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Comedy Cult Classic

Jayne Mansfield sails into scandal on a cruise of partner-swapping, confusion, and risqué comedy.

PROMISES! PROMISES!

1963 · 1h 15m · NC · Comedy / Drama / Romance · IMDB TMDB

After a drunken spree on a cruise ship, two women discover that they're pregnant, and set out to find who the fathers are.

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Quick Answer

What is Promises! Promises! about?

Promises! Promises! is a 1963 American comedy-drama-romance directed by King Donovan about two couples whose drunken escapades on a cruise lead to unexpected pregnancies and confusion about the fathers' identities.

Programmer's Pick

Jayne Mansfield’s cruise ship antics bring new meaning to shuffleboard and marital mix-ups. If you think the 1960s kept the sheets chaste, Promises! Promises! has a few topless surprises up its sleeve—and on deck.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Promises! Promises! finds Sandy Brooks, played by Jayne Mansfield, desperate to start a family with her stressed-out television writer husband, Jeff. Hoping a change of scenery might help, the couple joins a cruise and pairs up with another couple, Claire and King Banner. A cocktail-fueled spree leads the quartet to swap partners on their ocean voyage, resulting in both women discovering pregnancies soon after. With confusion over paternity and plenty of marital misadventures, the film sails into daring territory for its time, mixing cheeky innuendo, marital strife, and physical comedy—all set against the backdrop of a swinging pleasure cruise.

Details & Specs

Director
King Donovan
Writers
Tommy Noonan, William Welch, Edna Sheklow
Release
1963
Runtime
1h 15m
Country
United States of America
Language
English
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance

Why This Matters

Released at the close of the Production Code era, this film was the first Hollywood sound-era movie to feature nudity by a mainstream star, Jayne Mansfield, and faced bans in Chicago and other major U.S. cities.
— SassyFlix Curator

Cast & Crew

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Director: King Donovan Writers: Tommy Noonan +2 more
Jayne Mansfield Jayne Mansfield Sandy Brooks Marie McDonald Marie McDonald Claire Banner Tommy Noonan Tommy Noonan Jeff Brooks Mickey Hargitay Mickey Hargitay King Banner Fritz Feld Fritz Feld Ship's Doctor EB Eileen Barton Girl in Doctor's Office Claude Stroud Claude Stroud Steward Eddie Quillan Eddie Quillan Bartender Marjorie Bennett Marjorie Bennett Mrs. Snavely Victor Lundin Victor Lundin Mrs. Snavely's Gigolo T.C. Jones T.C. Jones Babbette Imogene Coca Imogene Coca Woman Under Hair Dryer (uncredited) Richard Dawson Richard Dawson (uncredited)

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Why Cult

Jayne Mansfield Nude Scenes

Jayne Mansfield made headlines for appearing nude, with several topless scenes that became notorious in 1963.

Swinging Cruise Ship Comedy

Partner-swapping, drunken escapades, and mistaken identities play out on an ocean liner, providing a risqué take on marital farce.

Marital Misadventure Setup

The film explores marital tension, pregnancy confusion, and sexual awakening within two couples set adrift from their comfort zones.

Burlesque 1960s Sex Comedy

Mixing burlesque flair and scandalous humor, this film pushed boundaries for 1960s American cinema.

Scene Gallery

Questions from the Vault

When was Promises! Promises! released? +

Promises! Promises! was released in 1963.

Who directed Promises! Promises!? +

King Donovan directed Promises! Promises!.

How long is Promises! Promises!? +

Promises! Promises! has a runtime of 75 minutes.

What genre is Promises! Promises!? +

Promises! Promises! is a comedy, drama, and romance film.

Where can I watch Promises! Promises!? +

You can watch Promises! Promises! on SassyFlix.

Trailers & Clips

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