Candy is a naive teenager whose life becomes entangled in a string of absurd encounters with eccentric poets, surgeons, mobsters and dubious gurus. The film, a satirical sex farce, moves through New York and California as its heroine tries to find her way home.

How it was made

Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg's 1958 novel was a bestseller. After several shifts in plans, the film rights ended up with actor Christian Marquand, who directed and assembled a star cast that included Marlon Brando, Richard Burton and Ringo Starr. Buck Henry wrote the screenplay. Southern distanced himself from the project over the choice of lead actress and later complained that the result bore little resemblance to the book. James Coburn felt the comic timing was off, with the jokes often landing a beat late.

Reception and legacy

The film had moderate box-office success on release and over time became a cult title of late-1960s psychedelic cinema. According to the figures cited in the sources, it was the 18th highest-grossing film of 1968, although high costs left it with an overall loss. It is now remembered mainly as an example of the sexual satire and counterculture cinema of its era.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

A cast in flux

The project went through other hands and another lead actress before Ewa Aulin was cast. According to Southern, the choice of a Swedish actress over an American one was among the reasons he withdrew.

Profit participation

According to Coburn, the leading actors, including Brando and Burton, had a profit-participation deal, which he described as unusual for performers.

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.