A New Leaf (1970, released 1971 Elaine May & scr)

Good title represents a literal new leaf (a frond, to be specific) as well, in story of penniless toff Walter Matthau who must marry disaster-prone Elaine May for her money, from the short story 'The Green Heart' by Jack Ritchie. Here's May in interesting conversation with Mike Nichols:

I started out with a short story in an Alfred Hitchcock omnibus. I liked it because I realized the guy, the hero, was going to kill this woman. And he actually kills somebody else. And I thought he’s going to kill her and he’s not going to realize that he likes her.

See Film Comment.

The studio (Robert Evans came to Paramount during production) cut her debut film down from three hours, removing a sub-plot in which Henrietta is being blackmailed by sleazy attorney Jack Weston and William Hickey, and Henry poisons them both - and gets away with it, a first which Elaine wanted in her film. Thus disappearance from plot of attorney is explained.

Film also began under a druggy editor whose first film this was - I presume May is referring to Don Guidice, who also cut Three Days of the Condor - who introduced a lot of flash forwards, which then had to be removed. (I bet he'd borrowed this from Easy Rider.) Suggests therefore that Frederic Steinkamp finished it.

George Rose, playing the butler Harold, was indeed British. Makes interesting double-header with How to Murder Your Wife. With James Coco, William Redfield.

Film is a terrific success even in its aborted version - May is great as timid biologist, Matthau as urbane waster. Hilarious proposal scene. Contains the great line: "Oh no. She's unscrewing my Montrazini."

Why, by the way, can't we get Secret Life of an American Wife and Harvey Middleman, Fireman  on DVD? And Marriage of a Young Stockbroker?