The victim of David, her homely appearance and bringing up the children, her outings at the parties, reaction to Conrad Lee, the attraction of Gem and going to see him record, going out with only the coat on? Her being hurt, throwing her husband out? Her taking, up with Gem? The decisions about divorce, going overseas? Hostility towards David? The advice from Lori? Her reaction to the shooting and what she was left with at the end?

8. Jay and Lori - the picture of the swinging couple with their own arrangements ? worldly, modern? Lori and her bitchy attitudes towards life, Jay as being cavalier? Why did they stay together?

9. How attractive was the heroine? In herself, her ambitions, her striptease background, attitudes towards sexuality, the liaison with David and what she hoped from it, callous attitudes towards Linda, her ingratiating herself with Conrad Lee and suffering, the degradation - how willingly, especially the lesbian sequence and her being photographed and the voyeurs? Her living with David and feeling cooped up, relationship with the photographer? Continually calculating, lazy? The irony of her having great success and a future? how credible a character - how real?

10. Conrad. Lee and his type, aging, involved in decadence? Using people? The film's attitude towards him - observing his way of life in detail and yet righteously condemning him?

11. Gem as star, as a person, his skill in the stock world, his records? His flirting with Linda, the credibility of their relationship, enjoying her company? His fathering of the children? The hopes for the family? His death and its dramatic impact?

12. David's secretary and the predictable transition from bespectacled prim secretary to sensuous woman?

13. The world of advertising and its detail, how attractive, how repellent? Morals and lack of morals, lack of values?

14. The basic themes treated and the manner in which they were treated, especially marriage and fidelity? Success?