Undoubtedly more shocking when it came out in 1968 when the hippie culture was a relative novelty which had become too big to ignore, this movie comes across nowadays as essentially a time capsule.The story is about a stereotypical Jewish lawyer whose stereotypical Jewish family wants him to marry a certain woman, but before that happens, he meets a hippie girlfriend of his hippie brother, and she bakes him Alice B. Toklas brownies, and the lawyer eats one and trips out. But it is not merely the effects of eating the brownies (the rest of the lawyer's relatives eventually do the same) that makes the lawyer decide to drop out and try the hippie life; he was already disillusioned with his old life to begin with. But will he find happiness among other hippies? The movie has mild laughs, but never builds up any real strength, and it seems that it was meant for its era, but with the hippie culture having become as quaint as the barbershop quartet, it does not hold up well decades later.

For the first time ever, I got to hear from Peter Sellers sounded like with his real voice. He plays the part of a conventional 35 year old Jewish attorney engaged to his secretary. All this changes rapidly when he meets his hippie brother's girlfriend and falls for her, leaving his bride-to-be at the altar.The film was a definite triumph for Jo Van Fleet. In my wildest imagination, I never thought that she could do such a fantastic job as his mother in a comical role. She throws out Jewish expressions and must have remembered her vivid portrayal 13 years before as Susan Hayward's mother in "I'll Cry Tomorrow."The picture is basically a story of the wild 1960s with just about everything going.

I am so grateful, as an American Jew, that Peter Sellers agreed to play this role. He is the epitome of the regimented middle class Jewish boy, who came of age in those difficult times, know as the late sixties. He has one foot in the past, clinging to values, and one foot in the present, stuck in the mud. How Sellers captured this character so perfectly, down to the mannerisms and spot on accent, is beyond me. I know the history of Sellers, and his Jewish background. But he was English, and had spent little time in America. I can imagine Gene Wilder in this role, but it would not have been the same. This is a quintessential Jewish movie, to be seen on a double-bill with Bye,Bye, Braverman.

" I LOve You Alice B. Toklas " is a 60s gem. Peter Sellers is out-standing as an uptight, highly successful, Jewish lawyer, engaged to be married, who falls in love with his hippie brother's hippie girl and "drops out". For those too young to remember the 60s this film will probably appear to be meaningless, but it's a classic example of what thousands of Americans went through during this revoltionary decade. The film however is stolen by the incredible beauty of Leigh Taylor-Young who was making her film debut. What a beauty! A real 10. Nothing fake about her. I recall seeing this movie when it first came out in 1968 when I was 10 years old. Everyone in the theater was rolling in the aisles with laughter. And every guy there had a "crush" on Leigh Taylor Young.So, turn on the lava-lamb, put on some love-beads, put some pillows on the floor, take off your shoes, and go back to time and enjoy this 1960s comedy classic.