A Touch of Class (1973)

Accomplished British actress Glenda Jackson showed a surprising gift for romantic comedy in this 1973 sleeper, for which she won her second Best Actress Oscar in four years. George Segal plays an American insurance adjuster who decides to commit adultery with a British dress designer but finds that his plans for a quick affair are complicated by entanglements of the heart. Director Melvin Frank helped write the script with Jack Rose, and it played right on the edge of the era's more permissive sensibilities. The acting is first-rate and gives the story a scintillating edge that goes beyond its clever dialogue. Jackson and Segal show that onscreen chemistry depends less on glamour than on timing and expression. As a light sex farce, A Touch of Class contained more daring and dignity than its myriad imitators; it was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide