070. (26 Feb) The Pleasure Seekers (1965, Jean Negulesco) 66
One of the last of its kind,
The Pleasure Seekers places three lovely single girls in Madrid and follows their misadventures. It's pretty trashy stuff.
In her first two scenes, Ann-Margret frolics in her panties and later runs around in a towel. As is typical, she's a ball of pure energy. No one has really mastered the art of playing the sex kitten as she did; it's hard to imagine someone channeling their charisma as effectively as she does here. She shows all of her sexual prowess in a number "Something to Think About" where she's so aggressive and seductive she makes her beau uncomfortable. Ann-Margret plays it in a shocking way, showing she'll do whatever it takes to get laid. She's exasperated at the idea that she might not get to sleep with André Lawrence.
The dashing Spanish men are almost as irresistible as she is and they almost get to use some delightful innuendo. Jean Negulesco seems aware that he's directing nonsense, so he plays it as cheap and campy while adding sincerity where needed. It's hard not to swoon a little whenever a new romance blossoms. The comedy is all genuinely funny, like a bit where one of the Spaniards proposes just so he can get one of the girls in bed. He's terrified when she accepts and refuses to sleep with him as a compability test. "We'll just have to see if we're compatible in other ways," she says. "There are no other ways!" he replies.
Gene Tierney shows up to chew the scenery as a scorned wife in the final reel. She's the icing on this cake of crazy.
The nomination for Best Adaptation Score is fine. Ann-Margret's absolutely out of control in the title number, milking it for all it's worth. The bouncy score does a good deal of work making the film sultry or rousing.
