MovieChat Forums > Cactus Flower (1969) Discussion > First time seeing Cactus Flower

First time seeing Cactus Flower

posted 12 years ago by saintmike801
5 replies | jump to latest

I was living in Brazil from late 1968 to late 1970 and, of course, missed seeing Cactus Flower in the theaters. By the late 70’s when VHS tapes became all the rage, I still had never seen it.

TCM (Thank god for them) has just run it tonight (7/29/13) so while paying bills etc.; I watched it for the first time.

Like any movie made in 1969, it’s very dated and looks old. I did love seeing the record store with the LP covers on the wall and (I had forgotten all about them), listening booths! But overall, it's a movie of it's time and doesn't hold up really well.

Goldie Haun was great, Walter Matthau was his usual funny self, but Ingrid Bergman really stole this movie from everyone else. I also didn’t see Goldie on Laugh-in since I was gone so I’m familiar with her work in The Sugarland Express, Private Benjamin and Foul Play.

I also had the pleasure of watching again about 2 weeks ago “Murder on the Orient Express” (with Albert Finney and although I’m very spoiled by the Poirot shows from David Suchet, it was great to see it again. Ingrid Bergman was marvelous.

I also saw a few months ago Charley Varrick, with Walter Matthau. If you haven’t seen it, please do so.

[–] mideleon 12 years ago

I also just finished watching this for the first on TCM. It's true that some movies made in the late 60s seem to feel even more dated than films from the 40s or 50s. Even so, Cactus Flower holds up as a charming light comedy of its time. Hawn is adorable and Matthau is funny (though more understated than his broad comedies). But Bergman is indeed the standout. Touching and funny and sexy.

During the dance scene, there are four or five seconds when Bergman and Hawn are dancing in sync and you just want it to go on and on and on. THAT is a 10-star moment.

[–] lunkerstool 9 years ago

i think the reason 60s era movies look outdated is because the fashions at the time were so "over the top". while movies from earlier decades, the clothes were conservative and still hold up today for the most part.

[–] gcarras 9 years ago

Well, better this than Scooby-Doo--which also came out on TV a few months before and is STILL overpromoted while this movie should be promoted more..the 1980s films with oversixed styles (thinking Flashdance and the Cosby TV show) are the most dated  Thanks for the post!

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[–] sim7396 (121) 5 years ago

This is the second comment I see on this forum that mentions Scooby Doo. What does S.D. have to do with Cactus Flower?

[–] WarpedRecord 9 years ago

"Dated and old" are inevitable for a film designed to capture the moment of the era in which it was made, and they are never bad things with me – especially for such a funny, entertaining film with strong writing and performances. 8/10 stars from me.