The Pad and How to Use It

The Pad (and How to Use It)
Directed byBrian G. Hutton
Screenplay byThomas C. Ryan
Ben Starr
Based onThe Private Ear (play)
by Peter Shaffer
Produced byRoss Hunter
StarringBrian Bedford
Julie Sommars
James Farentino
CinematographyEllsworth Fredericks
Edited byMilton Carruth
Music byRussell Garcia
Production
company
Ross Hunter Productions
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • August 17, 1966 (1966-08-17) (New York City)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$300,000[1]

The Pad (and How to Use It) is a 1966 comedy film directed by Brian G. Hutton. It was based on the one-act play The Private Ear by Peter Shaffer.

Plot

A sensitive man named Bob Handman (Brian Bedford), who lives alone in his apartment, encounters whom he believes to be his ideal woman, Doreen (Julie Sommars), at a classical-music concert. They arrange to meet at a later date at his pad. Because he is so unworldly, he asks his best friend Ted (James Farentino) along to the date for moral support. It transpires that she only went to the classical concert because she was given a free ticket by a co-worker. She has no interest in classical music, which is Bob's passion, but she is charmed by Ted, who prepares the evening meal and flirts with her outrageously while Bob gets drunk.

Bob and Ted fall out and Doreen goes off with Ted. The movie ends with Bob sitting in a darkened room, listening to the aria from Madame Butterfly. He gets up and drags the phonograph needle across the record several times, placing the needle back on the record. As he sits in the dark crying, the record skips repeatedly over the scratched aria.

Cast

Production

In October 1965 Hunter announced he wanted to use unknown stars and director, and the writer Tom Ryan had not done a script before.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Warga, Wayne (June 21, 1970). "Freddie Fan of Filmdom Finds Lost Audience: The Lost Audience Discovered". Los Angeles Times. p. q1.
  2. ^ Martin, Betty (Oct 2, 1965). "Ross Gambling on Unknowns". Los Angeles Times. p. A9.