Secrets (1977 TV Movie) User Reviews

A daring (for its time) TV movie

[preppy-3 · 8/10 · 6 September 2005]

This was an ABC TV movie about a married woman (Susan Blakely) who is a nymphomaniac. This was considered very extreme for its time. Some ABC affiliates banned the movie and many people thought that this subject matter shouldn't be presented on TV at all. It seems silly almost 30 years later.

I was 15 when I saw this. I had no idea what a nymphomaniac was but this movie explained it in a very subdued way. They didn't push the subject matter in your face and it was treated very carefully. There was nothing graphic shown in the film at all--it was all well within the bounds of 1970s TV.

Blakely was very good in the title role. Also Andrew Stevens has a small role. This movie does have her understanding why she is like that and being "cured" at the end. That involved a pretty silly sequence having her talk to her dead mother. Still it's very good. Yet another TV movie that is impossible to see today. I wish we had a network that would show these films.

I liked it, even as a very young child

[djson1 · 8/10 · 29 May 2009]

Now, I know you may wonder how somebody who was about 7 years old can remember such a "racy" movie, but I do remember a lot from this movie. And I remember as a 7 year old thinking that this movie was a bit strange. I only saw this movie once at that time and after all these years, that one scene with the blind piano guy (I just find out he was a piano tuner from the credits)and how Susan Blakely just drops her robe while he's playing the piano. I remember wondering how a blind guy could have heard the robe drop and was thinking if he was really blind at all. haha. Anyways, I just remember thinking, "wow...she is pretty easy" as she almost appeared to be helplessly seducing or being seduced by men. Anyways, I think it was a pretty strong TV movie if I can remember it after more than 30 years. I would buy it or rent if it ever came out on DVD..but usually TV movies don't make it that far.

Great eye-opening view of a womans sexual awakenings

[cinemaauteur · 8/10 · 16 February 2001]

Television was not prepared for such an open,sexual portrait of a young woman,Andrea Fleming(Susan Blakely) back in 1977.Many network affiliates of ABC,refused to air the program.The Purient times were knee-deep then,as well as now!Susan Blakley gave a memorable,richly rewarding portrayal of a young woman coping with the death of her mother and turning to a series of erotic encounters to justify her loss and grieving.The woman was a nymphomaniac,but Blakey brings us into her characters mindset and allows us to see her need to be loved and acknowledged.Its a devasting performance and not to be missed!

Another good 70's TV movie

[NickSavage · 23 July 2003]

Its been over 25 years since I've seen this one, but I do remember that it was very captivating, even for a 16 year old (at the time of broadcast).

One thing that really stuck in my memory from this movie was the scene in which Blackley was having helucinations of seeing her deceased mother. One scene comes to mind when she heard her name called from behind, "Andrea!" and she turns to see her dead mother in a rocking chair looking very eerie, while creepy music was being played. The youths that were watching this movie with me also got the creeps from this scene.

No, this isn't a horror movie, but I guess as a teenager, anything scary in a movie always stood out.

This is another movie that would be nice to see on DVD some day, along with so many other TV movies from the 70's. Maybe even a cable network (like Lifetime or something) that shows only TV movies from the past.

interesting.

[MuggySphere · 5/10 · 26 March 2004]

An interesting insight into why a woman with seemingly everything

one could have in life goes through a dramatic change in her life and comes out the other end transformed.

In this case she becomes a nymphomanica and it's a fascinating insight into her character portrayed by Susan Blakely well too. She even has a session with her psychologist and tries to come onto him....

It's a sad movie in that she will never find true happiness but it was a great TV movie.

John 5/19

Destruction of a family

[jimgvpinc · 1 May 2014]

I remember this movie when I was around 17. The part that really got me was when the daughter/girlfriend comes home from school, goes upstairs and opens her moms bedroom door only to find her mom in bed nude and her boyfriend in bed too with only his jeans on partly unzipped. The look on the moms face of knowing she really blew it as the kid zips up and runs down the stairs and out to his car. That's when the father and the entire family find out about mom and her passion and desire for wanting young men. Really kind of a sad story for the husband was shattered finding out that his wife of maybe 35 or so has been making it with a 17 year old neighbor boy.