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Post by topbilled on Jul 31, 2024 13:43:35 GMT
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Post by kims on Jul 31, 2024 18:28:05 GMT
I enjoy all three, with SENDME NO FLOWERS the fave. Hudson, Day and Randall are like a well oiled machine in their dialogue with the bonus of Paul Lynde.
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Post by I Love Melvin on Aug 1, 2024 12:43:25 GMT
I enjoy them all too, as well as the Pillow Talk-adjacent comedies The Thrill of It All and That Touch of Mink. Of the three Rock and Doris comedies, the one I've rewatched the most, whatever that may mean, is Lover Come Back. As well as the rom-com elements, it has a nice satirical edge in its look at advertising, particularly in the phony VIP commercials filmed to showcase the Edie Adams character, whose presence in any movie is worth extra points as far as I'm concerned. It also features another favorite, stellar supporting actress Ann B. Davis as Doris' secretary. I know Pillow Talk had the great Thelma Ritter, but I actually didn't like the way she was used as a drunk to get easy laughs. I tend to ration my viewings now because I'm probably overly familiar with all three, but when I do settle down to watch I know I'm in for some fun, dare I say mindless, entertainment.  |
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Post by topbilled on Aug 1, 2024 13:38:33 GMT
PILLOW TALK was the first one I watched, and my introduction to it was in a 50s film course at the University of Southern California. The professor (Dr. Drew Casper who has done audio commentary on many DVDs) was gay, and so his analysis focused on the gay codings in the film through Hudson's character and Randall's character. Also, I remember Dr. Casper making a big deal about the use of split screen when Doris & Rock are in their respective bath tubs on the phone. Ordinarily their feet would have been touching if not for the separation caused by the split screen, which was meant to satisfy the production code, since they would not be allowed to touch this way directly on screen. Anyway, for various reasons, PILLOW TALK made an impression on me as a young film school student.
But of the three, I think my favorite is LOVER COME BACK. By that point, the three stars are very familiar/comfortable with each other, and I feel the farcical aspects of the plot are funnier than in PILLOW TALK. Plus I really like the performance of the underrated character actor Jack Kruschen not to mention old pro (ham) Jack Oakie.
When Doris starts making something like THE THRILL OF IT ALL (1963), which I actually like quite a lot, she is starting to go into sitcom territory. Her other films from this period, like MOVE OVER DARLING and THAT TOUCH OF MINK, also have a sitcom feel to them...and I think SEND ME NO FLOWERS plays even more like a sitcom, though with the eccentric oddball supporting characters that we've become accustomed to seeing alongside her. Despite the sitcom quality to something like SEND ME NO FLOWERS, the actors are all in peak form and it's still a very entertaining movie.
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