When the film Bob & Carol, Ted & Alice was released, it made everyone giddy and got everyone talking about its bold look at relationships.
While the film shocked audiences, few noticed a hidden detail about Natalie Wood – a subtle choice meant to protect a personal secret.
When Bob and Carol, Ted and Alice was released in 1969, the film was nothing short of groundbreaking. The film dived headfirst into taboo topics such as open relationships and modern marriages, offering a bold and satirical look at the changing social norms of the late ‘60s. It wasn’t just a film – it was a cultural moment, reflecting the spirit of an era that questioned everything from love to fidelity.
At the heart of the film’s success was the incredible cast, including Natalie Wood. Already a Hollywood icon, Natalie brought her trademark grace and emotional depth to the role of Carol. Her performance became the backbone of the film, lending authenticity and believability to the complex dynamics.
But the film’s success would not have been possible without the strengths of Natalie’s three colleagues. Robert Culp, Elliott Gould and Dyan Cannon (Bob, Ted and Alice respectively) gave the film depth, humour and heart, elevating it to cult status.
Looking behind the scenes, it’s hard not to be impressed, shocked and a little surprised at how this ‘raunchy’ film went from a script on paper to receiving four Academy Award nominations.
Jacuzzi with naked people
Bob & Carol, Ted & Alice (or BCTA as we will call it hereafter) is truly one of director Paul Mazursky’s outstanding films and one of the key milestones of the New Hollywood era. New Hollywood, also known as the American New Wave, was a period that changed cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s.
It shifted the focus from the traditional studio system to a more directorial approach, giving filmmakers the freedom to explore more complex and controversial themes.
The idea for the film Bob and Carol, Ted and Alice came to Paul Mazursky when he read an article in Time magazine about Fritz Perls, a ‘Gestalt therapist’ who was apparently having crazy fun in a hot tub with naked people at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.
Esalen, founded in 1962, was a New Age therapy hotspot – definitely not your average spa! Intrigued, Mazurski and his wife decided to check it out, being the only couple in the group of strangers who actually knew each other. After a few hilarious experiences in Esalen, and a brief collaboration with pal Larry Tucker in Palm Springs, Mazursky wrote the final draft of the script, which became a hilarious and boundary-pushing film.
From frozen rookie to cocky director
Things quickly turned into a nightmare for Paul Mazursky on the first day of filming Bob & Carol, Ted & Alice. He says that upon entering the set, he saw 75 impatient crew members staring at him, waiting for him to give the first order and start shooting. Mazursky, who was directing his first film, froze. He had no idea what to do.
‘I lost everything,’ Mazursky admitted.
Fortunately, Charles Lang, a production cameraman, noticed the panic. In a bold move, Lang suggested, loud enough for all to hear, that he and a frozen Mazursky lift the film screens into the air to come up with the opening shot.
Paul, who was terribly afraid of heights, reluctantly agreed – he had never been in such a crane before. He was strapped in and they climbed up. Paul, gripping the seat, couldn’t bring himself to look down. He was scared.
Then Charlie leaned over to him and said: ‘There’s no chance here, but we must discuss what can be done. You can start with this, do that, and so on.’
After three minutes of calm instruction Charlie Paul was able to relax and his confidence returned to him. He shouted to the crew, ‘OK, get us down, we’re ready to launch!’.
And just like that, Mazursky, who died in 2014, went from scared rookie to confident director.
‘I’ve been a cocky little bastard ever since,’ he joked later.
Natalie Wood’s first film in three years
We can’t talk about the film Bob & Carol, Ted & Alice without mentioning Natalie Wood. She was simply stunning in this film, and her appearance remains one of the most iconic moments in cinema. In fact, it was her first film in three years, and it could have marked her return – but she didn’t seize the opportunity.
The BCTA film, made in the autumn of 1968, was Wood’s last acting job for almost five years. After that, she took a break from acting and didn’t appear in another film until Peeper (1975), a gap of six years.
The bracelet on Natalie’s left wrist
Take a look at the bracelet on Natalie’s left wrist. As a child actor, she suffered a wrist injury that never fully healed, leaving it slightly disfigured.
It happened when Natalie was 10 years old, while filming the film Green Promise. As she was running across the bridge, it collapsed beneath her and she fell, breaking her left wrist. Her stepfather helped cover up the incident, but Natalie, deeply embarrassed by the disfigurement, took matters into her own hands.