A SEEKER OF PLEASURE
The Fox Movie Channel finally answered by prayers to Saint Gidget (the Goddess of All Things Starlets) and all this month is airing the wide screen version of The Pleasure Seekers (1964) starring Ann-Margret, Carol Lynley and Pamela Tiffin as three single gals looking for romance in Madrid. Annie shakes her big red mane only as she can do and snares poor but handsomely brooding doctor Andre Lawrence; Lynley moons over her married boss Brian Keith and ignores her true feelings for playboy reporter Gardner McKay; and Tiffin naively falls for rich womanizer Tony Franciosa who promises marriage but only wants to bed her.
Although the movie is light and bouncy, beautifully filmed on location and featuring an Oscar-nominated musical score, all was not moonlight and roses on the set per Pamela Tiffin. Below is an excerpt from my interview with her from my book, Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema:
“Making The Pleasure Seekers was strange. Nobody connected with anyone. When working people are very competitive or are only after money, it is agony to work with them because they bring their hang-ups to the set. I tried to make friends with Ann-Margret and Carol Lynley. But I think both of them at that time weren’t interested in friendship with another woman. Carol was especially reserved and aloof. In retrospect, I recall that she just had a baby and therefore was entitled to be private.
I don’t know what Gardner McKay’s problem was but he didn’t talk to any of us. Tony Franciosa was very hostile–especially to Jean Negulesco [the director]. During a car scene, he got mad at Negulesco and drove off with me in the car. He drove for over two hours at break-neck speed out of Toledo, Spain. I thought he was going to kill us both! During another scene, Negulesco wanted Tony to change his tie. He took Negulesco, who had to be near 70, by the neck and threatened him. Brian Keith though was very nice and I never spoke with Gene Tierney because I was in such awe of her.”
