Some may consider the Rock Hudson / Doris Day comedies of the 50's and 60's to be dated, corny, and sexist to boot but I find them still to be clever and sparklingly funny, and, viewed today, wonderfully innocent. The comic chemistry between Doris Day and Rock Hudson was unique and ranks with other classic pairings such as Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. This movie will always have a nostalgic place in my memory, as it was the first 'adult' comedy I saw. I was fifteen and saw it in Radio City Music Hall with my church youth fellowship group on a trip to New York. My, how risque it seemed! Of note is Jack Oakie's delightful bit as the southern colonel in what turned out to be his last feature film ("Just a tay-uch!")
65 Reviews
Delightful and Witty Romantic Comedy
claudio_carvalho15 March 2012
In New York, Madison Avenue is the center of advertising world and like in a beehive, divided in workers and drones. Carol Templeton (Doris Day) is a professional that has just arrived from Omaha, Nebraska, to work in the Bracket, McGalpin & Gaines Advertising expecting to be a winner through hard work. The unethical Jerry Webster (Rock Hudson) works in the Ramsey & Son and entertains his clients with sexy women, bribe and booze to ensure contracts for his agency.
When the Southern J. Paxton Miller (Jack Oakie) comes to New York to close the contract of the Cera Miller account, Carol prepares a presentation to the old man. However, Jerry wins the account bringing Miller to a nightclub with strippers, booze and a party later in his penthouse with the strippers led by Rebel Davis (Edie Adams).
Carol is upset and goes to the advertising council to throw Jerry out of the advertising business. However, Jerry lures Rebel, who is going to testify against him, offering the position of VIP girl in TV commercials for the new product VIP. Then he asks the team to not broadcast but only file the footages since VIP that does not exist. However, the insecure Peter 'Pete' Ramsey (Tony Randall), who has inherited the Ramsey & Son, orders a massive advertising campaign broadcasting the commercials to show himself off to his employees. In order to save his job and the agency, Jerry hires Doctor Linus Tyler (Jack Kruschen), who is a lonely man, to develop VIP.
Meanwhile, Carol decides to take the VIP account for her agency and she visits Dr. Tyler. However, she meets Jerry instead and believes that he is the famous scientist awarded with the Nobel Prize. Now Carol wants to convince Dr. Tyler to come to her agency and the cynical Jerry uses the situation to seduce Carol.
"Lover Come Back" is really a delightful and witty romantic comedy, with a funny story and a great screenplay that was awarded with the 1962 Oscar. Tony Randall is hilarious and his insecure character is among the funniest I have ever seen. Rock Hudson and Doris Day are excellent, showing magnificent chemistry. The two guys that stumble with Jerry Webster everywhere are also very funny. My only remark is to the disappointing rushed ending that gives the sensation that something is missing and makes Carol Templeton a stereotype of the women in the 50's and 60's. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Volta Meu Amor" ("Come Back My Love")
When the Southern J. Paxton Miller (Jack Oakie) comes to New York to close the contract of the Cera Miller account, Carol prepares a presentation to the old man. However, Jerry wins the account bringing Miller to a nightclub with strippers, booze and a party later in his penthouse with the strippers led by Rebel Davis (Edie Adams).
Carol is upset and goes to the advertising council to throw Jerry out of the advertising business. However, Jerry lures Rebel, who is going to testify against him, offering the position of VIP girl in TV commercials for the new product VIP. Then he asks the team to not broadcast but only file the footages since VIP that does not exist. However, the insecure Peter 'Pete' Ramsey (Tony Randall), who has inherited the Ramsey & Son, orders a massive advertising campaign broadcasting the commercials to show himself off to his employees. In order to save his job and the agency, Jerry hires Doctor Linus Tyler (Jack Kruschen), who is a lonely man, to develop VIP.
Meanwhile, Carol decides to take the VIP account for her agency and she visits Dr. Tyler. However, she meets Jerry instead and believes that he is the famous scientist awarded with the Nobel Prize. Now Carol wants to convince Dr. Tyler to come to her agency and the cynical Jerry uses the situation to seduce Carol.
"Lover Come Back" is really a delightful and witty romantic comedy, with a funny story and a great screenplay that was awarded with the 1962 Oscar. Tony Randall is hilarious and his insecure character is among the funniest I have ever seen. Rock Hudson and Doris Day are excellent, showing magnificent chemistry. The two guys that stumble with Jerry Webster everywhere are also very funny. My only remark is to the disappointing rushed ending that gives the sensation that something is missing and makes Carol Templeton a stereotype of the women in the 50's and 60's. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Volta Meu Amor" ("Come Back My Love")
Personally, my favorite Doris-Rock-Tony vehicle
Isaac58557 August 2006
LOVER, COME BACK is a stylish and sophisticated sex comedy that reunited Doris Day, Rock Hudson, and Tony Randall in this story of rival advertising executives (Day, Hudson) who, though they've never met, can't stand each other and are always competing for the same clients which once again sets up a clever mistaken identity scenario that allows Rock to pretend to be someone else in order to woo an unsuspecting Doris. This is Doris and Rock's best film, IMO...a sparkling romantic comedy with a strong screenplay and once again, Doris again exemplifies the 60's working woman....one of the few actresses during this time in Hollywood consistently playing working women competing in a man's world. Doris and Rock get strong support from Randall, Jack Kruschen, Ann B. Davis, and especially Edie Adams. Doris' "virginity" never had more sex appeal than it did here.
"Miss Templeton, I'm Taking You In!"
stryker-527 December 1999
In New York's Fifth Avenue 'hive' of advertising agencies, the executives are either 'workers' or 'drones'. The former are industrious and diligent (and female), and the latter (the men) get by on wining and dining their clients. Carol Templeton is very much a worker, and she resents losing an account to Jerry Webster, the drone of all drones. One of Jerry's schemes (should that be 'scams'?) is the invention of "Vip", a non-existent commodity. He markets the new product so successfully that Vip becomes an overnight sensation. Throw in a severe case of mistaken identity, a nutty professor and a bungled seduction, and you have all the ingredients for a pleasant and well-constructed romantic comedy.
This was the second of the three Day-Hudson movies, and probably the best. Tony Randall is consistently funny as Peter Ramsey, the ineffectual company boss. Day does the humour very well, even if the main part of her duties is to pull a series of exasperated faces. There's a good split-screen graphic and a funny moose joke. Rock's woollen suit is amusing, and I liked the witty conclusion to the aquarium scene. Just one thought - why is Doris's hair so resiliently bouffant immediately after she steps out of the sea?
Everybody knows now that Rock Hudson was gay, but it goes without saying that this was far from universally acknowledged back in 1961. Is it my imagination, or does the film contain a vein of subtle "Rock-is-one-of-those" drollery? He makes a tongue in cheek speech to Doris, telling her that he can never be a real man to her. When the effeminate co-worker informs Doris that he has a lilac carpet in his apartment, she does a highly significant double-take. Rock keeps saying things like "I am not undersexed!" He tells Doris that he's taking her in - is he doing the same to the movie audience?
Finally, given that no lovers part, and indeed there ARE no lovers in the entire film, one wonders about the choice of title ...
This was the second of the three Day-Hudson movies, and probably the best. Tony Randall is consistently funny as Peter Ramsey, the ineffectual company boss. Day does the humour very well, even if the main part of her duties is to pull a series of exasperated faces. There's a good split-screen graphic and a funny moose joke. Rock's woollen suit is amusing, and I liked the witty conclusion to the aquarium scene. Just one thought - why is Doris's hair so resiliently bouffant immediately after she steps out of the sea?
Everybody knows now that Rock Hudson was gay, but it goes without saying that this was far from universally acknowledged back in 1961. Is it my imagination, or does the film contain a vein of subtle "Rock-is-one-of-those" drollery? He makes a tongue in cheek speech to Doris, telling her that he can never be a real man to her. When the effeminate co-worker informs Doris that he has a lilac carpet in his apartment, she does a highly significant double-take. Rock keeps saying things like "I am not undersexed!" He tells Doris that he's taking her in - is he doing the same to the movie audience?
Finally, given that no lovers part, and indeed there ARE no lovers in the entire film, one wonders about the choice of title ...
funny, but what a horrible guy!
cherold17 June 2005
Classic Day/Hudson sex comedy, with the two playing battling ad execs. This one is very funny and well paced, with the usual battles and confusion between Day's gullible virgin and Hudson's charming cad.
What struck me most about this movie was exactly what an awful, awful person Hudson plays. An interesting aspect of movies of this time is how many of them feature male characters who have no morals or scruples, but even by the standards of the time Jerry Webster seems particularly odious. And for me this is what makes this movie 7-star instead of 8-star. Because the movie insists that you have some sympathy for his character. If he were not played by a charming handsome guy no one would have sympathy for him. He deserves a horse-whipping. He doesn't get one, alas, but the movie is quite funny.
What struck me most about this movie was exactly what an awful, awful person Hudson plays. An interesting aspect of movies of this time is how many of them feature male characters who have no morals or scruples, but even by the standards of the time Jerry Webster seems particularly odious. And for me this is what makes this movie 7-star instead of 8-star. Because the movie insists that you have some sympathy for his character. If he were not played by a charming handsome guy no one would have sympathy for him. He deserves a horse-whipping. He doesn't get one, alas, but the movie is quite funny.
The Ad Man of Her Nightmares
bkoganbing12 March 2007
Of the three Rock Hudson-Doris Day films my absolute favorite is Lover Come Back. It's not only a good sex comedy for Doris and Rock, but it's also a very funny satire on the advertising business of Madison Avenue.
In Pillow Talk Doris was an interior decorator and Rock a songwriter. They haven't changed their characters at all, but now are both in the advertising business.
Through an incredible combination of circumstances I couldn't possibly write Rock has created commercials for a product that doesn't exist and the doofus son of the agency he works for, Tony Randall, has ordered them given full blown airing. With Doris nipping at his heels for unethical practices, Rock and Tony hire a nutty scientist played by Jack Kruschen to come up with some kind of product for the commercials.
In the meantime Doris mistakes Rock for the scientist and now we're back to the plot of Pillow Talk as Rock decides to make some time with Doris. It gets pretty wild and wacky, especially after Kruschen invents something that has some very unforeseen consequences.
All the cast members do just fine in this very bright comedy that has me splitting a gut with laughter every time I see it. In addition to the cast members mentioned, I should also single out Edie Adams as the southern model who Hudson makes the commercials with.
Also to be singled out in what turned out to be his farewell screen performance is Jack Oakie who plays the southern client who Rock steals from Doris and gets all the wacky nonsense started.
Even given the changing mores, Lover Come Back holds up quite well and today's audience will love it as I do.
In Pillow Talk Doris was an interior decorator and Rock a songwriter. They haven't changed their characters at all, but now are both in the advertising business.
Through an incredible combination of circumstances I couldn't possibly write Rock has created commercials for a product that doesn't exist and the doofus son of the agency he works for, Tony Randall, has ordered them given full blown airing. With Doris nipping at his heels for unethical practices, Rock and Tony hire a nutty scientist played by Jack Kruschen to come up with some kind of product for the commercials.
In the meantime Doris mistakes Rock for the scientist and now we're back to the plot of Pillow Talk as Rock decides to make some time with Doris. It gets pretty wild and wacky, especially after Kruschen invents something that has some very unforeseen consequences.
All the cast members do just fine in this very bright comedy that has me splitting a gut with laughter every time I see it. In addition to the cast members mentioned, I should also single out Edie Adams as the southern model who Hudson makes the commercials with.
Also to be singled out in what turned out to be his farewell screen performance is Jack Oakie who plays the southern client who Rock steals from Doris and gets all the wacky nonsense started.
Even given the changing mores, Lover Come Back holds up quite well and today's audience will love it as I do.
Best Day/Hudson Script By Far!
krdement10 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
My personal preference is for films of all kinds from the '30's to the mid '40's. For me the writing is generally much more sophisticated than later films - especially films from the era of Lover Come Back. That said, I give this film extremely high marks for the script. The writing here is much more sophisticated than Pillow Talk. There is nothing in any of the Day/Hudson movies to compare with the aquarium scene. It is classic.
Another key scene is when Rock comes up to Doris' apartment for dinner. The dress that she wears in that scene is one of the best ever! It is sophisticated, chic, glamorous and as sexy as they come! It accentuates her knockout figure without revealing anything! Wow is she ever hot in that dress!
But that scene, paradoxically, is why I do not rate this film more highly. Rock really overdoes the poor, sheltered, inexperienced guy. (I wish he had played that scene with the subtlety he displays when Doris mistakes him for the professor in the lab, and in the subsequent aquarium scene. They are both perfect.) As hammy as it is, it is a real blemish on an otherwise great performance and fabulous comedy. That scene just seems more hammy than the rest of the film.
One other criticism is the ending. It comes very abruptly. I wish there had been some film footage showing his mailing letters for 8 months before giving up in the 9th, rather than just having his character tell us about that long interval while proposing to Doris on her way to delivery.
Lastly, I think that this film gets overlooked because of its title. If it had a title that actually reflected the story, it would be more memorable. Every time I hear "Lover Come Back" I just draw a blank. Day and Hudson aren't lovers except for one night very late in the story, and they are reunited a few scenes later at the very end of the film. The bulk of the film deals with their conflict! The title leads you to expect a story built around the efforts of one lover to rekindle a romance with an estranged beloved - not this movie at all! Big mistake.
Another key scene is when Rock comes up to Doris' apartment for dinner. The dress that she wears in that scene is one of the best ever! It is sophisticated, chic, glamorous and as sexy as they come! It accentuates her knockout figure without revealing anything! Wow is she ever hot in that dress!
But that scene, paradoxically, is why I do not rate this film more highly. Rock really overdoes the poor, sheltered, inexperienced guy. (I wish he had played that scene with the subtlety he displays when Doris mistakes him for the professor in the lab, and in the subsequent aquarium scene. They are both perfect.) As hammy as it is, it is a real blemish on an otherwise great performance and fabulous comedy. That scene just seems more hammy than the rest of the film.
One other criticism is the ending. It comes very abruptly. I wish there had been some film footage showing his mailing letters for 8 months before giving up in the 9th, rather than just having his character tell us about that long interval while proposing to Doris on her way to delivery.
Lastly, I think that this film gets overlooked because of its title. If it had a title that actually reflected the story, it would be more memorable. Every time I hear "Lover Come Back" I just draw a blank. Day and Hudson aren't lovers except for one night very late in the story, and they are reunited a few scenes later at the very end of the film. The bulk of the film deals with their conflict! The title leads you to expect a story built around the efforts of one lover to rekindle a romance with an estranged beloved - not this movie at all! Big mistake.
One of my favourite movies
May-1112 March 2001
I love this movie. It's one of the wittiest and funniest comedies I've ever seen, and I can watch it over and over again without getting tired. I like "old" movies, but most comedies of the 50's and 60's contain some scenes where I can't help feeling a bit embarrassed because they are so old fashioned and can't be understood or laughed at 50 years later. But this movie is still perfect, although the mentalities have changed so much. The actors (Day, Hudson and Randall) are wonderful and there are not many pictures that catch the 60's better: the furniture, the clothes... And besides, is there an actor (or man) nowadays who has so much sex-appeal as Rock Hudson without looking as if he was 15 or without having many muscles and no brain? I love the song "Lover Come Back" and the opening credits too. If you like romantic comedies with wit, spirit and great actors, watch this one!
Rock & Doris & Tony & Vip
wes-connors11 August 2007
Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randall are excellent - the movie is not so much. First of all, the film is a one of those sophisticated (?) '60s "sex comedies". There are suggested sexual situations throughout: Mr. Hudson is, I believe, fairly explicitly stated as a promiscuous man; and, Ms. Day makes a conscious decision to have out-of-wedlock sex with Hudson. Also, there are "gay jokes"; and, there are suggestions of marijuana use (note the scene where Hudson explains away an uncomfortable situation by saying he smoked a funny cigarette, lacking a label).
The advertising industry is effectively satirized. The VIP storyline is funny. The scenes between Hudson/Day and Hudson/Randall are witty and well-played. I liked Hudson and Randall with their beards. You'll get to see Hudson in his underwear (boxers) and Day in a bathing suit (one-piece, alas).
BUT, the script is filled with tired old jokes. The ending is too rushed. Very distracting are the blurring of Doris Day's close-ups in this film. The other performers have very clear close-ups. I would rather they not blur Ms. Day's close-ups, or just blur everyone. I suppose this is a feature of several of Day's sixties films - it's unfortunate.
******* Lover Come Back (1961) Delbert Mann ~ Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall
The advertising industry is effectively satirized. The VIP storyline is funny. The scenes between Hudson/Day and Hudson/Randall are witty and well-played. I liked Hudson and Randall with their beards. You'll get to see Hudson in his underwear (boxers) and Day in a bathing suit (one-piece, alas).
BUT, the script is filled with tired old jokes. The ending is too rushed. Very distracting are the blurring of Doris Day's close-ups in this film. The other performers have very clear close-ups. I would rather they not blur Ms. Day's close-ups, or just blur everyone. I suppose this is a feature of several of Day's sixties films - it's unfortunate.
******* Lover Come Back (1961) Delbert Mann ~ Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall
A Vip Movie! ****
edwagreen2 March 2007
Both Rock and Doris are caught up in the VIP madness. Trouble is that no one knows what VIP actually is. You see that Rock made it all up to get Edie Adams off his back. Unfortunately, his "crazy" boss, Tony Randall, doesn't know this and as a result the hilarity begins.
Rock Hudson excelled in comedy roles when he would be imitating others so as to fool Doris Day. Remember Rex Stetson in another Rock and Doris film? As Jerry Webster, the advertising Casanova in this film, Rock gave a totally memorable performance. Doris plays Carol Templeton, a devoted advertising executive who can no longer stand losing accounts to Jerry, since he knows how to wine, dine and bed prospective clients.
The dialogue is crisp and riotous at best. Edie Adams as Rebel will make you laugh out loud with a darling southern accent. Jack Kruschen has his moments as the embittered chemist who can be bought. Interesting to note that both Adams and Kruschen appeared together the year before in "The Apartment." As is the case with this film as well, they weren't in any scenes together.
A romp in every sense of the word.
Rock Hudson excelled in comedy roles when he would be imitating others so as to fool Doris Day. Remember Rex Stetson in another Rock and Doris film? As Jerry Webster, the advertising Casanova in this film, Rock gave a totally memorable performance. Doris plays Carol Templeton, a devoted advertising executive who can no longer stand losing accounts to Jerry, since he knows how to wine, dine and bed prospective clients.
The dialogue is crisp and riotous at best. Edie Adams as Rebel will make you laugh out loud with a darling southern accent. Jack Kruschen has his moments as the embittered chemist who can be bought. Interesting to note that both Adams and Kruschen appeared together the year before in "The Apartment." As is the case with this film as well, they weren't in any scenes together.
A romp in every sense of the word.
Glossy but somewhat disappointing!
JohnHowardReid28 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This glossy Doris Day vehicle starts off promisingly, but unfortunately it tends to run out of steam about halfway through, when the screenwriters decide to put all their gags, namely Hudson's impersonation, into the one basket. Admittedly, the film starts off with this strand rather promisingly – Hudson in an outrageous suit – but the plot becomes wearisome in its second half through constant repetition of the same gags. A pity the Jack Oakie character has so small a part. We keep waiting for him to come back, but he doesn't! And even Edie Adams, whose role was even larger than Oakie's and more important, simply disappears! All the really good gags, both visual and aural, are packed into the first half of the movie. Even the clock two minutes gag seems pretty laborious. Tony Randall's part is so heavy handed, it could do with some trimming too. When the movie has pace, it also has wit, but when it slows down for the second half, the wit wilts as well! Another problem for me is that I hate soft focus! If the whole movie is soft focused, no problem. But if soft focus is used just for one character and it's just simply cut into the footage, I find it very distracting. I know it's used here to disguise Doris Day's age, but for me that makes it even more irritating. True, Doris is her usual perky self and she's always stunningly dressed – although I must admit that I found some of her costumes unflattering. And alas, she is handed only two songs, including the title tune! As usual, director Delbert Mann is only as good as all the gloss surrounding him. Without help from music, script, players, sets, photography, editing and costumes, he's nothing special. Make it 6.5!
The VIP
jotix10015 February 2005
This Doris Day/Rock Hudson comedy is a vast improvement over their previous one, "Pillow Talk". At least, both stars seem to be having a relaxed time with one another, under the direction of Delbert Mann. It helps a lot that the tremendously talented writing team of Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning are around to give the movie lots of laughs with what they created.
The idea of warring advertising executives works well. Doris Day plays the uptight Carol Templeton, a girl from the provinces that manages to land a plum job in a Madison Avenue firm and lives in a fantastic Manhattan apartment that was only to be found in the movies. Carol dresses with style, but one wonders whose idea was to have her wear those hideous hats she constantly sports.
Carol's enemy turns out to be Jerry Webster, the playboy adman who steals everything from Carol's reach. As played by Rock Hudson, this is one of his best roles in comedy. Somehow he made us believe he was that man who has a knack to get what he wants, especially from the adoring women he charms.
The basic premise of the film is the constant battle between Carol and Jerry. Both stars do some of their best work as they clash over the new product that suddenly appears in ads all over the place. VIP is something nobody knows about, yet Carol wants to get the account. VIP turns out to be a product that gives its user a great feeling for only 10 cents. Sampling the product at the Ad Council, where Carol takes Jerry to be tried for his unprofessional conduct, turns out to be one of the best things that ever happened to Carol and Jerry and all the ones that have a taste of the product.
Doris Day was a beautiful comedienne. Her wholesome figure and natural charm is one of the best things this film has going for it. Rock Hudson also is excellent with his take of the lecherous Jerry. Tony Randall plays another of his neurotic characters. Edie Adams is only seen shortly, but in her few scenes, she is wonderful. Jack Oakie makes a great appearance as the Virginian with a taste for girls and booze on a business trip in Manhattan.
This is a comedy for Doris Day and Rock Hudson fans.
The idea of warring advertising executives works well. Doris Day plays the uptight Carol Templeton, a girl from the provinces that manages to land a plum job in a Madison Avenue firm and lives in a fantastic Manhattan apartment that was only to be found in the movies. Carol dresses with style, but one wonders whose idea was to have her wear those hideous hats she constantly sports.
Carol's enemy turns out to be Jerry Webster, the playboy adman who steals everything from Carol's reach. As played by Rock Hudson, this is one of his best roles in comedy. Somehow he made us believe he was that man who has a knack to get what he wants, especially from the adoring women he charms.
The basic premise of the film is the constant battle between Carol and Jerry. Both stars do some of their best work as they clash over the new product that suddenly appears in ads all over the place. VIP is something nobody knows about, yet Carol wants to get the account. VIP turns out to be a product that gives its user a great feeling for only 10 cents. Sampling the product at the Ad Council, where Carol takes Jerry to be tried for his unprofessional conduct, turns out to be one of the best things that ever happened to Carol and Jerry and all the ones that have a taste of the product.
Doris Day was a beautiful comedienne. Her wholesome figure and natural charm is one of the best things this film has going for it. Rock Hudson also is excellent with his take of the lecherous Jerry. Tony Randall plays another of his neurotic characters. Edie Adams is only seen shortly, but in her few scenes, she is wonderful. Jack Oakie makes a great appearance as the Virginian with a taste for girls and booze on a business trip in Manhattan.
This is a comedy for Doris Day and Rock Hudson fans.
Doris Day has to play the virgin once again!
moonspinner553 October 2001
After her rather saucy turn in "Pillow Talk", I'm surprised "Lover Come Back"'s co-screenwriter Stanley Shapiro (who also had a hand in "Pillow Talk") has Doris Day taking backwards steps and playing the untouchable good girl once again. Appearing slightly matronly in her blonde bubble 'do, Doris is kept stressed and exasperated while the rest of New York City has a good time. She's an advertising executive competing with Rock Hudson for clients. She meets him and falls for his "innocence", but only because he's courting her under an alias. This plot-thread is borrowed from "Pillow Talk", as most movie-buffs will notice, but the comparisons really end there. Only one scene utilizes the split-screen technique, and "Pillow Talk" third-party Tony Randall has no moments on-screen with Day. Ann B. Davis, as DD's secretary, stands in for Thelma Ritter. Yet overall, it's just not as fresh or as funny as the first teaming, and Doris' character isn't thought out properly (and she makes a sudden personality change at the end that seems written to comply with 1961's morals). Stylish, and with amusing sequences, this "Lover" is over-extended and feels a little heavy. **1/2 from ****
Shameless remake of Pillow Talk
HotToastyRag3 February 2018
Doris Day made some silly movies in the 1960s, part of the reason she retired from Hollywood. Lover Come Back was the first of the sillies, and it's by far the most tolerable. It seems like every comedy after this one went increasingly downhill.
If you watch the preview, you'll think you're getting a shameless remake of Pillow Talk. Doris Day and Rock Hudson have a split-screen telephone call, she's prim and proper, he jokes her about her lack of a sex life, he cons her with a mistaken identity and pretends to be innocent in order to get her into bed, and Tony Randall is Rock's friend who quips about being rich. And let's face it, when you watch the movie that's exactly what you'll get: a shameless remake of Pillow Talk.
In this one, instead of a Texan and a songwriter, Rock Hudson is mistaken for a scientist and pretends he's clueless about man-woman relationships. Doris Day hates who he really is-just as in Pillow Talk, she knows who he is without having met him-but completely falls for his act. Basically, if you liked Pillow Talk and want to watch a very similar movie co-written by one of the same writers, you'll want to check this one out. I actually liked Send Me No Flowers much better, but you can watch all three of the Doris and Rock movies and pick which one's your favorite.
If you watch the preview, you'll think you're getting a shameless remake of Pillow Talk. Doris Day and Rock Hudson have a split-screen telephone call, she's prim and proper, he jokes her about her lack of a sex life, he cons her with a mistaken identity and pretends to be innocent in order to get her into bed, and Tony Randall is Rock's friend who quips about being rich. And let's face it, when you watch the movie that's exactly what you'll get: a shameless remake of Pillow Talk.
In this one, instead of a Texan and a songwriter, Rock Hudson is mistaken for a scientist and pretends he's clueless about man-woman relationships. Doris Day hates who he really is-just as in Pillow Talk, she knows who he is without having met him-but completely falls for his act. Basically, if you liked Pillow Talk and want to watch a very similar movie co-written by one of the same writers, you'll want to check this one out. I actually liked Send Me No Flowers much better, but you can watch all three of the Doris and Rock movies and pick which one's your favorite.
Frothy comedy.
rmax3048238 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
If you liked "Pillow Talk" you'll like "Lover Come Back." The two movies have the same principal cast and similar stories involving Doris Day mistaking a hated rival, Hudson, for an innocent naif. Tony Randall has the same role as Hudson's less magnetic sidekick. Thelma Ritter and her volcanic hangover are, alas, absent.
There are, of course, some differences, this being the cinematic equivalent of musical variations on a theme. I think Rock Hudson may be subject to more humiliation here than in the original. The original had him getting plastered by Thelma Ritter and later having his apartment hideously overdecorated. This one has him running around New York's streets naked except for a woman's fur coat. The story isn't as tidily plotted as the original, in which everything is properly seated. And the ending of this film shows a certain weakening of innovation. When in doubt, resort to a frantic but senseless chase or get everybody drunk.
That aside -- and it's a minor carp -- it's a pretty funny movie, at times a very good comedy. The running gag of the colored explosions in Randall's face are perfectly timed and edited. Of course it reflects the social values of the early 1950s -- Day must remain chaste until marriage -- but so what? It's an apt subject for a comedy when you think about it.
Rock Hudson is tall, handsome, and, yes, masculine. Tony Randall, the latent heterosexual, is funny as hell with his goggle-eyed fear and wonderment. Miss Doris Kappelhoff -- aus Zinzinatti -- was no longer a spring chicken in 1961, but wow, is she perky and sexy. Buns of iron, and the way she walks! What's delightful about her performance is that she seems completely unaware of the nonverbal signals she's sending out or incapable of controlling them, mindlessly radiating them, like one of those clanging, blinking warning signals at a railroad crossing.
The plot's too silly to bother with -- mixed identities, but it works alright. It's charm has an enduring quality, so see it if you can.
There are, of course, some differences, this being the cinematic equivalent of musical variations on a theme. I think Rock Hudson may be subject to more humiliation here than in the original. The original had him getting plastered by Thelma Ritter and later having his apartment hideously overdecorated. This one has him running around New York's streets naked except for a woman's fur coat. The story isn't as tidily plotted as the original, in which everything is properly seated. And the ending of this film shows a certain weakening of innovation. When in doubt, resort to a frantic but senseless chase or get everybody drunk.
That aside -- and it's a minor carp -- it's a pretty funny movie, at times a very good comedy. The running gag of the colored explosions in Randall's face are perfectly timed and edited. Of course it reflects the social values of the early 1950s -- Day must remain chaste until marriage -- but so what? It's an apt subject for a comedy when you think about it.
Rock Hudson is tall, handsome, and, yes, masculine. Tony Randall, the latent heterosexual, is funny as hell with his goggle-eyed fear and wonderment. Miss Doris Kappelhoff -- aus Zinzinatti -- was no longer a spring chicken in 1961, but wow, is she perky and sexy. Buns of iron, and the way she walks! What's delightful about her performance is that she seems completely unaware of the nonverbal signals she's sending out or incapable of controlling them, mindlessly radiating them, like one of those clanging, blinking warning signals at a railroad crossing.
The plot's too silly to bother with -- mixed identities, but it works alright. It's charm has an enduring quality, so see it if you can.
Funny funny funny and stylish...
ptb-813 July 2008
and with a lavender floor joke!... among an avalanche of gay jokes, a marijuana joke, and plenty of virgin cracking gags. ...LOVER COME BACK is - in widescreen - an hilarious all star advertising comedy with a gorgeous Doris Day (in a million spectacular outfits) and a very he-man Hudson poking fun at his image. If you have seen the 1957 sex farce WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER also with Tony Randall and also spoofing the advertising industry, this sparkling 1961 comedy is a worthy chaser.. as well as fleshing out the PILLOW TALK imagery and settings. I found this film to be really funny, and in superb colour art direction and photography that just made it a treat to watch. it does not matter that it is dated by our clever new standards, or that Hudson really did turn out to be gay, because this film is already having fun with itself... and recalls how witty and delightful these pix were designed to be. The recent DOWN WITH LOVE attempt with Ewan Macgregor and Renee Zellweger miscast completely only shows how these 60s pix got it right the first time and should be left alone and not 'spoofed' as they already were satires and ideal as they prove in this DVD. Randall as usual is hilarious.
Hudson and Day in an even funnier screenplay than "Pillow Talk"...
Doylenf29 September 2006
The laughs are all on target in this witty replay of the kind of chemistry DORIS DAY and ROCK HUDSON had in PILLOW TALK. Again they're directed by Delbert Mann with a screenplay by Stanley Shapiro who wrote their former hit. It has a lot of the same situations, but no matter, it's still very, very funny.
Once again Hudson is a shallow creature who tries to outwit the competition (he and Day are competing for accounts at an advertising firm), and once again TONY RANDALL is a best friend who gets a lot of laughs in another amusing supporting role.
EDIE ADAMS, ANN B. DAVIS and JACK OAKIE (in his last role), are all given funny lines and situations. It's Day at her best in a role that showcases her at her sunniest as a light comedienne. Sunny until her temper explodes! Summing up: Even better than PILLOW TALK.
Once again Hudson is a shallow creature who tries to outwit the competition (he and Day are competing for accounts at an advertising firm), and once again TONY RANDALL is a best friend who gets a lot of laughs in another amusing supporting role.
EDIE ADAMS, ANN B. DAVIS and JACK OAKIE (in his last role), are all given funny lines and situations. It's Day at her best in a role that showcases her at her sunniest as a light comedienne. Sunny until her temper explodes! Summing up: Even better than PILLOW TALK.
Best of the Day-Hudson Romps Shows the Stars in Zesty Comic Form
EUyeshima24 July 2007
Even though it seems like Doris Day and Rock Hudson made as many films as Tracy and Hepburn, they actually made just three for Universal between 1959 and 1964. The trio of films Day and Hudson made hardly reflects pinnacles in cinema history, but they show what deft writing, nimble direction and expert farceurs can do to make these soufflé-light romantic comedies thoroughly enjoyable. As my favorite of the three, this frenetic 1961 farce evolves from a familiar act of deception initiated by Hudson's character, at which point it becomes a series of humiliations and comeuppances for both principals before the inevitable happy ending.
Directed by Delbert Mann and written by Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning, the movie works the exact same plot devices as 1959's "Pillow Talk", even the split-screen confrontations, but converts the pair into highly competitive advertising account executives at separate agencies. This time, Day is even more priggish as Carol Templeton, who loathes Hudson's Jerry Webster, as he manages to steal accounts under her and everybody else's nose by holding wild parties for the prospective clients. In an effort to pacify an ambitious model who wants to become a TV star, he shoots her in commercials for VIP, a product that doesn't exist.
Through the incompetence of his nominal boss Pete Ramsey, the commercials hit the airwaves, which force Jerry to recruit reclusive scientist Linus Tyler to invent a product for VIP. In her effort to steal the VIP account from Jerry, Carol mistakes Jerry for Linus, and the rest becomes inevitable. Since Shapiro also co-wrote "Pillow Talk", this one gets even more far-fetched, but its lightning-quick pace, plethora of sexual double-entendres, constant tweaking of Madison Avenue ad agencies and a wildly improbable ending make it a funnier movie. Both Day and Hudson show themselves to be expert at this type of formulaic romantic comedy, and perennial third-wheel Tony Randall plays Ramsey with his trademark boastful befuddlement. The 2004 DVD contains only the original theatrical trailer as an extra.
Directed by Delbert Mann and written by Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning, the movie works the exact same plot devices as 1959's "Pillow Talk", even the split-screen confrontations, but converts the pair into highly competitive advertising account executives at separate agencies. This time, Day is even more priggish as Carol Templeton, who loathes Hudson's Jerry Webster, as he manages to steal accounts under her and everybody else's nose by holding wild parties for the prospective clients. In an effort to pacify an ambitious model who wants to become a TV star, he shoots her in commercials for VIP, a product that doesn't exist.
Through the incompetence of his nominal boss Pete Ramsey, the commercials hit the airwaves, which force Jerry to recruit reclusive scientist Linus Tyler to invent a product for VIP. In her effort to steal the VIP account from Jerry, Carol mistakes Jerry for Linus, and the rest becomes inevitable. Since Shapiro also co-wrote "Pillow Talk", this one gets even more far-fetched, but its lightning-quick pace, plethora of sexual double-entendres, constant tweaking of Madison Avenue ad agencies and a wildly improbable ending make it a funnier movie. Both Day and Hudson show themselves to be expert at this type of formulaic romantic comedy, and perennial third-wheel Tony Randall plays Ramsey with his trademark boastful befuddlement. The 2004 DVD contains only the original theatrical trailer as an extra.
A Genuinely Funny Movie
damianphelps4 April 2021
I was a little concerned during the first half of the movie. Its a little bit of a slow burn and the humour is pretty limited.
Once we hit the half way point it it ignites itself and becomes legitimately funny.
The 3 leads also improve as the movie get going.
A nice fun movie worth hanging around for :)
Once we hit the half way point it it ignites itself and becomes legitimately funny.
The 3 leads also improve as the movie get going.
A nice fun movie worth hanging around for :)
Classic Hudson And Day
atlasmb11 June 2019
After the success of the first pairing of Doris Day and Rock Hudson, there was a rush to bring this second pairing to the big screen. Fortunately, it was even better than the first, in part due to the script, which is clever but not emotionally complex, allowing viewers to enjoy the "fluffy" lightheartedness that typifies a Day/Hudson rom-com.
The two stars play advertising agents who butt heads while pursuing the same account. Carol Templeton (Day) is upset that she spent so much time on a presentation but was not even allowed to present it. Also, she is galled by the tactics used by her rival, Jerry Webster (Hudson), including the overt sexiness of a club dancer, Rebel Davis (Edie Adams). Jerry mixes work and pleasure unscrupulously, with confidence and precision. Carol determines to have Jerry's professional scalp or, failing that, to snatch one of Jerry's top prospects from under his nose.
Like the other two Day/Hudson collaborations, Tony Randall is onboard, this time playing Pete Ramsey, the earnest but inexperienced owner of the ad agency where Jerry works. Randall is comedy gold, especially in his first scene where he turns on a dime in portraying the duality of Pete, who longs to be commander in chief, but realizes his shortcomings as a boss. His insecurity motivates him to assert himself, resulting in a mistake that drives most of the film's action.
This film reflects the mainstream values of American life, American cinema, and relations between men and women in the early sixties. The country was on the brink of a sexual revolution, still coping with the female empowerment that began during World War II. By the standards of the day, this film was considered titillating, but it still maintained its wholesomeness by observing written and unwritten standards of decency and decorum.
For anyone who appreciates visiting the culture of the early sixties, this film is must-see viewing. Later, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan would assume the mantle of sweet rom-com stars in the nineties.
The two stars play advertising agents who butt heads while pursuing the same account. Carol Templeton (Day) is upset that she spent so much time on a presentation but was not even allowed to present it. Also, she is galled by the tactics used by her rival, Jerry Webster (Hudson), including the overt sexiness of a club dancer, Rebel Davis (Edie Adams). Jerry mixes work and pleasure unscrupulously, with confidence and precision. Carol determines to have Jerry's professional scalp or, failing that, to snatch one of Jerry's top prospects from under his nose.
Like the other two Day/Hudson collaborations, Tony Randall is onboard, this time playing Pete Ramsey, the earnest but inexperienced owner of the ad agency where Jerry works. Randall is comedy gold, especially in his first scene where he turns on a dime in portraying the duality of Pete, who longs to be commander in chief, but realizes his shortcomings as a boss. His insecurity motivates him to assert himself, resulting in a mistake that drives most of the film's action.
This film reflects the mainstream values of American life, American cinema, and relations between men and women in the early sixties. The country was on the brink of a sexual revolution, still coping with the female empowerment that began during World War II. By the standards of the day, this film was considered titillating, but it still maintained its wholesomeness by observing written and unwritten standards of decency and decorum.
For anyone who appreciates visiting the culture of the early sixties, this film is must-see viewing. Later, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan would assume the mantle of sweet rom-com stars in the nineties.
More than a little sad
jeffsultanof22 November 2011
Doris Day was and is a tremendous talent, an excellent singer and an excellent actress, but you wouldn't really know it from some of the idiotic stereotypical 'good girl' roles her husband forced her to play. While on a surface level, "Lover Come Back" has a lot of funny lines and good acting from everyone, it simply reminds me of the horrid choices Day made with regard to men. Forcing her to star in movies that were really beneath her was a form of abuse, and then when Marty Melcher (the husband) died, she found out that she was almost bankrupt. Her television situation comedy helped to restore her reputation and her self-esteem, but the damage had already been done. She is still thought of as a virgin-type, when her real life was anything but.
It's a real pity that she rarely got to show what she could do as an actress. Yes, "Lover Come Back" is funny, but it is also stupid, very dated and the ending is slap-dash. I'll gladly watch "Love Me Or Leave Me" or "Calamity Jane" over this movie.
It's a real pity that she rarely got to show what she could do as an actress. Yes, "Lover Come Back" is funny, but it is also stupid, very dated and the ending is slap-dash. I'll gladly watch "Love Me Or Leave Me" or "Calamity Jane" over this movie.
Innocent sex comedy at its peak
elisedfr7 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I must say right now I am not a fan of Doris Day, neither of Rock Hudson, and that the only reason I got to watch their three pairings is called Tony Randall. As the overeager, neurotic sidekick, he's just as good as a younger Felix Ungar - and he's got the best lines. Still, the background is not without charm, and while Send Me No Flowers left me totally cold, I found myself thinking this one was pretty cute stuff.
The story is terribly similar to Pillow Talk, and reminiscent of Meg Ryan's 90s comedies : a successful working girl with a pretty face, a big mouth and a virginal past gets seduced by her worst enemy, whom she has never seen before, when he pretends to be even more inexperienced than herself- in fact, he's a casual womanizer. Somehow the two fall in love in the process. But here, script is sharper, rhythm quicker and scenes shorter: all in all, a kind of condensed formula with, backing the romantic plot, a silly yet amusing story of commercials for pills that don't exist, but everyone wants them anyway, and it's up to Jack Kruschen, the kind neighbor of The Apartment, to perform the task of creating the stuff.
It's New York in the late 50s, so there's a general feeling of happy days around: characters are sophisticated advertisement people with large flats, secretaries, shrinks (for Tony), masseuses (for Rock) and ridiculous hats (for Doris). They drive fancy cars, hunt mooses in Canadian rivers and at night, take a glance at the strip club. So, everyone's out to have a good time, including the viewer, who would not find such a pleasant, yet polished portrayal of city life in the comedies of today.
Dialogues are a reflect of this mood, between racy and terribly innocent. Innuendos, misunderstandings and blushed cheeks make the game. Some lines are truly funny, such as Tony Randall complaints about his dictatorial father: "Just once I spoke back to . He gave me me such a whipping in front of the girl...I was 25 and she was my fiancé". or the compassionate reaction of a middle-aged lady, to the no-longer virgin Doris : "It's like olives, dear. It's something you acquire a taste for". Too bad the ending gets a bit ridiculous, with a second wedding in front of the maternity ward. Close, huh?
Actors, all in all, are sweet people: I said I'm not usually much impressed by Hudson, but here with a beard, sad eyes and a weird green coat, he looked kinda disarming, as well as casually funny. Still, Doris Day was a bit too old to play such a naive girl: the blame must certainly be put on the script, but her character never seemed anything but annoyed or sarcastic, and in the end she get really annoying. She has sweet close-ups though. As for Randall, he's just a sweetheart with a good deal of psychological problems. And to see him hanging around big, menacing Hudson is always enjoyable. I'll keep it in mind for the rainy days.
The story is terribly similar to Pillow Talk, and reminiscent of Meg Ryan's 90s comedies : a successful working girl with a pretty face, a big mouth and a virginal past gets seduced by her worst enemy, whom she has never seen before, when he pretends to be even more inexperienced than herself- in fact, he's a casual womanizer. Somehow the two fall in love in the process. But here, script is sharper, rhythm quicker and scenes shorter: all in all, a kind of condensed formula with, backing the romantic plot, a silly yet amusing story of commercials for pills that don't exist, but everyone wants them anyway, and it's up to Jack Kruschen, the kind neighbor of The Apartment, to perform the task of creating the stuff.
It's New York in the late 50s, so there's a general feeling of happy days around: characters are sophisticated advertisement people with large flats, secretaries, shrinks (for Tony), masseuses (for Rock) and ridiculous hats (for Doris). They drive fancy cars, hunt mooses in Canadian rivers and at night, take a glance at the strip club. So, everyone's out to have a good time, including the viewer, who would not find such a pleasant, yet polished portrayal of city life in the comedies of today.
Dialogues are a reflect of this mood, between racy and terribly innocent. Innuendos, misunderstandings and blushed cheeks make the game. Some lines are truly funny, such as Tony Randall complaints about his dictatorial father: "Just once I spoke back to . He gave me me such a whipping in front of the girl...I was 25 and she was my fiancé". or the compassionate reaction of a middle-aged lady, to the no-longer virgin Doris : "It's like olives, dear. It's something you acquire a taste for". Too bad the ending gets a bit ridiculous, with a second wedding in front of the maternity ward. Close, huh?
Actors, all in all, are sweet people: I said I'm not usually much impressed by Hudson, but here with a beard, sad eyes and a weird green coat, he looked kinda disarming, as well as casually funny. Still, Doris Day was a bit too old to play such a naive girl: the blame must certainly be put on the script, but her character never seemed anything but annoyed or sarcastic, and in the end she get really annoying. She has sweet close-ups though. As for Randall, he's just a sweetheart with a good deal of psychological problems. And to see him hanging around big, menacing Hudson is always enjoyable. I'll keep it in mind for the rainy days.
"We're just wild about VIP!"
theowinthrop29 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The second of the three Doris Day - Rock Hudson - Tony Randall romps, LOVER COME BACK actually is a slightly sharper film than it's closer rival PILLOW TALK, with SEND ME NO FLOWERS a bit behind them. The reason for this positioning is that PILLOW TALK did not really spoof anything (Randall is producing a show and needs music composed by Hudson; until the end when Hudson decides to allow Day to decorate his apartment - with horrendous results - Day's interior decorating career really was just a mild peg in the screenplay). SEND ME NO FLOWERS comes closest to satire in the business with Paul Lynde's friendly, helpful cemetery plot salesman. Most of the rest deals with hypochondria and the world of the suburbs. Only in LOVER COME BACK does the center of the script involve itself in the profession of the three leads: Madison Avenue Advertising Agencies.
Hudson is the right hand man (one might say the central brain) for an ad agency that is owned (by inheritance, not character or brains) by Randall. Hudson has a formula for getting accounts - find the client's weakness, and play to it, pushing booze and girls at the same time. We see him steal the account of Jack Oakie (his final performance on film, but a nice one) as a Virginian who is still a loyal Confederate, and likes his booze ("jest a tetch" is a mantra of his, with Hudson or anyone else filling up the glass), and likes his fair ladies as well. Unfortunately for Hudson, Day had been scheduled to give a presentation to Oakie, and is really angry by the way Hudson stole the account. She starts asking questions, and finds the chief one of the chorus girls that Oakie was set up with (Edie Adams). When Hudson learns Adams plans to talk he tries to talk his way out by saying he was planning to make Adams the new "girl" for a new product. "Well, what is the product?", Adams asks. Hudson looks at a newspaper headline referring to V.I.P.s and says it is called "Vip". Adams does not testify against Hudson because he has a number of specious and vague, but sexy commercials shot with Adams selling "Vip".
All this might have still remained under wraps, but Randall, in his first attempt to show he can make decisions rather than Hudson, tells his assistant (Joe Flynn) to release the commercials and saturate the television airwaves with them. Only later does a horrified Hudson tell him that there is no product called Vip.
Day learns of "Vip" from Adams. She starts more of an investigation, and discovers that nobody is quite sure what VIP is. Her boss, Howard St. John, is dubious of any result. Her own job on the line she decides to investigate on her own. Hudson has decided to use an eccentric Nobel Chemistry Laureate (Jack Kruschen - in a fun performance) to concoct a product called Vip. At one point Day shows up at Kruschen's house, and sees Hudson wearing an apron. She jumps to the conclusion he is Kruschen, and starts trying to prevent him from signing with Hudson's agency. Hudson decides to take full advantage of this situation: it preoccupies Day in her snooping, and she is more attractive than he imagined.
The plot then follows that of PILLOW TALK with Day not realizing she is dating the man she loathes, not the imagined great man of science with a fragile psyche. Hudson plays it to the hilt (his comic abilities were first brought out by Day in their films, and it possibly enabled his career as a star to last really as long as it did). As for Randall, his desire to show he is worthy of his father "the Commodore" (a forbidding portrait of Randall in yachting costume is above the desk the son sits at) is confronted by his total lack of understanding his business, of making decisions, or taking responsibility. He keeps hoping either Hudson or Flynn will fall on their sword (symbolically will do, but he is open for actual suicide) to save his firm from being wrecked. His only apparent close relationship is with his therapist Dr. Melnick (Richard Deacon - in a sadly wasted single scene with Randall at the end), and even Randall mentions that Deacon has said he finds him boring.
So what does the great Kruchen concoct out of chemicals and smoke (multi-colored, as Randall finds to his cost)? Put it this way: It is very possible that that great Vice President of the U.S., Thomas Marshall, would have fully appreciated the perfect companion invented by Kruschen for Marshall's really good five cent cigar!
Hudson is the right hand man (one might say the central brain) for an ad agency that is owned (by inheritance, not character or brains) by Randall. Hudson has a formula for getting accounts - find the client's weakness, and play to it, pushing booze and girls at the same time. We see him steal the account of Jack Oakie (his final performance on film, but a nice one) as a Virginian who is still a loyal Confederate, and likes his booze ("jest a tetch" is a mantra of his, with Hudson or anyone else filling up the glass), and likes his fair ladies as well. Unfortunately for Hudson, Day had been scheduled to give a presentation to Oakie, and is really angry by the way Hudson stole the account. She starts asking questions, and finds the chief one of the chorus girls that Oakie was set up with (Edie Adams). When Hudson learns Adams plans to talk he tries to talk his way out by saying he was planning to make Adams the new "girl" for a new product. "Well, what is the product?", Adams asks. Hudson looks at a newspaper headline referring to V.I.P.s and says it is called "Vip". Adams does not testify against Hudson because he has a number of specious and vague, but sexy commercials shot with Adams selling "Vip".
All this might have still remained under wraps, but Randall, in his first attempt to show he can make decisions rather than Hudson, tells his assistant (Joe Flynn) to release the commercials and saturate the television airwaves with them. Only later does a horrified Hudson tell him that there is no product called Vip.
Day learns of "Vip" from Adams. She starts more of an investigation, and discovers that nobody is quite sure what VIP is. Her boss, Howard St. John, is dubious of any result. Her own job on the line she decides to investigate on her own. Hudson has decided to use an eccentric Nobel Chemistry Laureate (Jack Kruschen - in a fun performance) to concoct a product called Vip. At one point Day shows up at Kruschen's house, and sees Hudson wearing an apron. She jumps to the conclusion he is Kruschen, and starts trying to prevent him from signing with Hudson's agency. Hudson decides to take full advantage of this situation: it preoccupies Day in her snooping, and she is more attractive than he imagined.
The plot then follows that of PILLOW TALK with Day not realizing she is dating the man she loathes, not the imagined great man of science with a fragile psyche. Hudson plays it to the hilt (his comic abilities were first brought out by Day in their films, and it possibly enabled his career as a star to last really as long as it did). As for Randall, his desire to show he is worthy of his father "the Commodore" (a forbidding portrait of Randall in yachting costume is above the desk the son sits at) is confronted by his total lack of understanding his business, of making decisions, or taking responsibility. He keeps hoping either Hudson or Flynn will fall on their sword (symbolically will do, but he is open for actual suicide) to save his firm from being wrecked. His only apparent close relationship is with his therapist Dr. Melnick (Richard Deacon - in a sadly wasted single scene with Randall at the end), and even Randall mentions that Deacon has said he finds him boring.
So what does the great Kruchen concoct out of chemicals and smoke (multi-colored, as Randall finds to his cost)? Put it this way: It is very possible that that great Vice President of the U.S., Thomas Marshall, would have fully appreciated the perfect companion invented by Kruschen for Marshall's really good five cent cigar!
A Definite Lack of Truth in Advertising
Uriah4321 July 2017
This movie takes place in Madison Avenue with a hard-working advertising executive named "Carol Templeton" (Doris Day) trying to land a valuable account. Unfortunately, despite her hard work the account is taken by a rival named "Jerry Webster" (Rock Hudson) who works for a another firm and uses methods that are questionable at best. Because of these unseemly tactics, Carol initiates a formal legal complaint to have Jerry Webster's advertising credentials revoked. Naturally, this worries both Jerry and his boss, "Peter Ramsey" (Tony Randall) and in order to get out of this mess Jerry cleverly invents an advertising scheme for a non-existent product called "VIP" for which the lead witness for the prosecution named "Rebel Davis" (Edie Adams) becomes the main star. However, this doesn't deter Carol in her attempts to reveal the truth and because of this the falsehoods become much larger and more personal than initially intended. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a nice little comedy which contains some good humor here and there along with some decent acting by all of those just mentioned. To be totally fair, however, it is rather dated and as a result it may not appeal to all viewers. In any case, I enjoyed this movie for the most part and have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
Where's the laughs!?
brefane12 February 2012
Witless, belabored comedy with a distractingly soft focus Doris Day outfitted in terrible hats. With dreary grayish blue set design, and a supporting cast made up of recognizable TV regulars, it plays like a dull sitcom. An obvious retread of Pillow Tak that lacks charm and sprightliness. The situations and characters are basically uninteresting and you'll find it hard to believe that the script for this laugh deficient film was nominated for an Oscar. It's one-note and repetitious. Hudson's is inoffensively dull and Day is up to her usual tired tricks:wide eyed surprise and exasperation. Not a fan of either performer though this seems like the dullest of their film pairings.
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