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Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Ruth Hussey, Don DeFore, Louis Nye ... see more see more... , Philip Ober , Marianne Stewart , Peter Leeds , Hollis Irving , William Lanteau , Robert F. Simon , Louise Beavers , Mike Mazurki

Unlike the typical Bob Hope and Lucille Ball vehicles, The Facts of Life is essentially a domestic drama with comic undertones. Hope is married to Ruth Hussey, while Ball is the wife of Don DeFore. Al... read more read more...l four are old friends, who for many years have taken each other for granted. A series of unforeseen circumstances requires Hope and Ball to spend a great deal of time together without their spouses, and as a result they fall in love. Though the affair is never consummated, Hope and Ball are prepared to run off together, but in the end they decide that adultery at their age just isn't worth the trouble. Long unavailable for viewing due to legal tangles, The Facts of Life has gained legendary status as one of the few Bob Hope films of the 1960s to concentrate on character development rather than silly one-liners. Recent viewings have revealed that, though a far more mature work than one might expect from Hope or Ball, Facts of Life still relies to a great extent on the sort of TV sitcom material that the fans of the two stars had come to expect by 1960. Still, the film was considered offbeat enough to warrant an Oscar nomination for best screenplay (by longtime Hope associates Norman Panama and Melvin Frank). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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67% liked it

450 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Melvin Frank

Release Date: November 14, 1960

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DVD Release Date: August 21, 2003

Stats: 42 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (42)


  • February 13, 2012
    I liked it a lot! It was really funny, but not too absurd or unbelievable.

Critic Reviews


Dennis Schwartz
November 18, 2009
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

A mild satire on an adulterous affair between bored suburbanites. Full Review

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The Facts of Life Trivia


  • In what movie did Bob hope and Lucille Ball find themselves trying to have an affair?  Answer »
  • I was taught the "facts of life", my parents forgot my 16th birthday, I got detention and then I got pregnant who am I . . .  Answer »
  • I was in the Facts of Life, I worked in the ER, my secret identity was Bruce Wayne, and I was a thief, who am I . . .  Answer »
  • In what year did the following events occur? The films "The Shining" and "Ordinary People" were released, "The Facts Of Life" was ending it's first season on television, Alfred Hitchcock, Mae West, and Steve McQueen all died, and Macaulay Culkin and Christina Ricci were both born.  Answer »

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