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Sex Kittens Go to College (1960) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Sex Kittens Go to College (1960) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
1960 · 94 mins · English
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Directed by
Albert Zugsmith
Starring
John Carradine, Tuesday Weld, Pamela Mason, Mickey Shaughnessy, Mamie Van Doren, Martin Milner

A comedy aimed at broad‑minded viewers, the plot follows Collins College’s search for a new science department head. Doctors Carter and Zorch consult Thinko, the campus computer, which recommends Dr. Mathilda West—highly qualified in numerous fields, yet her striking beauty sparks disruptive, humorous complications among faculty and students.

Comedy Cast, crew & box office
On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (9)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like Sex Kittens Go to College
  8. 8 Every angle
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9 main characters · contains spoilers

Sex Kittens Go to College Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Sex Kittens Go to College (1960), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Dr. Mathilda West (Mamie Van Doren)

    A brassy professor with 13 degrees who once worked as a stripper under the alias Tallahassee Tassel Tosser. Her magnetic presence unsettles colleagues and students alike, and a tassel demonstration hypnotizes several men, showcasing the power of appearance in campus life.

    • 💃 Seductress
    • 🎓 Professor
    • 🧭 Charismatic

  • Jody (Tuesday Weld)

    A student who is drawn to Woo Woo Grabowski and navigates the flirtatious campus atmosphere. She loves him and becomes part of the romantic subplots that drive the comedy.

    • 💖 Student
    • 🥂 Romantic Interest

  • George Barton (Martin Milner)

    Public relations director and the boyfriend of the jealous dean Myrtle Carter. He exposes Dr. West's past and races to manipulate events, even stealing a fire engine to chase the story.

    • 🎭 Schemer
    • 🧭 Influencer

  • Admiral Wildcat MacPherson (Jackie Coogan)

    The school's primary benefactor whose wealth and authority shape campus politics. He becomes a target of Dr. West's charm and later shows a calculating, social-climbing side.

    • 💼 Benefactor
    • 🏰 Wealthy

  • Woo Woo Grabowski

    A nervous football star whose mood swings around attractive women set the tone for the campus's romantic misadventures. He wins money based on Thinko's gambling tips and plans to marry Jody and buy a car.

    • 🏈 Athlete
    • 💸 Gambler

  • Legs Raffertino (Allan Drake)

    A hoodlum who mistakes Thinko for a bookie and becomes entangled in the Thinko-fueled schemes. He contributes to the chaotic comedic energy of the plot.

    • 🃏 Mischief
    • 🧩 Hoodlum

  • Suzanne (Mijanou Bardot)

    A foreign exchange student who interviews Legs for her thesis. Her presence adds an outsider perspective to the campus's social dynamics.

    • 🌍 Student
    • 📝 Scholar

  • Dr. Myrtle Carter (Pamela Mason)

    The jealous college dean who is romantically entangled with George Barton. Her flirtations and rivalries influence the action, including hair dye and wooing high-status figures.

    • 💼 Dean
    • 🐍 Jealous

  • Thinko

    The campus computer affectionately known as Thinko, capable of predicting future wins and driving the film's capers. It acts as a playful gadget that fuels the comedy rather than a serious plot device.

    • 🤖 Gadget

Last updated: March 05, 2026 at 18:28

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Setting

Where and When Does Sex Kittens Go to College Take Place?

The setting of Sex Kittens Go to College (1960): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

1960s

Set in the early 1960s, the film captures a era of playful rebellion and college hijinks. The era's social dynamics and evolving attitudes toward sexuality influence the comedy, while technology begins to appear in everyday campus life through the Thinko computer.

Location

Collins College Campus

The action unfolds on the Collins College campus, a setting of dorms, classrooms, and athletic facilities where professors, students, and administrators cross paths. The bustling campus atmosphere provides the backdrop for flirtations, pranks, and power plays. The center of attention is the campus itself, a microcosm of social hierarchies and academic ambition.

  • 🎓 College
  • 🏫 Campus

Last updated: March 05, 2026 at 18:28

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3 major themes

Sex Kittens Go to College Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Sex Kittens Go to College (1960) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Sex Appeal

    Dr. Mathilda West's magnetism disrupts the campus dynamics as students and staff react to her presence. Her past as a famed entertainer and the tassel demonstration she performs highlight how appearance and charm can influence authority and desire. The tassel demonstration hypnotizes several men, showcasing the power of appearance in campus life.

  • Technology

    Thinko, the campus computer, seems to foretell futures like lottery numbers and race results. Its predictions drive characters toward risky bets and romantic gambles, fueling the farce. The gadget serves as a satirical nod to 1960s technological fantasies on a lighthearted college stage.

  • Farce

    The plot unfolds as a cheeky farce of mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and zany stunts. Deans, benefactors, and students chase miscommunications, including a theft of a fire engine, in a series of escalating gags. The comedy relies on rapid reversals and social satire rather than grim drama.

Last updated: March 05, 2026 at 18:28

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Character & theme questions

Sex Kittens Go to College Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Sex Kittens Go to College (1960): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie set?

The movie takes place at Collins College, a fictional campus with dorms, classrooms, and athletic facilities. The college serves as a microcosm of social hierarchies and academic ambition where professors, students, and administrators interact.

  • collins college
  • campus
  • setting
  • college location
Q2

What time period does the movie depict?

The film is set in the early 1960s, capturing an era of playful rebellion and college hijinks. The era's evolving attitudes toward sexuality influence the comedy, while technology begins appearing in everyday campus life through the Thinko computer.

  • 1960s
  • time period
  • era
  • 1960s college
Q3

What is Thinko?

Thinko is the campus computer at Collins College that appears to predict futures, including lottery numbers and race results. Its predictions drive characters toward risky bets and romantic gambles, serving as a satirical nod to 1960s technological fantasies.

  • thinko
  • computer
  • campus computer
  • technology
  • predictions
Q4

Who is Dr. Mathilda West?

Dr. Mathilda West is a brassy professor with 13 degrees who becomes the recommended science department head. She previously worked as a stripper under the alias Tallahassee Tassel Tosser, and her striking beauty and magnetic presence cause disruptive complications among faculty and students.

  • mathilda west
  • professor
  • character
  • stripper
  • tallahassee tassel tosser
Q5

How does sex appeal influence the story?

Dr. West's magnetism disrupts campus dynamics as students and staff react to her presence. Her tassel demonstration hypnotizes several men, showcasing how appearance and charm can influence authority and desire in academic settings.

  • sex appeal
  • attraction
  • charm
  • beauty
  • campus dynamics
Q6

What type of comedy is the movie?

The film is a cheeky farce featuring mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and zany stunts. The comedy relies on rapid reversals, social satire, and escalating gags including a fire engine theft, rather than dramatic storytelling.

  • farce
  • comedy
  • satire
  • mistaken identities
  • slapstick
Q7

Who is Woo Woo Grabowski?

Woo Woo Grabowski is a nervous football star whose mood swings around attractive women set the tone for the campus's romantic misadventures. He wins money based on Thinko's gambling tips and plans to marry his girlfriend Jody.

  • woo woo grabowski
  • football player
  • student
  • character
Q8

Who is Admiral Wildcat MacPherson?

Admiral Wildcat MacPherson is the school's primary benefactor whose wealth and authority shape campus politics. He becomes a target of Dr. West's charm and later reveals a calculating, social-climbing side.

  • admiral wildcat macpherson
  • benefactor
  • character
  • money
  • power
Q9

How would you describe the campus social atmosphere?

The Collins College campus features a bustling atmosphere where flirtations, pranks, and power plays occur among students, professors, and administrators. Social hierarchies and romantic entanglements drive much of the comedy.

  • campus life
  • social hierarchy
  • students
  • professors
  • romance
Q10

Who is Jody?

Jody is a student at Collins College who is drawn to Woo Woo Grabowski. She navigates the flirtatious campus atmosphere and becomes part of the romantic subplots that drive the comedy, with plans to marry Woo Woo.

  • jody
  • student
  • character
  • woo woo
  • romance

Movie threads

More Movies Like Sex Kittens Go to College, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Sex Kittens Go to College tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Playful Campus Sex Comedies like Sex Kittens Go to College

Absurd, fast-paced comedies where academia meets sexual farce. Explore a collection of movies similar to Sex Kittens Go to College, capturing the spirit of 1960s campus sex comedies. Fans looking for films with a playful tone, academic farce, and lighthearted sexual humor will discover a delightful range of titles here.

  • academia
  • satire
  • sexy
  • campy
  • nostalgic
  • mischievous
  • Tone: playful, mischievous, lighthearted
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories typically center on an absurd premise (like a computer choosing a professor) that introduces chaos into a structured academic world. Characters navigate a series of increasingly ridiculous complications and mistaken identities, leading to humorous resolutions that poke fun at social norms without ever becoming mean-spirited.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared mix of a collegiate setting, a mischievous and playful tone, and a focus on sexual politics played for laughs. They feature a similar fast pacing and low-stakes atmosphere where the humor comes from absurd situations, not cruelty.

Sex Kittens Go to College movie poster

Sex Kittens Go to College

1960
National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze movie poster

National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze

2003
All-American Co-Ed movie poster

All-American Co-Ed

1941
Sorority Boys movie poster

Sorority Boys

2002
The Happiest Days of Your Life movie poster

The Happiest Days of Your Life

1950
Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild! movie poster

Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!

2008
A Chump at Oxford movie poster

A Chump at Oxford

1940
Au Pair Girls movie poster

Au Pair Girls

1972

Mid-Century Campy Farces similar to Sex Kittens Go to College

Absurd, broad comedies where institutions collide with chaotic personalities. Find movies that share the campy, farcical energy of Sex Kittens Go to College. If you enjoyed the absurd premise, broad comedy, and playful disruption of social norms, this collection of mid-century comedies offers a perfect selection of similar viewing experiences.

  • campy
  • absurd
  • farce
  • nostalgic
  • silly
  • playful
  • Tone: silly, absurd, lighthearted
  • Pacing: fast, farcical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: A respectable institution's search for order is hilariously undermined by an unexpected, unconventional figure (like a beautiful scientist or a clumsy inventor). The narrative unfolds as a series of escalating comedic set pieces and misunderstandings, driven by misplaced identity and the clash between modernity and tradition, ultimately resolving in a happy, affirming conclusion.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific era aesthetic, a commitment to campy absurdity, and a farcical structure. They share a light tone, fast pacing, and a focus on humorous social commentary rather than deep character drama, creating a uniquely entertaining vibe.

Camping 2 movie poster

Camping 2

2010
Theater Camp movie poster

Theater Camp

2023
The Happiest Days of Your Life movie poster

The Happiest Days of Your Life

1950
No Kidding movie poster

No Kidding

1960
Nickelodeon movie poster

Nickelodeon

1976
Happy Campers movie poster

Happy Campers

2024
Feudin’, Fussin’ and A-Fightin’ movie poster

Feudin’, Fussin’ and A-Fightin’

1948
Caddyshack movie poster

Caddyshack

1980

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Every angle

Sex Kittens Go to College (1960) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Sex Kittens Go to College in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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