The Stepford Wives (1975)

In director Bryan Forbes' great and shocking cautionary feminist sci-fi/horror and part-mystery cult tale - it was an adaptation of Ira Levin's satirical 1972 novel of the same name from a screenplay by William Goldman. The creepy, satirical black comedy and cult classic, was filmed in southwestern Connecticut (in the towns of Norwalk and Darien, near Stamford), provided a savagely-chilling view of perfect, 'ideal' Betty Crocker-like suburban wives (docile android/robotic replicas that were made to be loving, obedient, and subservient (they wore flowery dresses and hats, cleaned house obsessively, were always available for sex, and cooked gourmet meals).

The robotic clones were created by anti-women's lib husbands in the upscale town of Stepford, Connecticut (fictitious), who eliminated their free-spirited wives (literally) and replaced them with exact replicas - in the mold of an old fashioned male supremacist ideal (submissive, compliant and automaton housewives who were sex objects and domestic slaves with only one goal - to please their middle-aged, corporate husbands).

On one of the film's posters, a long synopsis of the unsettling film was presented - as its tagline:

Something strange is happening in the town of Stepford. Where the men spend their nights doing something secret. And every woman acts like every man's dream of the "perfect" wife. Where a young woman watches the dream become a nightmare. And sees the nightmare engulf her best friend. And realizes that any moment, any second - her turn is coming.

The entertaining and thought-provoking film had many similarities to the earlier sci-fi horror classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), with its cloned individuals substituted for Stepford's docile and zombie-like females. Although the film wasn't entirely warmly greeted in the mid-1970s by some critics and feminists, it earned $4 million (domestic) at the box-office, and since has become an admired cult film. The derogatory catchphrase "Stepford Wife" has become a common expression. Director Jordan Peele acknowledged that his social horror-thriller Get Out (2017) was directly influenced by this film. During casting, the prototypes for the two main female cast members were modeled after the characters played by Mary Tyler Moore (Mary Richards) and Valerie Harper (Rhoda Morgenstern) in TV's very popular The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977).

The mid-70s film was followed by three derivative TV movies (Revenge of the Stepford Wives (1980), The Stepford Children (1987), and The Stepford Husbands (1996)). The feminist satire was remade as a dark comedy almost 30 years after the original by director Frank Oz (The Stepford Wives (2004)), with Nicole Kidman as the Katharine Ross character, portraying a TV executive who was being threatened to become an automaton housewife. The film's tagline was: "THE WIVES OF STEPFORD HAVE A SECRET".

• in the film's opening sequence and under the title credits, aspiring photographer and housewife Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross) was in the midst of a move from a now-vacated NYC apartment; her balding husband Walter (Peter Masterson) drove off in their packed-up, wood-paneled Ford station wagon with her and their two children Kim (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Amy (Ronny Sullivan), and their terrier dog Fred; the typical American family was moving to the suburbs in Stepford, CT, where they would feel safer and not have to lock the doors at night

Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross)	Joanna's Balding Husband Walter (Peter Masterson)
Six Year-Old Daughter Kim (Mary Stuart Masterson)	Young Amy Eberhart (Ronny Sullivan)

• they soon arrived in the idyllic, forested, picturesque small village of Stepford in the neighboring state of Connecticut, and entered the driveway leading to a two-story white colonial house; on move-in day as workers carried in their furniture, a pretty, across-the-street housewife neighbor Carol Van Sant (Nanette Newman, real-life wife of the film's director) (wearing an apron) brought over a casserole; soon after, Walter thanked Carol's husband Ted (Josef Somer): "She cooks as good as she looks, Ted"
• as the two Eberhart children boarded their school bus, they were greeted with cold, blank stares from their schoolmates; there was an oppressive feeling that Joanna was lonely and uncomfortable in her new surroundings, and missed the noise and hustle-bustle of NYC; during an interview with the Welcome Wagon Lady (Paula Trueman) - a writer at The Weekly Chronicle who was gathering material about Joanna for the "Newcomer's Column," Joanna explained how her husband was a lawyer, and that she was a "hopeful, would-be, semi-professional photographer"
• later in the evening, Joanna reported to Walter that in the mid-morning, she had witnessed how neighbor Carol Van Sant acted sexually-submissive to her husband Ted - letting him put his hands on her boobs in public view in her front yard; Walter described how he had met "other Stepford commuters" who had all joined the cliquish but eminent Stepford Mens' Association ("Practically every important guy in town's a member, commuters and townies. l mean, everybody, the TV executives, the shrinks, the scientists, the police chief, the fire chief, the head of the hospital, the guy who runs the phone company"); Walter admitted it would be an honor to join, as a way to network with others, and that he had been invited with "a good chance of getting in"; however, he stated how he objected to their exclusionary rule (that he claimed was changing in 6 months): "It's strictly men only"
• when Walter asked if she was in favor, the upset Joanna protested that he hadn't told her the truth that he had already joined the antiquated club; she also reminded him that he often pretended to consult with her, but actually never asked for her opinion and advice on anything, and always suited himself; he had decided to move, buy a house, and set up mortgage down-payments, so then why did he always play-act that they would be deciding things together: "Why bother to ask me at all?"
• outside in the parking lot of the local Grand Union supermarket where the Eberharts were purchasing groceries, there was a minor fender bender between two station wagons driven by Carol Van Sant and Mrs. Kit Sunderson (Carole Mallory); Carol appeared stunned and disoriented and was holding her head; she strangely kept insisting and repeating that she was fine: ("Oh, this is all so silly. It's-it's just my head"); an efficient and prompt Oxford Police ambulance drove her away, although Joanna remarked to Walter that the ambulance had headed in the wrong direction away from the Stepford Hospital

Guilt-Ridden and Regretful Walter After Joining the Mens' Association, and Admitting It Might Have Been Wrong to Move to Stepford

• two disturbing incidents occurred the same evening: (1) upset daughter Kim acted out her unhappiness in the new house through her pet teddy bear, and (2) in the middle of the night, Joanna found a brooding Walter drinking in the living room by himself after having been inducted into the Men's Association as a member; with tears in his eyes, he vowed that he really loved Joanna and admitted moving to Stepford was a terrible mistake: ("I screwed this whole thing up. You didn't wanna move here"); he complained that he felt like he was getting old
• then one day, Bobby Markowe (Paula Prentiss) effusively introduced herself to Joanna, after having read about her recent write-up in the Weekly Chronicle: ("Avid shutterbug, ex-Gothamite who misses the noise of the naked city?"); she was also a big-city transplant and newcomer to the small town and a self-described "ex-Gothamite, who's been living here in Ajax country for just over a month now, and l'm going crazy"; she was also exasperated with the sanitized, seemingly-perfect but meaningless lives of the bland young women in Stepford who were obsessed with housework: ("l don't wanna squeeze the god-damn Charmin")
• in Joanna's kitchen, Bobby told how she had moved to Stepford under similar circumstances - it was her husband's choice: "Dave brought us here because of land values. He's best in bed when the market's up"; the irrepressible Bobby realized an instant friendship with Joanna: "I'm gonna like you...A messy kitchen. lt's beautiful. A home away from home"; they shared a drink of Walter's Scotch as they munched on Bobby's Ring-Dings (chocolate frosted, round and small devil's food cakes)
• both spoke suspiciously about the lifestyles of their subservient neighbor housewives, who apparently only cleaned house, were non-argumentative and always smiling, and bowing to their husband's needs: ("l can't figure out this burg. lt's like maids have been declared illegal, and the housewife with the neatest place gets Robert Redford for Christmas"); they also wondered about their husband's regular attendance at the "creepy" Men's Association, and if the men "watch dirty movies and reminisce about the good old days...like those good old days when Playboy used the airbrush"
• Walter phoned Joanna during the evening, asking for permission to have the Association's New Projects Committee meet in their home for a planning meeting - in 20 minutes; Walter was being pressured and coerced by the Association's President Dale "Diz" Coba (Patrick O'Neal), and was phoning from Dale's office; Dale asked if Walter was "altogether sure" about Stepford - he hesitantly agreed that he was adjusting to "Stepford" (described by Dale as "a big change...for the better")
• Walter and Dale arrived with four other men, and briefly showed them around the house: as Joanna prepared Lipton Tea for the group in her kitchen, she found herself being observed by Dale, who creepily noted: "l like to watch women doing little domestic chores"; she responded back: "You came to the right town"; she didn't believe his nickname "Dis" referred to his previous work at Disneyland: ("You don't look like someone who enjoys making other people happy")

Dale "Diz" Coba (Patrick O'Neal) - a Former Disney Executive	Walter Eberhart (Peter Masterson) - A Lawyer	Ted Van Sant (Josef Somer)
Claude Axhelm (George Coe)- A Stutterer	Ed Wimpiris (Franklin Cover) - A Businessman	Ike Mazzard (William Prince) - A Renowned Sketch Artist

• the men (besides Walter and Dale) included stuttering Claude Axhelm (George Coe), neighbor Ted Van Sant, Ed Wimpiris (Franklin Cover), and stealthy sketch artist Ike Mazzard (William Prince), who sat in the living room and engaged in a boring discussion about ideas for the next community project; meanwhile, Ike drew a full face-portrait of Joanna and other numerous sketches of her individual features (eyes, mouth and nose); to Joanna's surprise, he presented her with her autographed portrait
• later that night, the opinionated Joanna expressed how she thought the men were complete intellectual bores: ("You wouldn't have given those bores the time of day back in Manhattan... they're worse than your senior partners. New Projects committee. They ought to start by working on themselves....They were dummies"); Walter disagreed with her assessment: ("This is Stepford. lt's not New York. These are the people we have to live with and, and they suit me")
• at bachelor Dis' outdoor garden-pool party and afternoon picnic-BBQ, Joanna and Bobby attended, but felt under-dressed: (Bobby: "What do you say we go home and change? Like put on a fancy dress?" Joanna: "Absolutely not!"); Joanna felt uncomfortable about how everything was just too perfect: "l mean, I like it. lt's perfect. How could you not like it? l just don't like it"
• Joanna overheard the slightly-drunk Carol Van Sant express inordinate enthusiasm: "I'll just die if I don't get this recipe!", and then as Carol wandered about and spoke to other guests, she repeated herself again and again, alerting Dale to her malfunctioning; her husband Ted escorted her away; the next morning, Carol awkwardly apologized to Bobby and Joanna for her behavior, excusing it due to a recurring drinking problem; they were puzzled about her mentioning that several Association members had pressured her to make the apology
• a moderate feminist Joanna (who had "messed a little bit with women's lib in New York") proposed that the two of them organize and form their own Women's Lib consciousness-raising session to compete with the mens' "sexually archaic" club, although she qualified her intentions: ("l'm not contemplating any Maidenform bonfires, but they could certainly use something around here")

Initial Failed Efforts to Recruit Females to a Women's Lib Group
Marie Axhelm: Too Busy - Vigorously Ironing	Kit Sunderson: "I just love my brownies"	Mary Ann Stavros: "I just can't waste my spare moments..."

• however, when the two proposed the idea to one of the Stepford females, it was met with disinterest; Marie Axhelm (Toni Reid), while vigorously ironing in her home, declined claiming she had no time; Kit Sunderson claimed that she was too busy baking: ("I just love my brownies"); at the Daybreak Nurseries, Mary Ann Stavros (Barbara Rucker) claimed: "I just can't waste my spare moments on something like that"
• at the Cornell house after barging into the front door, the two with amusement listened to unmistakable upstairs noises of love-making - Patricia Cornell (Judith Baldwin) was ecstatically praising her aging husband Frank's (Michael Higgins) excellent sexual skills: "Oh, yes. Nobody's ever touched me the way you touch me. Oh, there. Oh, you're the best, Frank. Oh, God, are you the best....You're the king, Frank. Oh, you're the champion, Frank. Oh, you're the master!"
• after a set of tennis with Ed's trophy wife Charmaine Wimpiris (Tina Louise) who had just moved into town a few months earlier, Joanna and Bobby visited with Charmaine as they were served by a maid named Nettie (Dee Wallace); supportive of them, Charmaine was recruited into their consciousness-raising group, and shared how she wasn't at all upset by Ed's membership in the Association: "l know that it's unfair and sexist, but, frankly, anything that gets him out of the house nights is fine with me"
• in her home, Joanna was approached by stutterer Claude Axhelm to strangely assist in a project ("a lifelong hobby") to orally record her pronunciation of hundreds of words, but Joanna politely declined: "That's very interesting, Claude, but it's too much work. We Stepford wives are busy, busy, busy"; using a coersive 'blackmail' approach, she suggested having him encourage the 'busy' wives of Stepford to attend her group: ("lf they could find the time for me, I could find it for you"); her ploy seemingly worked
• during Joanna's and Bobby's first consciousness-raising session/discussion, attended by five other women, including Carol, Charmaine, Kit, Marie and Mary Ann, the wives sat blank-faced when Joanna suggested topics such as "sex, money, our marriages, anything at all"; Joanna began the sharing by mentioning how Walter cared more about the law than her; Charmaine confessed a lack of love from her husband Ed: "He never loved me"; and then Kit complained she couldn't bake because of other cleaning chores: ("Took me so long to get the upstairs floor to shine, l didn't have any time to bake"); to Bobby's dismay, the conversation disintegrated into over-exaggerated joy by Marie Axhelm over the virtues of Easy-On laundry starch
• while Joanna took their dog Fred for an evening walk, Walter phoned the Association members to come over, and a group of men thoroughly examined and inspected the Eberhart's primary bedroom and closet; during Joanna's walk, she had her first glimpse of Stepford's landmark, restored castle-like mansion surrounded by vast lawns - the headquarters of the Mens' Association, where she was warned by a young security guard-policeman (John Aprea): "Really, Mrs. Eberhart, this isn't the best place for you to wander around"; as she walked away, she didn't notice that a very distressed Ed Wimpiris was being driven off by Ike Mazzard
• in the town's pharmacy, Bobby noticed the pharmacist Frank Cornell and his pretty blonde wife Patricia behind the counter, and reminded Joanna that they had listened to their loud sexual encounter
• afterwards on the sidewalk, they bumped into the Welcome Wagon lady, who spoke about a black family moving in, and unexpectedly bragged: "We are the most liberal town around"; she recalled in the past that meetings of a Stepford Women's Club with 50 members were regularly held in town; off-screen, Joanna confirmed, in the town's library, that the President of the club was Carol Van Sant; later, when Carol was confronted, she no longer expressed any interest in "liberal" causes: "We disbanded, oh, years ago. We weren't accomplishing anything useful," and now her main all-consuming concerns were her husband Ted, her children, and her housework: "l like to see my home looking nice"; she confidently stated: "I'm happy!"; afterwards, Bobby and Joanna asked themselves whether they were "the crazy ones"; Joanna tried to reassure Bobby: "We're fine"
• Joanna impulsively and briefly visited NYC and presented a portfolio of her photos to the Atkinson Gallery, but her work was rejected; during her absence, the family dog Fred was taken away in a cage in the back of a truck; upon her return from the city, Joanna and Bobby drove around the neighborhood looking for Fred and saw a bulldozer leveling Charmaine's tennis court, with Ed supervising; the two were distressed, while talking to Charmaine, that she had been transformed into a devoted and 'perfect' housewife - now conservative and boring with a long flowery dress; she said that after a long romantic weekend with Ed, she had fired her maid, and now, her main goal was to please her husband, who hated tennis and wanted to replace the court with a heated swimming pool: "I want to please him now, and, boy, am I ever going to...All I ever thought about before was just me. Well, l'm here to tell you that's all over now. Ed's always hankered after a heated swimming pool. And now he's going to get it"

Bobby's Suspicions Told to Joanna That the Stepford Water Was Contaminated

• Bobby conducted research and reported on a 1971 Time Magazine article about contaminated water (infused with a chemical tranquilizer) in El Paso, TX; she theorized that the same environmental problem was causing behavioral changes in many of the Stepford women, due to the dumping of toxic waste from nearby industrial labs into the river: ("There's something in the water that turns us into hausfraus, drones"); Joanna contacted NYC biochemist friend Raymond Chandler (Robert Fields) with a water sample; Joanna (when known as the single Joanna Ingles) admitted that she was "in love" and had "lost her virginity" to him 12 years earlier when they were both seniors at NYU
• in Chandler's NYC office, unexpectedly, the results of the water test turned up negative: ("There's nothing here") - and Bobby's crack-pot theory was disproven; during their short reunion, Raymond secretly passed a note to Joanna: ("I'm not happy either"), contradicting his earlier statement to her that his 9-year marriage was also very happy; privately, Raymond regretfully told Joanna: "We blew it, didn't we?"
• as they drove back to Stepford, Bobby vowed to never become a Stepford wife and decided to force her husband Dave to move out immediately: ("'m not going to end up like one of those pan-scrubbers. l'm getting the hell out of Stepford. I'll ask Dave tonight, and we'll move"); she also encouraged Joanna to move out too: "You can't break up a team like us. We're the best thing to happen since Laurel and Hardy"
• in the next scene, Joanna completed the lengthy vocabulary audio recordings ("Zoom. Zoot suit. Zulu"), and then tentatively asked Walter if he would consider moving away from Stepford, because the women (and men) were so dull; although he questioned her, she was astonished that he was very open to the suggestion: "Maybe Norwood or Eastbridge. OK, let's move," and proposed moving in August before the new school year; Joanna as overjoyed and showered him with kisses
• shortly later, Joanna and Bobby went house-hunting in nearby Eastbridge with gossipy realtor Mrs. Kirgassa (Martha Greenhouse); Bobby asked if Joanna could watch her children and their shaggy dog while she and her husband Dave (Simon Deckard) were in NYC at the Plaza Hotel for their annual romantic getaway weekend; during the chaotic and noisy weekend with the Eberhart house full of children, the hopeful and buoyant Joanna resurrected her camera and took many photos of their enthusiastic playfulness during the weekend, although Walter was becoming exasperated; at the Atkinson Gallery in the city on Monday morning, Joanna's photos were praised by gallery owner Mr. Atkinson (Remak Ramsay) as "lovely" - and she felt enlivened and recognized as a talent: "I guess I want to be remembered"
• upon her return to Stepford, she rushed into Bobby's home and kitchen to share her joy over the positive reaction to her photos; a major shock came when Joanna was alarmed and disturbed to learn that Bobby was wearing a frilly formal dress with makeup: ("Why are you wearing all that makeup? You never even used to clean your kitchen, much less wear makeup"); amazingly, Bobby had been transformed overnight like Charmaine had, and vowed to never be a slob again so that she could please her husband: "l just want to look like a woman and keep my house looking decent too"; Bobby had also changed her mind about leaving Stepford, with its "good schools, low taxes, clean air"

Joanna's Upset That Her Liberal-Minded Friend Bobby Had Entirely Changed Over a Weekend Into a Subservient, Clean-Freak Housewife

• feeling panicked and upset, Joanna raced home, and drove recklessly (she passed a school bus unloading children, knocked down the Van Sant's mailbox, and dented the station wagon); after telling Walter that Bobby's "kitchen was sparkling," he thought Joanna was over-emphasizing things and "going crazy"; Joanna pointed out the major issue: "She's changed!...Bobby really has changed. Believe me. Everything in her house looked like a TV commercial"; Walter tried to convince Joanna that Bobby's changes and reforms might be for the better, and complained about Joanna's own lack of attention to their house-keeping: "She had to clean it sooner or later. lt looked like a god-damn pigsty. l mean, when are things gonna start sparkling around here? That's what l'd like to know. l mean, just look at the way my kids are dressed. Ragamuffins. Jeez, I work 80 hours a week. l live in a great house, and my kids look like they belong on welfare. Look, if you paid a little more attention to your family and a little less to your god-damn picture-taking..."; Joanna responded by insisting on moving immediately ("l'm getting us a house now")
• believing that Joanna was irrational, Walter demanded one condition before a move to another house in a few weeks - that Joanna seek help from a psychiatrist; he considered her urgent and disruptive need to move once more as an "unreasonable" request that was due to her unusual "fixation" and issue with house cleanliness; Joanna mentioned how she was suspicious of the "top notch guys" that Walter might recommend in town
• after seeking her own female psychiatrist Dr. Fancher (Carol Rossen), Joanna explained how she wanted to move out of the stifling town of Stepford with its conformist, deadened housewives after living there for only a few months: ("The women in Stepford just seem to be on a different wavelength"); the therapist agreed: "Stepford, I know, has a reputation for being unsocial...Perhaps Stepford is heaven for the house-and-garden type"

Joanna's Psychiatrist Dr. Fancher (Carol Rossen)

Joanna's Biggest Fear - Loss of Her Individuality and Identity - "Like one of those robots in Disneyland"

• and then, Joanna nervously brought up her male conspiracy theory: "l think the men are behind it...All of them in the Association. My husband, everyone"; she knowingly stated how her seemingly-absurd belief might be crazy: ("lf l'm wrong, l'm insane"), but that the men in Stepford were somehow transforming the psyches of their wives to become model homemakers: ("They draw our pictures, and they tape our voices. And the women all look neat and pretty"); it was four months before her good friends Charmaine and Bobby had been "changed" and Joanna now feared her time was up - and that she was next ("l just know something is wrong, and my time is coming")
• Joanna clearly explained her biggest fear - loss of her individual identity: "There will be somebody with my name, and she'll cook and clean like crazy, but she won't take pictures, and she won't be me. She'll, she'll, she'll be like one of those robots in Disneyland"; the therapist urged the very frightened Joanna to find safety and security somewhere away from town with her children, without telling her husband
• back in her dark Stepford home during a brewing storm, Joanna again found Walter drinking alone, after sending his two daughters to a friend's house for the weekend; he remained evasive to Joanna about their missing whereabouts ("They're fine"); during a physical altercation on the stairs after Walter ordered Joanna to go upstairs to relax and lie down on their bed, she refused ("I want my children!") and locked herself in their room; she snuck out as she overheard Walter suspiciously phoning Dale about how Joanna was "upset"
• drenched in the rain, Joanna proceeded to Bobby's house hoping to find her children, but they weren't there; her robotic-acting friend cheerfully offered to serve her a "fresh-perked" cup of coffee; exasperated, Joanna shouted out in a rage: "Bobby, stop it, look at me! Say I'm right. You are different. Your figure's different, your face, what you talk about. All of this is different." Joanna tested her friend: "What does archaic mean?" but Bobby circumvented the question and then claimed that she had forgotten that she knew its meaning; Joanna recalled that the word "archaic" wasn't on her vocabulary word list that she had recorded
• to test her humanity with a desperate act, Joanna grabbed a sharp bread knife and deliberately cut her own finger: ("Look, I bleed...when I cut myself, I bleed"); then, after Bobby had no discernable reaction to Joanna's wound, Joanna stabbed Bobby in her lower abdominal/genital area, while asking: "Do you bleed?"

Joanna Tested Her Robotic Friend Bobby by Stabbing Her in the Abdomen
After Pulling Out the Knife - Bobby Repeated Each Phrase Three Times: "How could you do a thing like that? When I was just going to give you coffee. I thought we were friends!"

• Bobby calmly and cleanly pulled out the knife and asked three times: "How could you do a thing like that?" as she cleaned the bloodless blade; the stabbing also caused her android friend to go berserk, drop coffee cups, saucers and coffee grounds onto the floor, and repetitively ask the same questions due to malfunctioning, severed robotic wiring. ("I was just going to give you coffee. I thought we were friends!"); the newly-made android Bobby twirled and acted monotonously and with repeated phrases, as Joanna ran from the frightening scene

The Shocking Discovery That Bobby Markowe Was an Android, Twirling And Acting Monotonously With Repeated Phrases

• back in her own home, Joanna snuck up and struck Walter in the forehead with a fireplace poker to force him to reveal the location of the children; before his vision blurred and he lost consciousness, he directed her to the town's Mens' Association mansion; she found the front-door unlocked, and was able to wander up the stairs and through the mansion's hallways and corridors armed with the poker; she followed the voices of her children, and discovered that the sounds were coming from a reel-to-reel tape recorder in an empty room
• in the same room, she also came face-to-face with cold-hearted mastermind Dale, who informed her that her children were actually with Charmaine; he prevented her escape by electronically locking all of the doors, and then told her she wouldn't need to use the poker she was carrying
• when Joanna asked him "Why?" - to explain the motive for the men to transform the town's wives, Dale revealed the horrifying truth:

  "Why? Because we can. We found a way of doing it, and it's just perfect. It's perfect for us and perfect for you. You're a very good subject, perhaps the best we've had. You were brighter than most...See, think of it the other way around. Wouldn't you like some perfect stud waiting on you around the house? Praising you? Servicing you? Whispering how your sagging flesh was beautiful, no matter how you looked?...Well, that's all there is. So why don't we get it over. You know, you hurried us a little. We weren't quite ready for you, if you want to know the truth."

Joanna Was Told The Horrifying Truth About the Town's Transformed Wives

• Joanna was disgusted by his rationale when he asked if she would like have a "perfect stud" at her service; after Dale removed the poker from her hand, she screamed and fled down the hallways and into various rooms in the large mansion, as he slowly followed after her; she came upon a mock-up of her own bedroom with pet dog Fred growling at her; during a very slow pan to the right, Joanna exclaimed: "Oh, no! Oh, God!", as she saw her own, semi-completed, robot-duplicate, peacefully combing her hair in front of a tri-part mirror on a dresser

A Mock-Up of Joanna's Bedroom in the Mansion

Joanna: "Oh, no! Oh, God!"

A Pan to the Right Revealed A Joanna-Android Combing Her Hair Before Mirror

• when the semi-finished android-replica turned toward her, Joanna was shocked into paralysis when she witnessed her own smiling robotic double with sunken, soul-less, black and empty eye sockets; the small-breasted Joanna noticed the large breast implants on the android; the Joanna-duplicate wrapped a long nylon stocking around her hands as she approached to strangle the real-life Joanna to death by garrotting - as Dale watched from the doorway while calmly petting Fred; the movie frame abruptly went black, and the audio was cut; it was inferred that the other real Stepford women were also murdered before being replaced
• the film ended days later with all of the flowery-dress-wearing android wives (with large-brimmed sun-hats) pushing their shopping carts in the local supermarket while listening to Muzak; the vacuous-minded females, including roboticized clones of both Bobby and Joanna, greeted each other with only a simple hi or hello
• the film's primary image serving as the background for the end credits was a blurry close-up of Joanna's completed eyes; after shopping, Joanna joined her smiling, self-satisfied husband Walter who drove her and her daughters home in their station wagon, provided in still images