Inger Stevens: Inger Stevens on the Guide for the Married Man Cruise

Inger Stevens and Sue Ane Langdon pose with Captain Riddelsdell

Inger Stevens, Captain Riddelsdell and Sue Ane Langdon

In April 1967, Inger attended a screening of A Guide for the Married Man on the S.S. Canberra. The film's cast (including Robert Morse, Sue Ane Langdon and Inger) flew to Vancouver where the cruise set sail for San Francisco. The screening was held in the S.S. Canberra's 340 seat theater.

Reporter Dick Kleiner tagged along on the cruise to cover "the world's first seagoing premiere." Kleiner reported that actor Robert Morse danced and joked during the cruise and seemed to enjoy the fresh air. Morse's wife was ill with tuberculosis and he had been taking care of his three daughters while she was in the hospital.

Inger wore a blue tunic and blue tights while costar Sue Ane Langdon reportedly wore her hair in "multicolored curls and fingernails to match." Inger and Sue Ane were talking about being typecast and Sue Ane joked that she should be cast as Pollyanna, not "the rotten girl." Inger said she was always cast as a sexpot. Inger reportedly told Sue Ane, "If I were casting you, I'd cast you as Pollyanna" to which Sue Ane humorously replied, "Thank you. And I'd cast you as a sexpot."

The two lovely ladies posed with Captain E.G.H. Riddelsdell, whom Kleiner compared to Captain Bligh in his manner of speaking. Captain Riddelsdell was very accommodating but did not like guests distracting his quartermaster at the wheel. There is a nice bit of information about the captain, who was in charge of the Canberra from 1966-1969. He had retired from service in 1965 prior to taking on this new role.

According to AFI Catalog of Feature Films, the film print remained on the ship following the event, staying onboard until SS Canberra reached Florida and allowing its passengers to enjoy the film.

I did not know that a sequel called A Guide for the Married Woman was proposed that same year. Wouldn't that have been wonderful if a sequel had featured Inger in the starring role? That would've been so much fun to see! The sequel was scrapped until it took the form of a television movie starring Cybil Shepherd in 1978.

A Guide for the Married Man is a 1967 sex comedy directed by Gene Kelly and starring Walter Matthau, Inger Stevens and Robert Morse. It features tons of guest appearances by famous comedians such as Jack Benny and Lucille Ball. The DVD seems to be out of print at the moment and only available through used DVD sellers.

Here is the trailer (click here if the embedded video does not work)