ADAM'S RIB: TWO PAIR OF PANTS (TV)
Summary
One in this series of comedies about Asst. D.A. Adam Bonner, his wife Amanda (a junior partner in a law firm), and their differing viewpoints in and out of the courtroom.
Adam and Amanda try to eat at a fancy French restaurant but are blocked by an obstructive maître d’ who objects to Amanda wearing pants, explaining that it is against restaurant policy. Amanda is outraged and she and Adam argue with the maître d’. Ultimately they decide to leave, although Adam does not believe that there is anything wrong with a woman wearing a skirt. They get into a discussion about gender roles at it pertains to suitable articles of clothing. Amanda argues that female clothing is a reflection of a male viewpoint about what femininity is and does not reflect what women would actually wear if left to their own devices. The next day, she continues this discussion with Grace and Kip; Grace prefers pants but wears skirts at the office in order to be noticed by men, and Kip feels that women in pants are “unpatriotic” and should not wear them, as it creates an imbalance of dominance in a household.
Grace inadvertently gives Amanda an idea: she has Adam invite her to his office for lunch and goes shopping at Adam’s favorite menswear store for men’s clothes small enough to fit her. She assembles an outfit and shops for women’s clothing large enough to fit Adam under the pretense of shopping on behalf of her “gigantic” sister. She arrives at Adam’s office and he agrees that she looks perfectly fine in men’s clothing. She tries to get him to try on the dress she bought for him and he refuses. She explains that her underlying point is how difficult it is for women to be taken seriously while wearing skirts and is trying to get Adam to experience this difficulty himself. Adam relents and puts on the dress. He is extremely embarrassed by the experience and finds it difficult to move or walk in the outfit. The district attorney suddenly enters the office about an urgent matter and sees the cross-dressing Amanda and Adam, much to his shock and confusion. They hastily explain it away as being preparations for a costume party and Amanda leaves Adam alone with the district attorney. Adam attempts to direct his office personnel about an important matter, but is undercut by emerging from his office still wearing the dress. Later Adam calls Amanda and talks about how his day went while wearing the dress. He insists on going out to the same French restaurant that refused them earlier. Amanda arrives in a skirt but during the dinner changes into pants, again inciting complaints from the management. To prove a point, she removes her pants in front of the maître d’, forcing him to seat her once again. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: September 21, 1973 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:28:27
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:13018
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Lawyers; Marriage
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1973
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – Cheer laundry detergent
- TV – Commercials – Drano drain cleaner
- TV – Commercials – Excedrin pain relief
- TV – Commercials – Flair markers
- TV – Commercials – Morton pastries
- TV – Promos – “Adam’s Rib”
- TV – Promos – “Love, American Style”
CREDITS
- Peter H. Hunt … Producer, Director
- Peter Stone … Created by
- Mary Stone … Writer
- Ruth Gordon … Based on the screenplay “Adam’s Rib” by
- Garson Kanin … Based on the screenplay “Adam’s Rib” by
- Perry Botkin Jr. … Music by, Theme Music by
- Gil Garfield … Theme Music by
- Ken Howard … Cast, Adam Bonner
- Blythe Danner … Cast, Amanda Bonner
- Dena Dietrich … Cast, Gracie Peterson
- Ron Rifkin … Cast, Asst. D. A. Roy Mendelsohn
- Edward Winter … Cast, Kip Kipple
- Alberto Morin … Cast, Maitre D'
- Rick Metzler … Cast, The Counterman
- Arlen Stuart … Cast, The Saleslady
- George Wyner … Cast, The Salseman
- Gil Stuart … Cast, The Proprietor
- Ruthy Ross … Cast, Darlene Savage
- Juliet Rhode … Cast, Ellie
- Norman Bartold … Cast, D.A. Francis Donahue