User reviews

For the last film of Rock Hudson-Doris Day-Tony Randall, Rock and Doris are already married so it's not like Rock is in hot pursuit of our all American virginal goddess. Instead they seem like a typical suburban couple of the early sixties except for one problem, Rock is an obsessive compulsive hypochondriac.

Another visit to Edward Andrews the doctor and a big misunderstanding convince Rock he's a terminal case and he starts making preparations both to meet his Maker and make sure about Doris who he leaves behind. That causes all kinds of funny situations that Rock and Doris muddle through with the fumbling help of a lot of people.

Hudson and Day did three films together and by rights they should be listed as a trio with Tony Randall because he was in all three of the films and added so much to them as Hudson's comic foil. Of course this was in the day much before he became TV's most famous fuss budget, Felix Unger. Still you can see traces of Felix in all three of Randall's roles with Rock and Doris.

Send Me No Flowers is the weakest of the three comedies I feel because the Hudson-Day team works so much better with Rock trying to grab a little nookie from Doris and getting hooked for his troubles. Still the film has some really nice moments. All three of their films were well cast with some of the best supporting players around.

My favorite in Send Me No Flowers is Paul Lynde as the cemetery director who just loves his job. He has two scenes, one with Rock buying a cemetery plot and a second with Doris where he inadvertently solves the problems Rock's hypochondria works them into.

Rock and Doris surely made one wonderful movie screen team.

Admittedly, I would have never seen a Rock Hudson picture if I hadn't seen a clip from this movie of Hudson in a wheelchair rolling out his backdoor, bouncing off a mattress and rolling back into Doris Day on "The Beverly Hillbillies." Determined to see the whole of this movie based on that one funny scene, I got myself a copy of this movie and loved it ! Hudson plays a hypochondriac who mistakenly believes he is dying. Trying to set up his wife played by Doris Day for after he is gone, he sets off one horrendous fight that looks like a comic version of "War of the Roses." Tony Randall has the Danny DeVito role in this comedy that also stars Paul Lynde in one of his best roles next to Uncle Arthur on "Bewitched" and Edward Andrews, a great actor of the Sixties whose first name is almost an anagram of his last. The movie is fast, furious and enjoyable, but mildly dated for it's times. While the times may have changed, the humor basicly has stayed the same.

While not terribly well received here on IMDb, this is in my opinion the best of the three Hudson/Day/Randall teamings. While Pillow Talk remains fresh and sharp fifty years later (with Lover Come Back being a rather unfortunate and less enjoyable recycling of the same script), it is Send Me No Flowers that gets the most air-play of the three in our home video library.

From the superb opening theme song performed by Doris Day, we are transported into the beautiful suburbia of yesteryear. Rock Hudson's George Kimball is absolutely hilarious as the king of all hypochondriacs (if you've ever known such a person, you'll die laughing). And for 1964 it makes some rather amusing and insightful observations into the nature of medicinal advertising. Ms. Day plays wife Judy Kimball; she is a delight as always and it's perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the screenplay that at last Hudson and Day are married and thus involved in a relationship that extends beyond never-realized innuendo. Randall plays the usual right-next-door character attached to Hudson's, Arnold Nash, and again this is the best of the virtually identical characters he plays in the three movies they made together.

Being the hypochondriac that he is, Kimball misinterprets a conversation he overhears at the doctor's office and subsequently believes he is dying. Once he and his accomplice Arnold absorb the blow, they set about to find a suitable replacement husband for Judy to marry once George is gone. It's really a rather touchingly honorable intention and also generates the bulk of the misunderstandings that constitute the remainder of the film.

There are some negatives, these are things we see through our 21st century eyes and were certainly never intended to be offensive at the time. These mainly revolve around Day's character; Judy Kimball is a beautiful and intelligent woman, but is given no other pastimes in the entire course of the film other than playing golf and preparing her husband's breakfast. And despite being beautiful and intelligent, George apparently considers her to be too big of an idiot to ever possibly survive without him, and thus he must find a man to take care of her once he is gone. She has no children, no occupation, doesn't understand a mortgage, can't write a check to the gas station correctly, her greatest interest is in the impending divorce of a neighbor she doesn't even know and she apparently doesn't even know what she pays for groceries. We are clearly shown George's greatest dread as he imagines a number of scenarios in which Judy evidently has no judgment whatsoever and is easy prey to any slick con artist that should come along once she is widowed. It might also be said that this is absolutely typical of the way virtually all women are depicted in movies and television of this era.

Like all three of the Hudson/Day/Randall comedies, this one is lush and colorful, with exquisite sets and wardrobe. The supporting cast are excellent, particularly Paul Lynde as the cemetery proprietor and Edward Andrews as Kimball's exasperated physician. This film carries a warm, comfortable feel of a happier bygone era and packs lots of laughs. Highly recommended.

Another self-opinionated reviewer bites the dust. Having blithely pronounced "Lover Come Back" to be the best of the three Day-Hudson comedies without even having seen this one, I now willingly eat crow and and say I was wrong. "Send Me No Flowers" is the best. "It's a honey!"

This is a wonderful suburban world of lawns and yards, bridge games and country clubs, commuter trains and divorce rumours. George Kimball (Rock) is a malade imaginaire, and Judy (Doris)is ... well, blonde. Tony Randall is at his considerable best as the nerdy neighbour Arnold who gets entangled in the Kimballs' misunderstandings, with delicious comic consequences. Paul Lynde turns in a marvellous cameo as Mister Akins of the funeral parlour, and the annoyingly perfect Bert Power is played with breezy confidence by Clint Walker, TV's Cheyenne (the incidental music gives him a witty little cowboy theme).

"My hypochondria has finally paid off," announces George after hearing (and misconstruing) his doctor's talk of impending mortality. Arnold prepares a eulogy which mentions George's 'unfailing good humour', a phrase which could stand as the movie's subtitle. Hudson is masterly as the doom-laden George, showing how assured he can be when the material is strong. This well-crafted script is derived from a Broadway play, and its quality shines through. Doris wears a very prominent wig and, in true Doris style, keeps her bra on under her negligee.

Made in 1962 when television had clearly won the battle against the cinema, the film uses TV's ascendancy in a very knowing way in the opening gag.

Verdict - Near-faultless domestic comedy with great work by Hudson, Day, Randall and Lynde.

Different from their previous two film teamings, Doris Day and Rock Hudson are actually husband and wife throughout instead of just getting married by the end of their other ones. And third co-star from those same two movies-Tony Randall-is also married this time though we never see his wife or offspring here! Anyway, Hudson mistakenly thinks he's about to die due to some selective overhearing of his doctor when he's in the rest room and only Randall knows initially. That premise drives much of the plot with Randall, especially, getting some good laughs from his behavior from that point on. Ms. Day, herself, has some amusing moments at the beginning and some good slapstick scenes though one sequence involving an out-of-control golf cart was, perhaps, a little too much. Hudson, well, he seems even more comfortable doing comedy scenes than his previous two films with Day and Randall and partly seemed to really have a ball here, that's for sure! There's also good supporting turns from Edward Andrews as Hudson's doctor and Paul Lynde as a funeral director who seems too enthusiastic for his job! My mom and I really enjoyed this one so that's a recommendation for Send Me No Flowers.

The third of Doris Day's and Rock Hudson's romantic comedies together, Send Me No Flowers is often forgotten about, given the enormously successful Pillow Talk and the extremely similar follow-up Lover Come Back. However, the plot of Send Me No Flowers is by far the most creative and entertaining of the three.

Rather than a mistaken identity and a devious plot to rid Miss Day of her virtue, Doris and Rock start this movie already married. They have a lovely marriage, with the exception of his slightly annoying hypochondria. However, when Rock overhears his doctor, Edward Andrews, discussing what he thinks is his medical case, he mistakenly believes he's not long for this world. Hoping to ease his wife's potential suffering, he tries to find her a new husband! It's a delightful, sweet, interesting romantic comedy with a new take on the genre. Instead of a will-she-won't-she dilemma with sexual tension, it manages to inject tension into a happy marriage, an attempt that would normally be boring to audiences.

Rock and Doris have their usual darling chemistry together, and once again they're joined by their faithful, funny pal Tony Randall. Rock is particularly sweet in this movie, not only because he takes a break from his usual charming roles, but because he's constantly thinking of his wife's happiness at the expense of his own. There's no best order to watch the Doris and Rock movies, but definitely rent this one when you're in the mood for something cute.

One early morning around 1:00 AM I was seeing what was on TV and I started to watch Send Me No Flowers. I had no idea what it was, but when I saw Norman Jewison's name in the opening credits, I made a point to keep it on the channel. So then it gets to the wildly creative opening scene, with Rock Hudson in bed, looking miserable. There's a voice over asking questions about his ailments, and it comes off like a cough syrup commercial from 40 years ago. That one scene was creative enough to make me think "I don't care if the word 'flowers' is in the title, I'm going to watch this thing!" The story is funny as well. Hudson plays a hypochrondriac who thinks he's going to die. He decides to try and set his wife up with a new man in the few weeks that he believes he has left to live. I had never seen a Hudson/Day/Randall movie before. I enjoyed the chemistry between the three of them a lot more than any pairings in romantic comedies of today. It was also interesting to see an earlier movie from Norman Jewison. It has nothing in common with his later movies, but the always original Norman Jewison style still shines, even in this, a somewhat formula based movie of it's time. The dialogue was clever and the actors deliver it beautifully. My only complaint would be that occasionally the comedy gets kind of silly and sitcom-like. The rest of the movie is so smart and well written that the sillier scenes feel out of place. I since have also seen Pillow Book, but I think I prefer Send Me No Flowers. I hope one day soon I catch this on TV at 1:00 in the morning again.

Very good screenwriting here and a very good example of early sixties suburban lifestyle.Very funny and this movie is one of the best comedies of all time.The cinematography was splendid as well.Comedy fans please watch this one!

After directing Doris Day in 1963's still-hilarious "The Thrill of It All!", Norman Jewison showed similar comic sensibilities with this screwball 1964 marital farce complemented by a sharp screenplay by longtime veteran Julius Epstein. This one represents something of a departure in that Day and Rock Hudson, in their third and last pairing, play a married couple from the outset. As George and Judy Kimball, they are a happily married suburban couple hamstrung by his persistent hypochondria. Convinced that he is dying after a regular check-up, George spends the rest of the story preparing for what he thinks will be his imminent death, including setting up Judy with her next husband, a former suitor whom they literally run into at their country club.

Unlike the previous two films, Hudson actually dominates this movie, and he is in peak comic form with a dryly funny turn as George. With her glamour minimized in favor of her homespun likability, Day is relegated to the role of the confused wife here, though she has funny moments along the way. Randall steals practically all his scenes as devoted neighbor Arnold constantly in a drunken stupor in his premature bereavement over George's departure, and Paul Lynde has a riotous scene as an overly zealous memorial park director. This one may lack the will-she-won't-she dilemma of the first two films, 1959's "Pillow Talk" and 1961's "Lover Come Back" and is usually dismissed as a domestic comedy, but I think the set-up is genuinely clever and the laughs well-earned. The only extra on the 2005 DVD is the original theatrical trailer. For those interested in all three films, your best bet is to purchase the bargain-priced "Doris Day and Rock Hudson Comedy Collection".

Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Tony Randall together make up a hilarious comedy trio. Rock Hudsons character is a hypocondriac (sp?) and mistakenly believes he is dying. He shares this news with Tony Randall's character and together plan his funeral and plan for Doris Day's character's future (She is his wife in the movie). Well scene after scene is so funny. I loved everything about the movie and it is one of my top 10 films of all times. I have it taped and watch it over and over. It is fantastic for a bad mood day, it will perk you right up!

Doris Day is much preferable (and convincing) playing smart, savvy businesswomen than the ditsy housewife she is here (and the cumbersome wig she's wearing doesn't do her beauty justice). Rock Hudson, however, is very smooth as her hypochondriac husband who thinks he's dying and plans to find Doris the perfect future husband. Based on a stale play, this re-teaming of Rock and Doris (and Tony Randall, the eternal third banana) from "Pillow Talk" and "Lover Come Back" has some funny scenes but not enough wit. Day has a great silly moment in a dream sequence, and she puts a funny spin on some of her lines (like the way she asks/demands, "Dolores Yellowstone?!"). Unfortunately, director Norman Jewison seldom cuts loose; he's too confined to the script, which itself is too confined to its stage origins. **1/2 from ****

The main character is dying, but not the movie! It shall live forever. This is one of five golden, grown-up comedy classics Doris Day starred in, the others being "Teacher's Pet", "Pillow Talk", "That Touch of Mink" and "Lover Come Back". Of course, Hollywood never gives an Oscar for comedy. Drama is deemed deep! Nothing is deeper than comedy. Actually, drama is often unintentional comedy.

The critics disliked the movie because the subject is grim: terminal illness, or fear thereof. But if you take that attitude, nothing at all is funny. Actually, death is just the theme around which a lot of variations about modern life are spun. This film is masterful in every respect, a real treat. Paul Lynde is priceless as the effeminate undertaker. Doris Day is a miracle. Even the theme song is a thrill. Oh, why did we stop making these clean, domestic movies dealing with practical issues and everyday life?

Believing that he has only a few weeks to live, a hypochondriac tries to find a suitable second husband for his wife in the third teaming of Hudson, Day, and Randall. Hudson is hilarious as the hypochondriac with a full medicine cabinet who, through a misunderstanding, thinks his days are numbered. Day is his understanding wife. Randall is Hudson's neighbor, who takes to drinking and writing a eulogy upon learning that his good buddy is dying. Arnold plays Hudson's doctor and Walker is the beefcake that Hudson decides should succeed him. After a funny beginning, the film loses some of its steam but manages to stay entertaining for the most part.

Hypochondriac Rock Hudson mistakenly thinks he's dying. With the help of pal Tony Randall he tries to find a suitable second husband for wife Doris Day.

It's cute and harmless and even has a very very funny moments (particularly with Paul Lynde) but ultimately this is a predictable, silly and disappointing comedy. Most of the jokes are amazingly unfunny and the actors just simply can't put them across. Randall, Day and Hudson still work fine together which helps a lot. Surprisingly Day seems very subdued in this film while Hudson is very good in his role.

All in all it's very OK--but that's about it. Still, I didn't hate watching it. I'm giving it a 7 (mostly for Lynde's 2 scenes).

George (Rock Hudson) and Judy Kimball (Doris Day) are happily married in the suburbs. Their best friend Arnold Nash (Tony Randall) is their next door neighbor. George is a hypochondriac. A misunderstanding with his doctor leads him to believe that he has weeks to live. He sets out to create a comfortable life for his wife after his death.

I really would like the humor to be sharper and more cutting. I know that Hudson was the leading man of his day and Randall was the sidekick type during this time. I do think that George should be more neurotic and Randall can deliver that personality better. It would be casting against type but this material is calling for it. The premise is trying for something more edgy but this ends up a little bland.

I caught this film one day and I was not disappointed at all. Rock Hudson believes that he is dying and wants to make sure his wife (played by Doris Day) will be fine after he passes away. Tony Randall plays their friend and neighbor who gets involved in the ordeal, making this film a great laughfest. The way everything carries along is great, and once again Rock and Doris make an exceptional couple. As for trio wise, I would definitely have to say that they are my favorite trio ever.. this movie along with "Pillow Talk" are my favorite older comedies!

I have this film at home, along with the other two in which all three (Randall, Hudson and Day) star in. I think this film is great, thanks to Randall's simple but really funny acting. All films these days are predictable, so its no different, but the difference is actually the fact that they just manage to be funny without obviously being so and are able to make a very funny film without using extreme measures and ridiculous comments that are used so often in our modern day films. I put this film first before 'Pillow Talk' (2nd)and 'Lover come back'(3rd). Otherwise, all of them are just really funny and refreshing!!! Where else would you find such nice, simple films?!

What a relief to see Doris Day playing a married woman! What a burden it must have been for her to play all those chaste and young, single women! At least she always got a hunk for her troubles in all her movies.

This comedy, directed by Norman Jewison, is not as effective as the two previous vehicles that paired Rock Hudson and Doris Day before. This is a tamed look at suburbia, circa early 1960s. Where the previous films used Manhattan as a backdrop, California was chosen to serve as the home for this couple.

George Kimball is a hypochondriac who thinks he is dying. George fails to tell it to Judy, but he tells Arnold, his next door neighbor, Arnold. George decides to put his affairs in order. In doing so, he gets into all kinds of mischief, although we know before hand how everything will end. There is a sort of homo-erotic current between Arnold, whose wife seems to have deserted this closeted individual, and George. They even get in bed, together, a total no-no in those days!

The most hilarious moment in the picture is the scene when we see Bert, played by a huge Clint Walker, attempt to get out of his sports car. Will he be able to squeeze out of it, or will they have to come with a saw to cut the door? Happily, he makes it!

In this film Ms. Day doesn't wear any of those hideous hats the studio designers thought looked good on her. Instead, we see her in different wigs. One, in particular, makes her look like a toy Yorkie, ribbon and all. Rock Hudson comes out best, because we feel for him and what he is going through. Tony Randall, as Arnold, the neighbor, spends the whole movie in a drunken state. Aside from Mr. Walker, who towers over Ms. Day, there are a two scenes with Paul Lynde that steal the show. Also Edward Andrews is seen as the friendly doctor.

It was a relief the stars decided not to make any more of these silly attempts at comedy.

The third and final (can we call it a trilogy?) of light contemporary romantic-comedies partnering Doris Day with Rock Hudson. This time they are actually married and apart from his perpetual hypochondria, live in apparent middle-class comfort in the suburbs. That is, until Hudson mistakenly believes his doctor has given him mere months to live.

So, thoughtful and diligent hubby that he is, he doesn't tell her, instead confiding in his next-door neighbour and best pal, the perpetual Tony Randall and together they decide to put his affairs in order, including buying his own funeral plot, before hatching a plan to set up Doris with a new husband in his place. Cue continuing confusion, a little black humour, some mild marital infidelity high-jinks and of course the big reveal and reconciliation for the finale.

The chemistry between the two likeable and bankable stars carries over nicely from the previous two features with Randall helping things along from the sidelines. As a snapshot of marital life in early 60's America, "Who's Afrraid Of Virginia Woolf?" it certainly isn't, but as safe, easy-going, light-entertainment it's an undeniably pleasant watch.