What Is Sex and the Single Girl About?
The premise of Sex and the Single Girl in 306 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the bustling, neon‑lit world of a bottom‑tier tabloid, Bob Weston makes his living by chasing the next sensational scoop. He’s sharp‑witted, effortlessly charming, and not shy about bending the truth to land a story. When a scathing piece about a celebrated love guru sparks a public backlash, the editor throws a new assignment his way: secure an exclusive interview with the author of the groundbreaking Sex and the Single Girl. The catch? The subject, the charismatic and insightful Helen Gurley Brown, has shut the doors to any further press, leaving Bob to devise a scheme that blurs the line between reporter and patient.
Helen Gurley Brown commands a reputation built on candid advice and a warm, engaging bedside manner that has turned her into a cultural touchstone for modern romance. Her practice is a refuge where the complexities of love are untangled with humor and empathy, a stark contrast to the cut‑throat sensibilities of the tabloid office. As Bob masquerades as a modest, hen‑pecked neighbor seeking counsel, the clash of their worlds creates a ticking comedy of errors, each interaction charged with witty repartee and the ever‑present tension of hidden motives.
Complicating the charade is Frank Broderick, a beleaguered husband whose own marital woes provide the perfect pretext for Bob’s impersonation. Frank’s wife, Sylvia Broderick, adds another layer of domestic intrigue, hinting at how personal lives can become tangled in professional pursuits. The film’s tone balances razor‑sharp satire of media sensationalism with a light‑hearted, almost farcical look at the rituals of modern relationships, all set against a backdrop of glossy cityscapes and smoke‑filled press rooms.
Through rapid dialogue and a constant stream of mistaken identities, the story invites viewers into a world where ambition and affection collide, promising a roller‑coaster of laughs and romantic mischief that keeps the audience guessing which façade will crumble first.
What Happens in Sex and the Single Girl?
The complete story of Sex and the Single Girl, from the first scene to the last, in 594 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Bob Weston works for Stop, a tabloid magazine that prides itself on being known as the filthiest rag in the United States. When a colleague writes about Dr. Helen Gurley Brown, a young psychologist and author of Sex and the Single Girl, the piece questions her experience with sex and relationships, leaving her visibly offended after losing several appointments because of the sensational article. Eager to pursue the story, Bob plans a follow-up interview, but Dr. Helen Gurley Brown refuses to cooperate.
Meanwhile, Frank Broderick, a stocking manufacturer and husband to Sylvia Broderick, is tangled in marital strife. He can’t find the time to seek counseling, and Bob seizes an audacious idea: pretend to be Frank and visit Dr. Helen Gurley Brown as a patient to gather material for his editor. His plan has a double purpose—get close to the psychologist and report back to Frank with her advice.
In their first sessions, Bob comes off as bashful and smitten, gently testing the waters with a practiced, almost shy charm. Helen, insisting that it’s all a role-playing exercise and that she will play Sylvia to help his therapy, seems to respond to his courteous advances. The situation escalates when Bob fakes a suicide attempt, and the pair end up sharing a kiss in her apartment. He realizes, with a mixture of guilt and arousal, that he’s falling for Helen, which is exactly what he was supposed to avoid—leading to an ultimatum from Stop’s editor.
Helen, startled by the sudden turn of events, fears the implication of falling for a married man. On her mother’s advice, she arranges for Sylvia to return to Frank’s office, where the two of them originally met and could stand up to rival investors. Sylvia had resisted at first, but eventually accepts the plan, setting the stage for a fragile reconciliation between the couple.
Bob’s infatuation fuels further chaos when he confronts Helen again, trying to insist that his own marriage isn’t real. Helen, desperate to know the truth, asks to hear it from his wife. In a twist of misdirection, he enlists Gretchen, a nightclub singer, to pose as his wife. When Gretchen cancels at the last moment for an audition, his secretary Susan steps in. Unbeknownst to Bob, Gretchen chooses to forgo the audition and also shows up at Helen’s office, and soon three different women claim to be Mrs. Broderick. This bewildering mix-up leads to Frank’s arrest on a charge of bigamy, while Helen’s confusion intensifies.
To restore clarity, Helen brings in Rudy DeMeyer, a physician she has admired and who has long harbored a crush on her due to the initial article. As he counsels Sylvia toward forgiveness, he also helps her understand the truth about Bob’s deception. The moment of truth comes when Sylvia realizes the man visiting Helen wasn’t Frank Broderick at all but Bob Weston, Stop’s own editor. Shocked, she asks Rudy to take her to Fiji and away from the tangled web.
Back at the office, Bob refuses to let Stop publish anything about Helen, which costs him his job. The climax unfolds in a frantic chase: two cars and two cabs weaving through the streets as Frank, Sylvia, Helen, and Bob chase down their tangled fates. At the airport, Frank and Sylvia reconcile and depart for Fiji, while Rudy and Gretchen decide to travel to Hawaii together. Helen forgives Bob, who has already started a new job with Dirt magazine, and the two decide to marry in Las Vegas, closing a chaotic chapter with a blend of forgiveness and new beginnings.
Sex and the Single Girl Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “New article stirs interest in Helen Gurley Brown” to “Airport outcomes: Fiji, Hawaii, and Las Vegas”. 12 events name a place, across 8 locations.
- 1
New article stirs interest in Helen Gurley Brown
A colleague at Stop magazine writes an article about Dr. Helen Gurley Brown, shaking her reputation. Helen is offended, believing the piece discounts her experience in sex and relationships. Bob Weston decides to pursue a follow-up interview, but Helen refuses.
Where:Stop magazine editorial office
- 2
Bob impersonates a patient to meet Helen
To get closer to Helen and gather material for Frank, Bob Weston masquerades as Frank Broderick's patient. He attends Helen's office under the false identity, aiming to win her trust. His plan is to report back to Frank with her advice.
Where:Helen's office
- 3
Therapy sessions reveal romance
During their first sessions, Bob acts shy and smitten, softly courting Helen. She keeps boundaries, insisting the therapy is about Sylvia's relationship with Frank, not about Bob's own interests. The dynamic hints at something more complicated than professional help.
Where:Helen's office
- 4
Suicide attempt and confession of attraction
After a staged suicide attempt, the mood shifts and Bob and Helen end up kissing in her apartment. Bob realizes he is genuinely developing feelings for Helen, complicating his original mission. Helen begins to worry about falling for a married man.
Where:Helen's apartment
- 5
Mother's advice leads to Sylvia's meeting
Helen panics about her attraction and follows her mother's suggestion to meet Sylvia. She encourages Sylvia to return to work at Frank's office, where the two women first met, hoping to stand together against rival scheming.
Where:Sylvia's home
- 6
Sylvia decides to reconcile with Frank
Sylvia, encouraged by Helen's counsel, eventually agrees to work with Frank again, repairing their strained marriage. The decision sets the stage for the bigamy misunderstanding to unfold later. Frank remains unaware of Bob's true identity.
Where:Frank's office
- 7
Three Mrs. Brodericks cause confusion
Bob pushes the plan further, arranging for Gretchen and Susan to pose as Mrs. Broderick and a second 'wife.' Gretchen even cancels an audition to show up at Helen's office, creating a scene where three women claim to be Mrs. Broderick. Helen grows increasingly confused about who is really Frank's wife.
Where:Helen's office
- 8
Bigamy suspicion lands Frank in trouble
The chaos culminates as three women claim to be Mrs. Broderick, and Sylvia calls the police. Frank is arrested for bigamy, complicating everyone's lives and triggering the unraveling of Bob's ruse.
Where:Police station / Frank's office
- 9
Helen meets Sylvia with Rudy; discovers Bob's disguise
Helen visits Sylvia with Dr. Rudy DeMeyer and learns about the article's implications for her patients. In the process, she discovers that the man visiting her office is not Frank, but Stop's managing editor Bob Weston. Shocked, she asks Rudy to take her away to Fiji.
Where:Sylvia's home
- 10
Bob is fired; refuses to bury Helen's story
Bob refuses to allow Stop to publish anything about Helen, leading to his termination. The fallout marks the end of Bob's deception and the start of a string of personal reckonings.
Where:Stop magazine editorial office
- 11
Final chase to the airport
In a frantic finale, the couples chase each other through city streets in cars and taxis toward the airport. Tensions peak as misunderstandings collide with romantic resolutions, setting the stage for the film's outcomes.
Where:City streets to airport
- 12
Airport outcomes: Fiji, Hawaii, and Las Vegas
At the airport, Frank and Sylvia reconcile and prepare to depart for Fiji, while Rudy and Gretchen plan a trip to Hawaii. Bob forgives Helen, who soon travels with him to Las Vegas to marry, after Bob secures a new job with Dirt magazine. The film closes with the couples finding their new arrangements.
When:End of film Where:Airport
Who Are the Main Characters in Sex and the Single Girl?
7 characters, among them Bob Weston (Tony Curtis), Helen Gurley Brown (Natalie Wood) and Frank Broderick (Henry Fonda): who each one is and the part they play in the story. 6 of them link to the actor’s page.
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Bob Weston (Tony Curtis)
Played by Tony Curtis
A wry, ambitious tabloid writer who fabricates a persona to interview Helen. His schemes are fueled by a mix of professional ambition and growing romantic attraction, leading him to improvise ever more elaborate deceptions. He’s charming and impulsive, but his feelings for Helen force a reckoning with the consequences of his fabrications.
- 📰 Journalist
- 💘 Romance
- 🎭 Deception
-
Helen Gurley Brown (Natalie Wood)
Played by Natalie Wood
A young psychologist and author who disapproves of boasting about virginity, yet becomes entangled with Bob. She maintains professional poise while navigating personal longing, eventually guiding the others toward reconciliation. Her interactions reveal both intellectual independence and romantic vulnerability.
- 💼 Professional
- 🧠 Psychologist
- 💘 Romance
-
Frank Broderick (Henry Fonda)
Played by Henry Fonda
A successful stocking manufacturer whose marriage is strained by Sylvia and the interloping romance with Bob. He’s practical and stubborn, ultimately choosing to follow his heart—though not without chaos and a mistaken arrest that tests his alliance with Sylvia.
- 💼 Businessman
- 💔 Marriage troubles
- 🎭 Deception
-
Sylvia Broderick (Lauren Bacall)
Played by Lauren Bacall
Strong-willed and perceptive, Sylvia fights to save her marriage while preserving her dignity. She becomes entangled in the chaos of deceit and eventually reconciles with Frank, reaffirming her partnership even as she asserts her own agency.
- 💪 Strong-willed
- 👰 Marriage
- 🎭 Jealousy
- G(
Gretchen (Fran Jeffries)
Played by Fran Jeffries
A nightclub singer and Bob’s girlfriend who moves in and out of the plot’s web of schemes. She cancels an audition for another plan but still participates in the volatile love polygon, ultimately sharing a Hawaii-bound moment with Rudy.
- 🎤 Singer
- 🎭 Deception
- 💘 Attraction
- S(
Susan (Leslie Parrish)
Played by Leslie Parrish
Bob's secretary who becomes an unexpected pliant instrument in the impersonation plot, stepping in as a stand-in wife when needed. Her practical, supportive presence helps propel the farcical relationships toward a comical resolution.
- 💼 Secretary
- 🎭 Deception
- 💘 Romance
- RD
Rudy DeMeyer
A psychiatrist who has long harbored a crush on Helen; he represents the professional option for resolution and adds a layer of emotional complexity. He offers stability and a more straightforward path to honesty as the various romantic entanglements unfold.
- 🧠 Psychiatrist
- 💘 Romantic interest
- 🎭 Complications
Where and When Is Sex and the Single Girl Set?
Sex and the Single Girl is set in Stop magazine office, Helen's office, Nightclub, Fiji, Hawaii, Las Vegas… (1960s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1960s
The action unfolds in the early 1960s, a period of shifting gender roles and fast-paced urban life. The setting reflects the era’s fashion, nightlife, and evolving attitudes toward dating, careers, and marriage. The plot leans into contemporary magazine culture and psychology trends of the time, all with a playful, cinematic tone. The finale moves forward in a travel-ready era where the characters seek newer, more honest paths.
Where
Stop magazine office, Helen's office, Nightclub, Fiji, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Airport
The film unfolds across a mosaic of settings that underline its satirical, lighthearted tone. It begins in the cutthroat world of Stop magazine, a sensationalist tabloid, then moves to Helen Gurley Brown's professional office and to a lively nightclub where Gretchen performs. The story shifts through domestic spaces as Frank and Sylvia navigate their marriage, and ultimately travels to exotic locales like Fiji and Hawaii, with Las Vegas and airport chases bookending the finale. These locations frame a breezy comedy about romance, work, and social mores.
- 🏙️ Urban setting
- 🗞️ Media world
- 🎭 Romantic comedy
What Are the Themes of Sex and the Single Girl?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Romance & Deception, Gender Roles and Identity & Choice.
-
01
Romance & Deception
Romantic pursuit drives the plot, built on a web of deception. Bob impersonates a patient to access Helen, sparking a charged attraction that complicates professional boundaries. The laughs come from the misdirections and precarious lies, while the outcome hinges on real feelings overcoming fabrication. The film uses this dynamic to question where love ends and manipulation begins.
-
02
Gender Roles
The story skewers 1960s expectations by placing a confident, career-focused woman opposite a calculating, charming man. Helen embodies professional independence, while Sylvia asserts her voice within an unhappy marriage. The comedic chaos tests fidelity and mutual respect, exposing both vulnerability and strength in modern relationships.
-
03
Identity & Choice
Characters juggle multiple identities—fake spouses, professional facades, and shifting loyalties. The plot’s twists force choices about honesty and commitment, set against a backdrop of misdirection and social norms. The pursuit of happiness becomes a navigation of personal truths, leading to renewed paths and understandings among the couples.
What Kind of Film Is Sex and the Single Girl?
Light in tone, with fast pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Light
- Pacing
- Fast
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Happy
A playful and fast-paced romantic farce that follows a charming but deceptive reporter through a series of escalating comic misunderstandings, creating a lighthearted and chaotic viewing experience.
- playful
- romantic
- mischievous
- chaotic
- charming
- whimsical
- journalistic deception
- impersonation
- marital strife
- relationship counseling
Quiz
How well do you remember Sex and the Single Girl? Test yourself on the story.
Where to Watch Sex and the Single Girl
Stream it on YouTube TV, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Stream 1
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