With its daring perspective on relationships, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice attracted attention and got everyone talking when it came out.
Few people noticed a tiny element about Natalie Wood, a decision made to conceal a personal secret, even if the film shocked viewers.
The 1969 release of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice was nothing short of revolutionary. The film offered a daring and humorous look at the changing societal conventions of the late 1960s by diving headfirst into taboo subjects like open relationships and modern marriage. It was more than simply a film; it was a cultural event that captured the essence of a time when everything was being questioned, including loyalty and love.
Natalie Wood and the rest of the amazing cast were key to the movie’s success. Natalie, who was already well-known in Hollywood, played Carol with her usual poise and nuance. Her portrayal gave the movie a sense of realism and relatability while bringing the intricate relationships to life.
But without the support of Natalie’s three co-stars, the film would not have been a hit. The picture became renowned thanks to the depth, comedy, and heart that Robert Culp, Elliott Gould, and Dyan Cannon brought to their individual roles as Bob, Ted, and Alice.
It’s difficult to not be amazed, astonished, and a little taken aback by how this “dirty” movie went from being a paper script to receiving four Academy Award nominations when you take a behind-the-scenes look.
Nude people in a hot tub
One of filmmaker Paul Mazursky’s best-known works and a significant milestone of the New Hollywood era is Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, or BCTA as we’ll also refer to it from now on. The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the advent of New Hollywood, sometimes referred to as the “American New Wave,” which revolutionized the motion picture industry. It allowed filmmakers the flexibility to tackle more difficult and contentious subjects by shifting the emphasis from the conventional studio system to a more director-driven approach.
After reading an article in Time magazine about Fritz Perls, a “gestalt therapist,” who was reportedly having a great time in a hot tub with nude individuals at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, Paul Mazursky got the idea for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.
Established in 1962, Esalen was a popular destination for New Age therapy and was certainly not your typical spa! Mazursky and his spouse were intrigued and made the decision to investigate, discovering that they were the only pair in a gathering of strangers who truly know one another. Mazursky wrote the final draft of the script for the comedy and boundary-pushing movie after having some fun at Esalen and working on it with his friend Larry Tucker in Palm Springs.
From stoic novice to arrogant director
Paul Mazursky’s first day of filming Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice swiftly devolved into a nightmare. He claims that when he arrived on the site, he was met by seventy-five excited crew members who were all staring at him, waiting for him to give the order and begin shooting. The director of his debut movie, Mazursky, froze. He was clueless on what to do.
“Everything was lost,” Mazursky admitted.
Fortunately, photography director Charles Lang noticed the panic beginning. Lang made a daring suggestion, loud enough for everyone to hear, that he and the frozen Mazursky should work out the opening shot by raising a film crane into the air.
Paul hesitantly consented because he had never been in one of those cranes before and he was afraid of heights. They fastened his straps and proceeded to ascend. Paul was unable to look down and was white-knuckling the seat. He was afraid.
“There’s no shot up here, but we ought to talk about what we might do,” Charlie remarked, leaning over. You can accomplish that, begin with this, etc.
Paul was able to unwind and regain his confidence after three minutes of Charlie’s soothing direction. “Okay, take us down, we’re ready to start!” he shouted down to the team.
In an instant, Mazursky—who passed away in 2014—went from a scared beginner to a self-assured filmmaker.
He subsequently said, “I was a cocky little bastard after that.”
The first film starring Natalie Wood in three years
It would be impossible to discuss Bob and Carol, Ted and Alice, and Natalie Wood without bringing her up. She looked lovely in the film, and her presence is still one of her most famous cinematic moments. Actually, this was her first movie in three years, and it had the potential to be a huge return for her, but she missed the chance.
Wood’s final acting role for almost five years was in BCTA, which was filmed in the fall of 1968. She had a hiatus from feature films after this, and it wasn’t until Peeler (1975) that she made another appearance.
Natalie’s left wrist bracelet
Look at the band that Natalie has on her left wrist. She sustained a wrist injury as a child actor that never completely healed, leaving it somewhat deformed.
This occurred during the filming of The Green Promise when Natalie was ten years old. She broke her left wrist when the bridge crumbled beneath her as she was rushing across it. Although her stepfather assisted in hiding the occurrence, Natalie took matters into her own hands because she was so ashamed of the disfigurement.
Natalie constantly wore a bracelet to conceal the flaw and make sure it was always visible. Actually, it’s hard to locate a photo of her without it.
Is Leif Garrett in sight?
Did you know that Ted & Alice and Bob & Carol marked Leif Garrett’s film debut?
Indeed, this 1969 movie marked the teen idol-to-be’s big-screen debut, long before his rise to fame as a pop artist and heartthrob in the 1970s.
When Leif first starred in the picture, which incidentally became the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year, he was five years old.
If you blink, you could miss this cameo.
There are many sly appearances in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. The first is Bill Cosby, who makes an extremely brief cameo and will be missed if you blink.
To find him, follow these steps: Bill Cosby is dressed in sunglasses, a red shirt, and a hat. In the nightclub scene, he briefly appears and runs into Bob as he and the others are making their way to their table.
If you’re looking closely, you’ll then see Donald F. Muhich, who portrays Alice’s therapist. He was actually Paul Mazursky’s real-life therapist, which is awesome. Talk about life copying art.
Not to mention Paul Mazursky himself, who can be heard yelling in the background at the Esalen Institute.
Natalie’s attire
Natalie Wood always had impeccable style. Whether at a premiere, concert, or charity event, whether it was glitzy or laid-back, Natalie Wood was a picture of beauty.
Her ability to easily combine celebrity status with genuine charm was particularly noticeable in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. The renowned Moss Mabry created her clothing, which came to represent the fashion of the day.
Natalie’s wardrobe throughout the movie reflected her ability to be both legendary and approachable, from her easygoing, bohemian appearances to her effortlessly stylish ensembles in more formal sequences.
Even better, Mabry created a unique bra just for Natalie Wood that became well-known as the “Natalie Wood bra.” He did, however, keep the design’s identity a well held secret.
The victorious homecoming of Dyan Cannon
In Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Natalie Wood wasn’t the only actress who made a spectacular return. After going through a difficult period in her personal life, her co-star Dyan Cannon also made a comeback to the big screen. During her tense divorce from Cary Grant, which included allegations of his unpredictable behavior while under the influence of LSD, Dyan had to deal with a media frenzy. Although she requested full custody of their baby, the legal struggle instead left her broke.
Despite this heartache, Dyan was committed to reviving her career, and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice provided her with the ideal setting. Her life took a drastic change when she was cast as Alice Henderson, and she embraced it with renewed resolve.
“I was unable to accomplish anything for eight months. I was too shocked, too perplexed, and too angry at what had transpired. Then one day, something clicked inside of me. In 1968, she told the AP, “I knew that sitting around feeling sorry for myself was not going to get me anywhere, so it was time for me to go out and get busy.”
Goofs abound: Identify the errors in BCTA
Every movie has its share of goofs, and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice is no exception! Alice and Ted are eating desserts at a restaurant in one scene, yet the very next shot shows them eating those same desserts. When Bob puts on a record later, following the party, it is evident that the record player is empty of a record as the background music plays.
Additionally, Bob wears his topcoat and approaches the stairs when Carol discloses her affair. However, the coat is removed in the following image, and Carol is clutching it. These minor errors may not ruin the enjoyment, but they do contribute to the film’s surprising charm.
The actors were thrown into the bed.
The famous sequence in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice where Mazursky tossed the players into the bed was mainly unscripted, which is an interesting fact.
The director purposefully let the actors improvise in order to capture an unpolished and organic performance. The rest of the ensemble, including Natalie Wood and Elliott Gould, were initially uncertain of what to do; in fact, only Robert Culp, who played Bob, appeared at ease in the hectic environment. Critics said that this improvisation enhanced the film’s genuineness.
An example
While many of its stars saw Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice as a turning point, Natalie Wood saw it as the start of a melancholy chapter. She took a break from acting and left the limelight after the movie’s popularity.
Unfortunately, this would be her final big-budget movie before she passed away too soon in 1981. Wood’s personal life remained far more complicated, overshadowed by sad events that ended too soon, even though the film captured the free-spirited, boundary-pushing attitude of the 1960s.
Her part in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, however, will always be remembered as a tribute to her extraordinary brilliance and classic beauty. Pay tribute to her legacy by sharing this post on Facebook!
