Sex and the Single Girl (1964) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film spans multiple locations, starting at Stop magazine's tabloid office, then moving to Helen Gurley Brown's professional office, a lively nightclub, domestic spaces in a suburban setting, and ultimately to exotic locales like Fiji and Hawaii, with Las Vegas and an airport featuring in the finale.

• locations
• settings
• new york
• las vegas
• fiji
• hawaii
• nightclub
• office

The story unfolds in the early 1960s, reflecting the era's fashion, nightlife, and evolving attitudes toward dating, careers, and marriage. The setting captures contemporary magazine culture and psychology trends of the time.

• 1960s
• era
• time period
• 1960s dating
• social norms

The movie explores three core themes: Romance & Deception, where romantic pursuit is built on a web of lies; Gender Roles, which tests expectations around career focus and marriage; and Identity & Choice, as characters navigate multiple personas and decide what honesty really means.

• themes
• romance
• deception
• gender roles
• identity
• relationships

Helen Gurley Brown is portrayed as a young psychologist and author who becomes the target of Bob's elaborate scheme to secure an interview. She maintains professional poise while dealing with personal longing, eventually guiding other characters toward reconciliation.

• helen gurley brown
• psychologist
• author
• relationship expert

Bob Weston is a wry, ambitious tabloid writer for Stop magazine who fabricates a married persona to interview Helen Gurley Brown. His schemes are driven by professional ambition combined with growing romantic attraction, leading him to face the consequences of his fabrications.

• bob weston
• tabloid writer
• reporter
• protagonist

Stop magazine represents a sensationalist tabloid environment that drives the film's premise. This cutthroat media world establishes Bob's professional ambitions and the ethical compromises he makes, serving as a backdrop for the romantic comedy's conflicts.

• stop magazine
• media
• tabloid
• journalism
• reporter

The film places a confident, career-focused woman (Helen) against a calculating, charming man (Bob), 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.

• gender roles
• women independence
• marriage
• 1960s women

The film presents a breezy urban comedy set against the backdrop of early 1960s city life, combining professional office environments, vibrant nightlife, domestic suburban spaces, and exotic travel destinations, all framed with a satirical, lighthearted tone.

• urban setting
• city
• suburbs
• comedy
• world building

The film uses the dynamic of romance built on deception to question where love ends and manipulation begins. Bob's impersonation of a patient to access Helen creates a charged attraction that complicates professional boundaries, with the outcome hinging on real feelings overcoming fabrication.

• deception
• romance
• love
• manipulation
• honesty

The main cast includes Bob Weston (a tabloid writer), Helen Gurley Brown (a psychologist and author), Frank Broderick (a stocking manufacturer), Sylvia Broderick (his strong-willed wife), Gretchen (a nightclub singer), Susan (Bob's secretary), and Rudy DeMeyer (a psychiatrist with feelings for Helen).

• characters
• cast
• roles
• relationships

Characters juggle multiple identities, fake spouses, professional facades, and shifting loyalties. The plot forces choices about honesty and commitment, showing how the pursuit of happiness becomes a navigation of personal truths leading to renewed understanding among the couples.

• identity
• choice
• honesty
• personal truth
• self discovery