The Harrad Experiment

{{Infobox film

| name = The Harrad Experiment

| image = Poster of the movie The Harrad Experiment.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Ted Post

| producer = Noel Marshall
Mel Sokolow
Dennis F. Stevens

| writer = Michael Werner
Ted Cassidy

| based_on = {{based on|The Harrad Experiment|Robert H. Rimmer}}

| starring = James Whitmore
Tippi Hedren
Don Johnson
Bruno Kirby
Laurie Walters
Victoria Thompson

| music = Artie Butler

| cinematography = Richard H. Kline

| editing = Bill Brame

| distributor = Cinerama Releasing Corporation

| released = {{film date|1973|5|11}}

| runtime = 97 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $400,000{{cite news |title='Harrad' Film Isn't 'Another Dirty Movie' |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1798&dat=19720421&id=QvgeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Fo0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5178,5181325&hl=en |newspaper=Sarasota Journal |date=April 21, 1972 |page=8C |via=Google News Archive}}

|gross=$3 million (US/Canada rentals){{cite magazine |title=Big Rental Films of 1973 |magazine=Variety |date=9 January 1974 |page=19}}{{cite book |last=Donahue |first=Suzanne Mary |title=American Film Distribution: the Changing Marketplace |url=https://archive.org/details/americanfilmdist0000dona/page/294/mode/1up |publisher=UMI Research Press |year=1987 |page=294 |isbn=978-0835717762}}

}}

The Harrad Experiment is a 1973 coming-of-age film about a fictional school, named Harrad College, where the students learn about sexuality and experiment with each other. Based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Robert Rimmer, this film deals with the concept of free love during the height of the sexual revolution, which took place in the United States during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The movie stars James Whitmore and Tippi Hedren as the married couple who run the school, and includes a young Don Johnson as one of the students who tries to go beyond the rules. It was directed by Ted Post. The screenplay, based upon Rimmer's novel, was co-written by Ted Cassidy and Michael Werner.

A sequel, Harrad Summer, was released in 1974.

Plot

The Harrad Experiment is set in Harrad College, an experimental institution where students are encouraged to explore their sexuality and relationships in an open and honest environment. The story follows a group of students as they navigate the unconventional curriculum and confront their own beliefs, desires and insecurities.

The film begins with the arrival of new students at Harrad College, where they are introduced to the school's unique program by its founder, Professor Philip Tenhausen. The program pairs male and female students as roommates, with the expectation that they will develop a deeper understanding of sexuality, relationships and love.

The main focus is on four students: Stanley, Sheila, Harry and Beth. As they adjust to the program, each student faces personal challenges and growth.

Harry, who is initially uncomfortable with the openness of the experiment, slowly begins to embrace the experience, questioning his previously conservative views on sex and relationships.

Sheila, Stanley's roommate, struggles with her own insecurities and past traumas, but she gradually becomes more confident in expressing her desires and emotions. The two eventually form a close bond, moving from awkwardness to a deeper emotional and physical connection.

Meanwhile, Stanley, who is more open-minded about the experiment, finds himself challenged when he is attracted to and sleeps with Beth, Harry's wilder and less traditional roommate. Both couples’ relationships force them to confront their differing views on love and commitment.

Throughout the film, the students participate in various activities and discussions led by Professor Tenhausen, aimed at breaking down societal taboos and encouraging personal growth. As the experiment progresses, the students' relationships become more complex, leading to moments of tension, jealousy and self-discovery.

The film concludes with the students coming to terms with their experiences at Harrad College. While some leave the experiment with a new perspective on relationships and sexuality, others remain uncertain about the lessons they've learned. The film ends with an open question about the impact of the Harrad Experiment on the students' future lives and relationships.

Cast

{{cast listing|

James Whitmore as Philip Tenhausen
Tippi Hedren as Margaret Tenhausen
Don Johnson as Stanley Cole
Bruno Kirby as Harry Schacht (as B. Kirby Jr.)
Laurie Walters as Sheila Grove
Victoria Thompson as Beth Hillyer
Elliott Street as Wilson
Robert Middleton as Sidney Bower
Billy Sands as Jack
Sharon Ullrick (née Taggart) as Barbara
Maggie Wellman as Cynthia
Michael Greene as Yoga Instructor
Ron Kolman as Evan
Eric Server as Workman
Robert C. Ross as Workman

}}

Appearing in uncredited roles are Ted Cassidy as a diner patron, Melanie Griffith and Gregory Harrison as students, Melody Patterson as Jeannie, Dennis F. Stevens as a heckler at the Ice House, and George Memmoli, Bill Saluga, and Fred Willard as Ace Trucking Company employees.

==Home media==

The film was released on DVD on May 22, 2001 by Marengo Films.{{cite web |last=Tribbey |first=Ralph |title=DVD NEWS BRIEFS: Marengo's 'Killer B's'; BFS' 'Sharpe's' Series; MGM's May Slate; A&E;'s 'Pearl Harbor'; Vanguard's June |url=http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/product_article.cfm?article_id=986 |website=hive4media.com |date=March 30, 2001 |access-date=September 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010409183329/http://www.hive4media.com:80/news/html/product_article.cfm?article_id=986 |archive-date=April 9, 2001}}

Reception

In The Boston Phoenix, Steve Vineberg reviewed the film negatively, writing, "It's more or less tailored to the suburban set who don't feel up to Last Tango in Paris."{{cite news |last1=Vineberg |first1=Steve |title=The Harrad Experiment |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_boston-phoenix_1973-06-12_2_24/page/n31/mode/2up |access-date=1 September 2023 |work=The Boston Phoenix |volume=2 |issue=24 |date=1973-06-12 |page=4}} He added, "The Harrad Experiment can probably be summed up by its opening and closing sequences — it begins with one of the girls wandering around the new campus and hugging a tree, and ends with the two couples whose relationships are the heart of the film clasping hands, repeating some inane contact exercise, and finally falling into a four-way embrace."

Time Out said that while Ted Post had employed long, "voyeuristic" takes and the theme music was poor, the film had more appeal than his other work and deserved its success.{{cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-harrad-experiment|title=The Harrad Experiment|work=Time Out|date=September 10, 2012 |access-date=18 December 2019}}