SOB (1981)

My Review

“SOB” is a satirical black comedy film about a producer and his movie star wife dealing with a box office bomb. He attempts to salvage the family-friendly film by turning it into soft-porn – with his goody-goody wife doing a nude scene. Director-screenwriter Blake Edwards (“10” 1979) put together a hilarious spoof on Hollywood and the motion picture industry. It was a bit sloppily thrown together and much of the story hinged on the drama surrounding whether or not his real-life wife and star Julie Andrews would do the (very brief) nude scene or not.

The cast includes Julie Andrews, William Holden, Richard Mulligan, Robert Preston, Robert Webber, Robert Vaughn, Larry Hagman, Marisa Berenson, Stuart Margolin, Loretta Swit, Craig Stevens, Shelley Winters, Rosanna Arquette, John Pleshette, Benson Fong, Larry Storch, Virginia Gregg, Ken Swofford, Gene Nelson, and Jennifer Edwards (daughter of Blake Edwards). This would be the final film role for William Holden, in a career that began in 1938.

The watchable “SOB” was a flop at the box office for producer Blake Edwards, Lorimar Productions, and Paramount Pictures. Henry Mancini composed the musical score, and it was filmed all over Los Angeles County, California. The film received two Golden Raspberry Award nominations – Worst Director and Worst Screenplay, both for Edwards.