A sensational performance by Shirley MacLaine at the height of her career is just one of many reasons to tune into this romantic comedy that got her high praise in a year that found comical legendary performances also by Marilyn Monroe ("Some Like It Hot") and Oscar nominee Doris Day ("Pillow Talk"). A wise and witty script keeps you interested, focusing on the typical new girl in the big city (Shirley, of course), fealing with the theft of her suitcase the moment she arrives at Grand Central, and later locked out of her apartment sans clothes by a resentful roommate. She's a career girl claiming not to be interested in finding a man, but it's seemingly all she finds with wealthy playboy Rod Taylor and businessmen brothers David Niven and Gig Young. No nonsense but accident prone and a bit dingy, MacLaine fights off lecherous boss Jim Backus, deals with her trampy roommate's constant all male parties and is even accused of being a lady of the evening, making her the queen of bad timing.
The understated performance by Shirley MacLaine and subtle humor helps this rise above the typical glossy screwball comedies of the day, utilizing the classic Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields standard "I'm in the Mood For Love" as its theme song. The fashion parade of late 1950's styles adds to the charm of this engaging comedy which shows New York City at its most sophisticated, and cameos by such veteran character actors as Mae Clarke and Percy Helton are also more than welcome. Fresh, fast moving direction by Charles Walters is a major plus.
The understated performance by Shirley MacLaine and subtle humor helps this rise above the typical glossy screwball comedies of the day, utilizing the classic Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields standard "I'm in the Mood For Love" as its theme song. The fashion parade of late 1950's styles adds to the charm of this engaging comedy which shows New York City at its most sophisticated, and cameos by such veteran character actors as Mae Clarke and Percy Helton are also more than welcome. Fresh, fast moving direction by Charles Walters is a major plus.