Womanizing Dr. Julian Winston (Walter Matthau) has told his new girlfriend, Toni (Goldie Hawn) that he is married, to prevent the relationship from getting serious. He decides he does want to marry Toni, and tells her that he will get a divorce, but she insists on meeting his wife first. He persuades his longtime nurse Stephanie (Ingrid Bergman) to pretend to be his wife. Stephanie and Toni meet, but things don't turn out just the way Julian had expected.This romantic comedy is pure fun, with great lines and perfect delivery from the two veteran actors. Goldie Hawn's Oscar winning debut performance is a true delight. The sets and costumes looked wonderful, and the supporting cast of Jack Weston, Rick Lenz, Vito Scotti, and Irene Hervey added greatly to the overall experience. This is a film well worth watching.

Toni Simmons (Goldie Hawn) tries to commit suicide by gas stove, after getting stood up, only to be rescued by writer neighbor Igor Sullivan. She's a 21-year-old record shop girl desperately in love with Dr. Julian Winston (Walter Matthau). What started out as a fling with the married dentist with three kids has become a year long love affair. Julian agrees to get a divorce and marry Toni. In reality, he's a commitment-phobic playboy who created a fake marriage with kids to avoid every single women pushing to get married. Now he's finally ready for marriage but he has to fix the lie. He recruits his cold and efficient assistant Stephanie Dickinson (Ingrid Bergman) to play his wife. Despite working together for many years, all he knows about her is her prickly cactus on her desk. After Stephanie's talk to Toni about the divorce, Toni becomes convinced that Stephanie still loves Julian. Julian tells Toni that Stephanie already has a new boyfriend and recruits his weasel friend Harvey Greenfield (Jack Weston) to play the part. It only gets more complicated from there.Goldie Hawn has a fun energy. Ingrid Bergman has a Scandinavian coldness with a hot interior. It's a little harder to believe Walter Matthau as a playboy but he is able to keep the character as a good guy. It fits the times. The chemistry between the three stars is terrific. The story is a solid rom-com. There isn't any surprising twist but that's perfectly fine. The final pairings are never in doubt. This is a great crossing between two iconic goddesses, one starting her journey and one nearing the end. The fun material is elevated by the actors.

Dentist Julian Winston (Walter Matthau) is a real ladies man. He's dating younger Toni Simmons (Goldie Hawn) but avoids a commitment to her by lying and saying he's married with kids. Finally he decides to marry Toni...but she wants to meet his wife. He gets his receptionist Stephanie (Ingrid Bergman) to pose as his wife and all sorts of complications occur.This plays like a Neil Simon play/movie. There are non-stop one-liners and everything comes out fine and good at the end. That's not saying it's a bad movie--just not a great or realistic one. Berman and Hawn (winning her first Oscar for this) are great! They have incredible comic timing and easily fling out the lines with ease. Bergman especially cuts loose at the end. It moves at a quick pace and I was never bored. There are only three serious problems with this--Matthau, Rick Lenz (playing Igor) and Jack Weston. Having Matthau playing a ladies man is a stretch and he has zero idea of how to do comedy. He always has a blank look on his face and says his lines in a monotone. Even worse is Lenz who is (I think) supposed to be charming, handsome and funny and is none of those. A very dull one note performance. Also Jack Weston is incredibly annoying as Matthau's best friend. Still this is worth seeing for Bergman, Hawn and the lines.

A feather weight sitcom stretched out into a feature film. Walter Matthau is a womanizing dentist who throws his conquests off by claiming to be married. When he finds himself smitten with kooky Goldie Hawn, he recruits his spinsterish nurse (Ingrid Bergman) to play his "wife," in order to convince Hawn he's getting a divorce. Mayhem ensues. There's lots of wisecracks in what is essentially a filmed play (Abe Burrows wrote the play, I.A.L. Diamond did the screenplay). Most of the funniest lines come from Jack Weston, as one of Matthau's less savory patients. Bergman is fun and it's great to see her playing in a comedy. Matthau is Matthau and Hawn (who won an Oscar) brightens up a story that could have been pretty dull stuff. Quincy Jones did the score, but listen for a number of songs from other Columbia products (TO SIR WITH LOVE; THE MONKEES) playing in the discotheque scenes. Directed by Gene Saks.