Reviews (72)

Doris and Rock's best movie
Without a doubt, this film is the apex of the Rock and Doris screen collaboration. It's an absolute delight from the opening scenes until the credits roll. It's also a wonderful time machine of the 1950's, and even though I was born after this film was made, it always make me feel as if I experienced this decade first-hand. Doris Day had a charisma on screen that is indescribable and it's never been put to better use than here. You just want to hug her to bits, she's simply adorable and her character makes the film. Rock gives one of his best peformances and he was always better when Doris was around. They screen chemistry is fabulous, exceeded only by Tracy and Hepburn. It's obvious these were two people who liked each other and felt comfortable in each other's company. Thelma Ritter and Tony Randall give superb supporting performances.

Another wonderful thing about Pillow Talk is that it's still extremely funny. There are many scenes where you will laugh out loud. The entire interplay between Doris and Rock (when he's Rex Stetson) is hilarious and holds up beautifully. Another favorite scene is when Rock is confronted with his re-designed apartment, all at the hands of the scheming Doris.

They don't make 'em like this anymore. People of all ages should love this film. I watch it every few years and always find something new to admire or laugh about. A highly recommended and enjoyable movie. One word about the DVD version: I was disappointed in the quality, it's a little grainy. There are also not many extras, excepting the theatrical trailer.

A Comic Inspiration...To Me!
Of all the classic comedies that starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson, or the two stars with other co-stars, this remains my favorite.The legendary late Rock Hudson was at his peak in this romantic comedy, and who better to showcase his charms against, than quintessential girl-next-door, Doris Day. Hudson thrives on his ability to charm indeed, as a songwriter named Brad Allen. Brad is a love-em and leave-em kind of guy, who entertains a seemingly endless array of lovesick females at his well equipped bachelor pad. He also sings to them over the phone for hours on end, tying up the telephone party-line he shares with Jan Morrow, interior designer, enter a perturbed Doris Day. Every time Jan picks up the phone, she hears Brad sing "You're My Inspiration...", and always with a new girls' name attached to the end. Flabbergasted at his womanizing, she sends a phone company rep to have a word with Mr. Allen, only to find that she TOO has fallen for the tall dark and handsome playboy. .............. Jan tells her boyfriend of sorts played by the wonderful veteran comedy legend Tony Randall, about her dialing dilemma. Randall, as always, plays himself. He's neat, dapper and proper, as not only Jan's boyfriend, but Brad Allen's friend and boss as well. After extoling the virtues of Jan to Brad, and mentioning that she shares a party-line with "some nut", describing the singing phone routine, Brad is too curious to find out what Randall is so wild about. After Brad Allen finally glimpses Jan Morrow dancing at a club, and sees the other end of his party line is not the shrew he expected, he sets out for his sweetest conquest of all................ "Pillow Talk" is a timeless gem of classic comedy. Amazingly, it was considered quite risque in it's time. This only goes to show just how jaded the world and cinema has become since 1959. Rock Hudson was actually embarrassed, and nearly declined the role. We can speculate in retrospect why he felt that way, but no one could've been a better cad than Rock as Brad! The one and only Doris Day is sweet as sunshine, until the duped decorator delighfully disarms Mr. Allen's charms, leaving him, for the first time, really in love with someone other than himself. Thelma Ritter is amusing as Jan's perpetually hung-over housekeeper. It's a truly comic moment when Ritter counsels Brad over a few too many drinks on how to win Jan over, and Hudsons' head hits the table with a thud, while Ritter babbles on oblivous to her companions condition. Tony Randall is his classic prim self, and laugh out loud funny, as he storms into his own place to rescue Jan from the smug seducer huffing the line "At least you could have had the DECENCY...to bring your OWN champagne!" .............. There are too many wonderful moments in this film to cover them all. If you somehow haven't, it's far better for you to enjoy watching this long lost genre of the innocent, fun, fresh feel-good romantic comedy, and experience first hand, the pure delight it has to offer in abundance.

Wonderful comedy of 3 Hollywood Stars with amazing chemistry
I grew up knowing about Doris Day because my mother was/is a big fan of her comedies. When I first saw "Pillow Talk" I was a mere child (the film was made the same year I was born). Over the years I have watched it frequently, and now have it also on DVD. The film continues to entertain and delight me, even as my impressions have changed with time.

Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Tony Randall had a wonderfully delightful chemistry amongst them! From the opening where Doris is humming "Pillow Talk" after the intro is completed, to the far-fetched but humourous end when Brad Allen (Rock) is trying to tell his friend Jonathan that he is going to be a father, the film is simply splendidly performed throughout! Credit must also be given to the script writers Stanley Shapiro & Maurice Richlin, director Michael Gordon & Producer Ross Hunter.

Even though I was born the year "Pillow Talk" was made, I didn't even know party lines existed until I visited a great-aunt in Northern Minnesota. I remember picking up the phone and hearing people talk. WHAT A DISCOVERY! It put the film in a new context for me when I saw it later (I am not sure if I had seen it before). I suspect that the younger generation might not understand even the notion of party lines in our age of cellular phones and internet. In this regard, the film takes us back to a less techonologically advanced time, but a time where life seemed somehow more relaxed.

I delight in seeing New York City, Central Park, and the American automobiles in the 1959 frame of context. One question that pops into my mind: did people in NYC really have such big apartments with a single woman living alone, and still affording a maid to come in each day??? Was the maid really paid enough to make a living from it? Did NYC really have that sort of "everyone knows everyone" feel such as when Kelly the police officer congratulates Brad Allen as he carries Jan Morrow from her apartment to his? I doubt it, but the fantasy is lovely!

Rock Hudson did a really fun impression of a Texan rancher up in New York. Tony Randall was extremely funny as the self-deprecating multi-millionaire in love with Jan, and Doris simply glowed from beginning to end. The last few times I have watched it, which has been recently, I have been struck by the sexual frankness it explored. Brad the playboy, always luring in the beautiful women, Jan the wonderfully moral interior decorator, who shakes her tush in a very sexy manner at a nightclub when Brad first spots her, and the budding romance that develops between the two when he becomes "Rex Stetson", a cowboy from Texas. "Rex" playing the moral companion who would do nothing to offend the proper Miss Morrow, while inside he is sizing her up and biting at the bit to ... well bite at her bits? When the gig is almost up, "Rex" innocently suggests that Jan join him for a weekend in Connecticut. While there was no actual sex occuring, it is made clear that it was about to happen when Jan figures out the ruse Brad Allen has played on her. Hollywood, perhaps afraid of the extent of this sexual frankness, has Miss Morrow crying at the diner where she and Jonathan stop for coffee, saying "I thought we were going to get married." Good girl image preserved!

Later, when Brad Allen conspires with Jan's boss to have her redecorate his apartment, the scene of the music beginning to play and the double bed automatically folding out with sheets in place left no doubt what sort of life Brad led prior to falling in love with Jan. He was a playboy through and through and measured success by the quantity of women he successfully "entertained" at home. Growing up believing that promiscuous sexuality was a by-product of the late 60's counter culture movement and "summer of love", it struck me how direct and unambigious this scene was. However, in a very moral and virginal way, Jan's virtues are protected until she hears that Brad wants to marry her and in fact, loves her very deeply.

I am particularly fond of stories where romance changes a person for the good. Being an adult and a male, however, I wonder if such a womanizing playboy could and would remain ever faithful to the woman he loves for all eternity and never feel the need to stray again. It is fun, however, to believe that love was the true redemptor and that Brad and Jan lived happily ever after. Isn't this the great promise of romance AND fairy tales.
In both genres, Pillow Talk succeeds beyond measure and I love it more each time I see it.

P.S. The music is great too. Love "Roly Poly", "Possess Me" and of course, the theme song!

funny!
This is truely one of the funnier Doris Day movies. I enjoy watching it. The first time I saw it was on tv and I just loved it. It's funny and it has a storyline that isn't tired and boring. I would reccomend this movie to anybody who likes musical comedies. The only thing I disliked a bout this movie was that Rock Hudson had to sing. He wasn't too great!

Pillow Talk
Rock Hudson and Doris Day always been one of my favorite classic couples of the 1950s films. Pillow Talk is one of my top titles for their team up. When an uptight decorator share a party line with a carefree playboy who would know that when they meet it would end up love at almost first sight. The late Tony Randall always seem to play the man stuck in the middle of the two in so many of their films that he's a terrfic straight man comic addition. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Pleasant Surprise
This is what I called a buried treasure. I recall seeing it during my middle school days. I found it hyysterially funny, and outright enjoyable.
This all-star cast fights for the estate of the deceased Mr. Parker (played by Vincent Price). The goal is to win the scavenger hunt. They must fetch items like toilets, cash registers, microscopes, and ... ostriches--just to name a few.
The cast incluces Richard Masur, Dirk Benedict, Willie Aames, Richard Mulligan, Cloris Leachman, Cleavon Little, Roddy McDowell, Tony Randall, Scatman Carouthers, Richard Benjamin ... and even a few great cameos by Meat Loaf and Arnold Schwarzeneggar before the Termiantor days.
One of the best things about this movie is the ending. The way it plays out makes it both unpredicatble, and enjoyable.

One of my all-time favorites !
The first time I saw this movie I ended up laughing so hard mystomach hurt. The part where the chauffeur, the butler and the cooktry to steal a cash register from a convenience store (as one of the items needed for their scavenger hunt) and James Coco puts a pair of panty hose over his face with the legs hanging down in front(so he wouldn't be recognizable) was absolutely hysterical. Georgie (Richard Masur) is another winner as the spoiled and malicious son of Cloris Leachman. This entire movie was fun from beginning to end and it's loaded with great movie stars. This movie reminded me a little of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, World" (my absolute favorite movie of all time ) Do yourself a favor and buy this movie. It will have you laughing until you cry !

Scavenger Hunt
Very funny movie!! I didn't get to see it in the theaters but I have watched it on TV many times and laughed all the way through it!! I especially couldn't get enough of Avery Schreiber's character (the zookeeper)!!

Scavenger Hunt
I love this movie. It is by far one of my favorites. I can't watch it enought. No matter how many times I see it, it never loses the humor. I really wish they would put this on DVD. I can't believe they haven't yet. I have had 3 copies of it and I have worn out all 3, and am trying to get a 4th. I can't even think of a movie that can come close to Scavenger Hunt. The actors are great.

A true overlooked classic
This has got to be one of my all time favorites movies. I remember watching it as a kid on TV and recently found it at a used book store on VHS. I have watched it several more times and hope my tape holds out until the decide to put this on DVD. It really is a shame that it has not been put on DVD yet. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Good Memories
I used to have this movie, and I seriously regret the fact that my family taped over it. This is a fun film based on one of the all-time great 80's cartoon series.

Three witches unlease the Smooze on Dream Valley in order to make it "dark, dank, and dreary." The ponies bring Meghan, Danny, and Molly and their Rainbow locket to Ponyland to save them, but the Smooze manages to suck up the Rainbow of Light before a spell mishap puts it to sleep. The humans, a few ponies, and one brave bushwoolie search for help before the witches can awaken the Smooze and completely flood Ponyland. Meanwhile, Baby Lickety-Split and Spike run away and meet the Grundles before they reunite with everyone in Flutter Valley, home of the magic ponies that can defeat the Smooze. Lots of singing and neat adventures take place along the way.

It's really a fun family movie, and there are lots of lessons that are learned along the way about teamwork, family, and keeping hope alive. The songs are great, particularly "Nothing Can Stop the Smooze," if only for the back-up singing the Smooze heads do. Buy this movie, you won't regret it.

Not the Greatest, but still Good
I taped this movie from the Disney Channel, but my sister taped over my copy of it. This isn't the greatest MLP cartoon in the bunch (my favorites are "Midnight Castle" and "Escape from Catrina"), but this one still had it's moments.

The Witches from the Volcano of Gloom create the Smooze to destroy the Little Ponies and their spring festival, so they have to go get the Rainbow of Light, but it ends up buried in the Smooze, and they have to go find the Flutter Ponies. Also, some of the other ponies search for Baby Lickety Split who has run away, with Spike the Dragon.

PROS:

The music and the songs are really good, I think. One of the best song numbers is "I'll Do the Dirty Work" sung by Reeka and Draggle. Every time I see this routine, I crack up, along with "Nothing Can Stop the Smooze" with the Smooze doing a little 1950's doo wop riff while the witches are singing. Another great song was "There's Always Another Rainbow." Not funny like the other two I mentioned, but still a great song.

The Moochick and his rabbit cracked me up. I love Tony Randall's voice of the Moochick better than whoever did him in the MLP TV series. It just seems funnier to me.

Any scene with the Grundles, especially when the Grundle King mentions Grundleland.

Keep your eyes open during any scene with Reeka and Draggle. You'll find little surprises along the way.

CONS (reasons why I give this a 4 rather than a 5):
A lot of the scene changes were a bit choppy and seemed to come so fast.

The paint job on this seemed a bit washed out.

Baby Lickety Split was a brat, and I didn't like Gusty's personality all that much, even BEFORE she got Smoozed.

I didn't particularly care for Buttons's, Lofty's, Baby Lickety Split's, or Sundance's voices. Having seen the MLP TV series before this movie, I think that explains it.

The end of the "I'll Go it Alone" song, because the animation was a little odd there.

In some scenes, there are ponies that aren't supposed to be there, and they mysteriously disappear later. Something comman in the TV series, too.

But other than the cons, this is a great movie. It's really very cute! You will not regret it if you buy it.

i love this movie
yes i love this movie so much it is great and all and i wish it was on dvd it said it is but no well that all thanks

the best movie in the world
one of the best movies for me i saw it once only and that was when it aired on disney my parents taped i t for me but sadly it was lost forever about 2 seconds later.

plot:the pony festival is in town and the ponies are having a great time preparing for this awsome festival.except as always the evil witch ? wants to spoil the ocassion.so one pony and dragon run away.the valley gets burried in purple goop.the ponies meet someunpleasant family.and the all live happily ever after.the end sounds like a faerietale storybook.

"There's Always Another Rainbow"
Hi there!! I hope everyone is doing well. I LOVE this movie and the TV Series. I used to watch it all the time when I was little and I'm now twenty and still LOVE it.

Summary: The witches from the volcano of gloom want to destroy the ponies spring festival, so they create the Smooze to devour ponyland. Baby Lickety Split runs away after Buttons yells at her, and she is accompanied by Spike, a baby dragon. They meet the Grundles who help them find their way back to Dream Castle.

Meanwhile, The smooze has gotten Gusty, who is very upset and Wind Whistler suggests they go to Megan for help. Upon arriving at Megan's house, they meet Megan's little sister, Molly, who is seven and Danny, Megan's younger brother who is ten. Molly is riding Megan's old pony, TJ, and successfully jumps a bail of hay with Megan snapping a picture proudly. After the picture is taken, Wind Whistler explains the situation and Megan insists to help. Danny wants to help too, as does Molly, who is very close to Megan and doesn't want to be left out. They return to ponyland where the other little ponies are introduced to Molly and Danny. Fizzy, who is a fun loving, easy going unicorn, takes to Molly instantly and vowels to take care of her for Megan. Megan and the little ponies rush off to seek the Moochick's help after the smooze traps the Rainbow of Light and covers Dream Castle. The Moochick tells them they need the help of the Flutter ponies who live in Flutter Valley. He also gives them a new home, Paradise Estate. After Megan who is accompanied by Fizzy and Wind Whistler, leave the Moochick, they return to Dream Castle to pick up the other little ponies, as well as Molly and Danny. Molly hops on Fizzy, and Danny hops on Surprise. After Megan hops on Wind Whistler they're off.

I don't want to give away anymore, but the movie ends on a very sweet and uplifting note.

Proes:

The movie teaches valuable lessons about faith and family and it also shows you more of Megan's home life and her family. It shows that she will do anything and everything to protect Molly and Danny, along with the little ponies. It also shows her being more stern with Molly and Danny when they fight, which I think is good considering, Megan was portrayed in the other two movies as being an only child and not very confident in herself, but with a sweet and nice personality. There were also great songs and I loved the message of , "There's Always Another Rainbow". I firmly believe that myself. Always have, always will.

I also liked the fact that RoseDust, the Queen of the Flutter ponies, refused to help Megan and the others at first. It gave the story more of a climax and it also gave viewers a reason to keep watching it. The other reason I thought that part was good is because it taught the lesson of tolerance and helping others, even if they aren't like you. Which in my opinion, is a very good lesson to learn.

Cons:

The smooze was plain useless. It didn't have any characteristics or anything. Meaning, usually when they have a villain, it speaks it's own mind. This thing just took orders. Boring!! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Rock Hudson and Doris Day had one of the sweetest chemistries in the movies--as demonstrated in several light comedies, including this film's predecessor, 1959's Pillow Talk. The two similar films feature a handsome, duplicitous Hudson duping--then falling for--an earnest Day. In Lover Come Back, the two play Jerry Webster and Carol Templeton, rival advertising agents, vying for the same clients--until Jerry makes up a product, Vip, to get out of a scrape. As Madison Avenue catches Vip fever, Jerry falls deeper into the façade-and into love with Carol, who schemes to steal the nonexistent account away from him. Tony Randall plays Peter Ramsay, Webster's hapless boss. While Day and Hudson are as adorable as ever (and would continue to be in 1964's Send Me No Flowers), a standout is fellow Pillow Talk and Send Me No Flowers costar Randall. He's an effective foil--both comically and physically (as he stands next to the much taller Hudson). Their brands of humor blend charmingly: Hudson's sardonic coyness, Day's innocent sweetness, and Randall's nervous edginess. Look for a pre-Brady Bunch Ann B. Davis as Mille, Carol's loyal assistant, and a pre-Beverly Hillbillies Donna Douglas as Ramsay's secretary. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (24)

They don't make 'em like this anymore!
Funny, charming, romantic, is what I have to say about this film. "Doris Day" was a smash. "Rock Hudson" was suave and debonair, he played his roll very well. And what a handsome gent he was. "Tony Randall" was a hoot. He was the funniest of them all. Mr. Webster played by: "Rock Hudson" makes up a phoney Idea called, VIP; to throw "Doris Day" off his track in a business deal. He creates a commercial with a show girl, and calls her the VIP girl. "Doris Day" finds out that the product VIP wasn't a real business deal, and demands that Mr. Webster prove his product exists or face the court for false advertisement. A very funny romantic comedy. I recommand it for the whole family to watch.

The Best of Day and Hudson
I think that Lover Come Back is the best of the Doris Day/Rock Hudson romantic comedies. The humour is sharper and more adult, and all the actors nail their characters down perfectly. Day and Hudson are rival advertising executives, with Day using the by-the-book approach, and Hudson wining, dining, and providing female companionship to lure and sign clients. Through the kind of mixups you expect from one of their movies, Day comes to believe that Hudson is a client, and then things become complicated. Tony Randall plays Hudson's boss, an insecure man that wants to protect himself above anything else, but who ends up paying the price over and over for Hudson's antics and schemes. The dialogue has a lot of funny lines and innuendos, and the three leads play it with relish. The supporting cast of Edie Adams, Ann B. Davis, and others, all add to the fun. Director Delbert Mann has a sure touch and keeps the film moving along briskly, and even though you can pretty much guess the conclusion, it's a lot of fun getting there.

Boy, have things changed!
I found this video in the stores recently. Now, mind you, I have already seen this movie when it was in the theaters. Then it seemed like a light hearted romp. By today's standards, it is virtually archaic in the acting and the script. Still, it is DEFINITELY a PG film.

An incredibly sexist film...Disappointing for Doris Day fans
Oh. My. Gawd. I mean, for years and years and years, we've all heard the feminist critiques of how Doris Day was an example of the retrograde sexism of her times -- the Eisenhower era and the early, pre-feminist Sixties, blah blah blah -- but in movie after movie, I've seen her portray a capable, cheerfully assertive participant in the battle of the sexes -- no doormat here! The Doris Day-as-antifeminist icon thing seemed like a bum rap to me. This film, however, is the first one of the classic Doris Day-Rock Hudson bouts I've seen in which Day is, pure and simple, a victim and a sap. Hudson co-stars as a rival advertising executive, who uses tacky boy's club tactics to steal Doris's clients out from under her. Rock takes a guy out drinking, provides a few call girls and --zingo!!-- he lands the MagnaSoap contract. Doris stammers and clenches her fists, struggles to give him a piece of her mind, while he in turn jeers at her, calls her frigid, and flaunts his sexual mastery at all possible junctures... Of course, their first battle is fought, as in "Party Line," over the phone, so she hasn't had a chance yet to see what a hunk he is. In Round Two, Doris assertively hauls him in front of the review board of the chamber of commerce, a decisive act that boomerangs when, with a nudge and a wink, Rock makes a fool out of her in front of the all-male panel and walks away unscathed. From that moment on, he's got Doris under his thumb, besting her at every turn, and, finally, gets her so drunk that she beds him, winds up pregnant and is forced to marry him and live, um, happily ever after.

The script is peppered with the most aggressively sexist dialogue of any of their films -- it's as though, after having set the formula and worked through it in several previous films, the Hudson-Day producers felt they had to one-up themselves and make it more extreme, punchier, harder. The humor has an underlying mean-spiritedness and misogyny, a lack of balance that's exemplified by the Hudson character's near-complete lack of growth. You assume, early on, that during his seduction of this hapless female, that he will unwittingly fall in love with her and become a better person, but througout the course of the film, the only moderation in his behavior comes at the very end, when he realizes he would rather stay married to her than not. Nonetheless, he's never actually contrite or abashed, Hudson's still pretty much a jerk when the curtain closes and it's up to Day to recognize that her physical attraction to him trumps their past history. Plus, she's all knocked up: what's a good girl to do? As a result, the film isn't as enjoyable or as pleasant and frothy as other Doris Day films, in fact, I found it a bit jarring, although the glimpse back at old-school male chauvinism can be pretty instructive.

On a more entertaining note, this has some of the most delectable and blatant homoerotic/demi-gay undertones of any of Hudson's films. The scene in which Hudson cradles Tony Randall's head in his hand (to help swab some dye off his face) is charged with erotic power; in the next scene, we find that Randall has spent the night at Rock's apartment, and not long after that, Hudson announces that he's giving up New York and is going to move to San Francisco(!) It's all semi-coincidental, of course, but pretty rife with campy thrills, given the later disclosures about Hudson's private life. In sum, this film is super-retro and Neanderthal, not as much fun as early versions of the same material, but it does have considerable camp value, if that sort of irony-laden anti-notalgia is your kinda thing.

I Enjoyed Watching This DVD!
Okay, I know I reviewed this movie before but that was before I got the DVD and I thought I should review it again. I bought the new boxset that contains all three of Doris and Rock's movies in amamorphic widescreen and Lover Come Back is a very good movie and my second favorite with my #1 favorite being Pillow Talk and while the new anamorphic widescreen DVD for Pillow Talk was botched with misframing flaws the Lover Come Back DVD seems to be fine. Yes the picture quality could be a little better but it's a vast improvement over my video tape which was defective from the moment I opened the plastic wrap and found that the tape was damaged and wrinkled which made it difficult to watch so I really enjoyed watching the DVD and I just wish I had bought the Lover Come Back DVD seperately instead of the boxset with the botched Pillow Talk DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

One great laugh out loud line........
I agree with others that pan and scan is sacrilege!! Anyway, see the movie if only to hear the hilarious use of the word "titular". You will fall on the floor laughing, I swear! Great send-up of the Madison Avenue, three-martini-lunch ad world. Enjoy!

A fifties masterpiece BUT DON'T BUY THE VHS!
A devastating satire of American culture. Could one accuse Tashlin of exploiting Jayne Mansfield's breasts for the sake of criticizing America's breast fetish? Probably, but Mansfield's performance is nothing short of fabulous. Problem: The VHS is pan and scan. This is simply unacceptable. If I were only allowed one video to be letterboxed in my collection, and accept pan and scan versions of everything else, I'd choose this one. That's right, not 2001, not anything from David Lean, not even my beloved _Manhattan_. Nope. This one loses all value in pan and scan. tape it off TCM next time around. Borrow or e-bay a laserdisc copy. e-mail Fox video and demand a DVD. Don't buy the VHS. It's not worth a penny.

Being happy is the very living end!
This satire movie skewers its first victim immediately after the 20th Century Fox logo, where Tony Randall is seen playing the drums and cello from the Fox fanfare with Cinemascope extension. After Randall briefly explains the plot of the movie, the credits continue with some satiric commercials on products that obviously don't cut the mustard.

Ever-suffering Madison Avenue TV commercial writer Rockwell Hunter is working at LaSalle, Raskin, Poole, and Crocket to save the Stayput Lipstick account. He's planning to marry Jenny, who's a secretary at the firm. He gets the inspiration of using blonde bombshell Rita Marlowe to endorse Stayput Lipstick from his teenage niece April, who's the local president of the Rita Marlowe fan club. Rita is in fact spending some time in New York to recuperate from a bad affair with jungle-man actor Bobo Branniganski, with her companion Vi in tow.

Hunter goes to Marlowe's apartment to get her endorsement. He does so, but in exchange for pretending to be her lover and making Bobo, with whom she's talking on the phone, jealous. She brazenly tells Bobo that Rockwell is the president of the firm.
His life then takes a tailspin for the better and wilder. He is mobbed by bobbysocksers in the same way the Beatles would be seven years later. However, things with Jenny becomes strained as he and Rita become an item, and it's clear that Rita genuinely falls in love with him.

There is also a half-time intermission, where Tony Randall speaks on the wonders of TV, which back then was a 21" screen with a "wonderful clean picture."

The main idea is that it's a fallacy to equate success with getting big money; if it makes you happy, do it! Therein lies the flaws of capitalism and big business. What is the big deal of gray-flanneled dreams, the ritual of getting a key to the executive washroom, and working on ideas to get the American people to buy things they don't really need? Henry Rufus, Rockwell's immediate supervisor, has the best lines. If he gets fired, he'll have no problem getting another job--he has no talent. His line "It's a miracle how you overcame your education" also implies that to work in the grey flannel jungle, a college education is the last thing needed. And best of all: "If talent had anything to do with success, then Brooks Brothers would go out of business. Movie studios would be turned into supermarkets."

Other jabs or references include Marilyn Monroe's marriage to Arthur Miller, Marilyn wanting to play Grushenka in the Brothers Karamazov, Marilyn incorporating herself, tycoon J.D. Rockefeller's passion for roses, and Elvis-"I don't have sideburns!"

All the main stars work wonders here. Jayne Mansfield, having previously starred in a Tashlin vehicle, The Girl Can't Help It, has a ball spoofing herself in the best role of her career. Joan Blondell as Vi, Rita's caustic companion, has a wonderful role when she fondly and tearfully reminisces her unrequited love affair with a milkman. One of her great lines goes: "She couldn't speak English, being from Texas." Ironically, Blondell played another character named Vi, in Grease. Henry Jones (Rufus) is more extraverted than he was as Mousey in The Girl Can't Help It. British actor John Williams as LaSalle Jr. has a few appearances but a key role. And talk about the dialogue: slick, snappy, and laugh-eliciting. There aren't many movies like this one; it does appear dated, but the main idea is timeless. Remember, being happy is the very living end!

a masterpiece, yes, but when does it come to DVD?
It's pretty simple: there are few satires like it ever. Tashlin's not subtle in his satire, like, say, Billy Wilder could be, but that's the cartoonist in him. I could say more, but my gripe is that the film remains unavailable in DVD, which would assuredly present it in its original widescreen format. The beauty of the magnificent sequence which mocks the television screen, surely worth the price of the ticket in 1957, cannot be told in a pan and scan version. I cannot reccommend the VHS (which I believe is not letterboxed). Tape it off AMC or TCM if you can, or scour the e-auctions for laserdisc copies, or demand that Fox home video get out a DVD of this thing. This film is the reason they invented DVD!

Tashlin's Shining Moment
For a guy who scaled the twin peaks of animation and feature films - a rare accomplishment in the 1950s - director/gagman Frank Tashlin has, surprisingly, few real standouts on his resume. Too often ill-served by either his material, his stars, or both at once, Tashlin's reputation rests on his cartoons (of course) and flashes of brilliance in otherwise so-so live-action movies. After all, in most civilized nations, being the director of both CINDERFELLA and THE PRIVATE NAVY OF SGT O'FARRELL constitutes a demerit if not an outright crime against humanity. Even Tashlin's better pictures, like SON OF PALEFACE and THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT, tend to be mediocrities occasionally enlivened by his outlandish visual slapstick. WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER? is the glorious summit of what had to have been a frustrating career, the one time he was matched with a writer (Geo Axelrod) and cast (led by Tony Randall & Jayne Mansfield) perfectly in sync with his playfully outre satiric sensibility. The end result will make you wish lightning had struck more often like this for Tashlin; ROCK HUNTER may be the most beautifully 'opened-up' stage property in film history. It's visually clever and sumptuous, engagingly witty and breathlessly paced all at the same time. Best of all, its satiric barbs (aimed equally at television and the Organization Man mindset) hit their targets consistently while never superceding the character-driven heart of the story. Randall is simply terrific here, and his wobbly tightwalk between schnook and lothario is hilarious. Add a few bonus points for the casting of the severely-underappreciated Henry Jones as Randall's fellow ad-exec, who oozes an authentic 50s boozy licentiousness & gray-flannelled desperation from his pores in every scene he steals. Jayne's at her very best to boot, doing her trademark sex-kitten squeal with one arched, knowing eyebrow, and displaying plenty of resourceful smarts in her wised-up line readings throughout. As satisfying a comedy as emerged from the American 50s. Make sure you see it widescreen, though: you won't want to miss a thing here. Tashlin's masterpiece, and his penance for Jerry Lewis and Phyllis Diller. ... Read more

Reviews (43)

A well told morality tale
7 Faces of Dr. Lao can be looked at in two different ways. The movie, released in 1964, can be seen as a morality lesson. It is the story of the small Arizona town of Abalone full of citizens who suffer from greed, vanity, loneliness, and pettiness. When Dr. Lao brings his mystical circus to town, the townsfolk get a good look at themselves and don't always like what they see. For today's audience the movie is a bit slow and ponderous. The film is highly predictable and you know by the end of the film that everyone gets exactly what they deserve and once the errors in their ways are pointed out to them then they will miraculously change for the better and everyone will live happily ever after.
The second, and more enjoyable, is to focus on the performance of Tony Randall. Randall is amazing as the Chinese impresario Dr. Lao. Tony Randall portrays all seven inhabitants of Dr. Lao's circus: Dr. Lao, Merlin the Magician, Medusa, The Abominable Snowman, Pan, the serpent, and Apollonius of Tyana, he also makes a brief appearance as Tony Randall. As you are watching the film you forget that it is the same man playing all those parts, and it is widely considered one of Randall's most impressive performances. William Tuttle, who won an honorary Academy Award for his astounding make-up work, flawlessly transforms Randall from one character to the next. The film also comes from Director George Pal, who is also known for directing such classics as Time Machine and War of the Worlds, brings his distinctive blending of reality and fantasy to this film. Randall's performance, along with the incredible make-up work of William Tuttle and fine direction by George Pal make this a must see film...

Strange, wonderful, uplifting
I saw this film over 25 years ago. It made a permanent imprint on me. I had never seen anything like it (and haven't, since). It's a western, and a fantasy (but not science fiction). It's also mythological and even a bit religious. It's also a wonderful, life-affirming film. I've never been a fan of Tony Randall, who I always remember as the prissy little neurotic in "The Odd Couple," but I have to give him the greatest credit in this movie (he plays six parts!) The special effects are Ray Harryhausen stop-motion (and obviously fake) but that is part of the enormous charm of this movie--as exemplified by the amusing-looking snake in the cage with a man's face on it, and the goldfish-bowl-dwelling monster than attempts to snack on Dr. Lao. In some ways this movie reminds me of Ray Bradbury's _Something Wicked This Way Comes,_ but this is a far superior film. In fact, I'd have to call it a classic.

Tony Randall Is Pure Magic (& is also a mystical Asian man!)
"Mike, the whole world is a circus if you look at it the right way. Every time you pick up a handful of dust, and see not the dust, but a mystery, a marvel, there in your hand - every time you stop and think, 'I'm alive, and being alive is fantastic!' - every time such a thing happens, Mike, you are part of the Circus of Dr. Lao." I am so glad another fine reviewer quoted this immortal passage, and I will begin with the same, for it has informed much of my life!)

My friend Carlo mentioned to me that this fine film was playing at my local library recently and I had to pause and hold back my shock - I have not yet gotten over Tony's passing, and now I was confronted by so much lost time. Was it really forty years ago that Tony Randall stepped out of the shadow of his lightly comic performances on Broadway (of course you all remember "Oh Captain!" at the Alvin?) and shattered the world (yes, the world!) with his tour de force in "Dr. Lao?"

Now - regarding critial analysis of this film over the years, far too much emphasis has been placed on George Pal's "effects" and the like for my taste. Let's turn the spotlight back on Tony and the fine job he did playing eight different personae in this tale. Eight!

I will say this without hesitation: Certainly the finest hour (or hour and thirty one minutes) of his young career. Buy this movie for that reason alone (and children will most likely enjoy it too, I suppose. But if you do not have children, then buy it for that reason alone).

Serendipity Cinema #1
This won an Oscar for Make up, but it is not the kind of film that one would think right off as an award winner. Hey, it has the feel of Roger Corman and George Pal, with a hint of Ray Harryhausen thrown in (Although I am told it was Jim Danforth and crew who did the actual fx)I remember interviewing Tony Randall years ago, when he was touring in "The Music Man." He said his main memory was having his head and eyebrows shaved. He was distressed because it gave him ``this horrible unborn look.'' All that aside, the film is a joy. It is simple, and while seeming simplistic it is far from that. It humbly powerful. There are a thousand reasons to belittle and put down this film. If if you go in with that mindset, you will find them all. But, if you give it a willing suspention of disbelief and let the magic that hints around every corner over take you, this will be a little gem that you treasure and share with others.

I'd give Seven Stars for Dr. Lao if I could
One of the most charming and wonderful fantasy films of all time. This is the story of Abelone, a dying town in the desert at the turn of the 20th century. In arrives Dr. Lao, played with great effect by Tony Randall in what is probably his best performance ever.

With him, he brings his unusual circus and its performers. Including an Abomidable Snowman (who is barely used in the film and has no scene to himself), Merlin the Magician (very good), Pan the God of Joy, The Great Serpent, Apollonius the blind fortune teller who sees the future with absolute clarity, and the Medusa.

Basically, the townspeople must decide whether to sell their town to the misguided Clint Stark (played wonderfully by Arther O' Connell) or to stay and risk going thirsty with the town's only water source coming through a crumbling and very expensive to fix pipe.

With a little help from Dr. Lao and his circus, the townspeople eventually make the right decision.

There are just too many great scenes for me to describe, nor would I want to give away too much. I would encourage you to see this movie as it's one of the best fantasy films ever made.

Unfortunatly, Tony Randall passed away recently and he never liked giving interviews about this film. Which is a real shame since the DVD extras are pretty barren. My understanding is that Mr. Randall did not like how the script left out so much of the original book and that too much attention was paid to "romance" between Barbara Eden (who is just gorgeous) and John Ericson (in a great supporting turn).

I found it rather interesting that Dr. Lao pronounces his name "Dr. Low", yet everyone else, including a very attentive boy, calls him "Dr. La-ow". As an aside, the episode of MST3K when Joel Robinson leaves the Satelite of Love for good ("Mitchell"), he recites the "Circus of Dr. Lao" poem. But he calls him "Dr. Loo". I guess no one is ever suppose to get the pronounciation right.

Look for an eight character played by Tony Randall. He appears briefly without makeup just after Dr. Lao introduces his pet fish after the "parade of performers" scene. While the crowd around him claps with delight, Tony just slowly shakes head in disbelief. A wonderful little scene. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Send Me No Flowers
Oh Boy! This was a good one! Tony Randall was funny, especially when he was writing the eulogy and kept taking all the nice comments out of it the night the two men spent together. Doris Day was "on to her husband's antics". A true "hypochondriac" in the best way I've ever seen. I just loved the scene when Rock (her husband in the movie) was purchasing the cemetary plots and Paul Lynde was excellent as the salesman. You could tell he was really into his work! I've seen the doctor in several Disney movies too and he plays the part well. And the medicine cabinet......oh my! That was something to see. If you want to have some entertainment, this is certainly a movie to watch. You won't regret seeing it and besides, it's a good movie to share with friends for an evening. Order a pizza or two and ........enjoy the movie!

Want a good laugh???
This is a very, very funny movie. I had no idea it would be so good. Written by Julius Epstein, directed by Norman Jewison and starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Edward Andrews and Tony Randall with the great Paul Lynde doing a hilarious turn as a funeral home manager. Hypocondriac Hudson overhears his doctor (Andrews) discussing the impending demise of a terminally ill patient and figures that he is the unfortunate person being discussed. He thereby triggers a magnificent comedy of errors, misunderstandings and lies. One of the very few movies that have caused me laugh out loud even when watching it on my own. Usually I find these '60s comedies pleasantly nostalgic and mildly amusing at best but this film is just out and out FUNNY! It reminds me a little of "Guide For The Married Man" in spirit. I LOVE it!! Highly recommended. The dvd has a great anamorphic wide screen picture and the colors are great. Nothing but a trailer in the way of extras (I suppose a commentary from Doris Day and Tony Randall would be too much to ask for) but still worth the money. I'm glad I bought this.

Pretty Funny
The movie is very funny, with Rock Hudson playing a hypochondriac named George. He is at a doctors appointment, when he overhears the doctor discussing a dying patient on the telephone. Immediately, he assumes he is the dying one. He then starts searching for a new husband for his wife with the help of his friend Arnold. The only problem is that Arnold must say the name George at least 10,000 times. It can get exsaperating. Overall, it is a very funny movie, but kind of gets of out hand at the end.

Doesn't Have The Flaws of the New Pillow Talk DVD!
I just bought the boxset that contains all three of Doris and Rock's movies enhanced in anamorphic widescreen. Pillow Talk is my favorite of the movies they made together and Lover Come Back is my second favorite and I had seen both movies before but yesterday was the first time I ever saw Send Me No Flowers and while I prefer the other movies this was good too and the anamorphic widescreen transfer seems to be fine and doesn't have the misframing problems of the badly botched anamorphic widescreen Pillow Talk DVD and I wish I had bought the DVDs for Send Me No Flowers and Lover Come Back seperately instead of this boxset with the terribly flawed Pillow Talk DVD! In Send me No Flowers Rock Hudson plays a hypochondriac named George Kimball who overhears his doctor talking about another patient who is dying and mistakenly thinks he is talking about him and he goes about trying to find a new husband for his wife Judy played by Doris Day so she will have someone to take care of her but she gets suspicious and winds up thinking that he is having an affair and trying to cover it up. Doris and Rock are teriffic as usual and so is Tony Randall who plays their friend and next door neighbor Arnold.

Send Me No Flowers Today
Judy Kimball (Doris Day) and George Kimball (Rock Hudson) have finally tied the knot in their 3rd and last film together. George is a major hypochondriac that when he goes to the doctor he hears his doc telling somebody that they are not expected to live much longer but George thinks he is talking about himself and gets all worried well he then tries to get judy another man before he dies and Judy thinks for sure that George is having an affair with a neighbor! Well he then tells her the truth and that ends it until she sees the doctor and the doc tells her the real story well than George admits to her and they are all hapy once again! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

We need this one on DVD!
What a fun family film. A light-hearted comedy with Burl Ives, not Barabra Eden as the genie. Tony Randall plays the straightman perfectly. Wish this was on DVD.

"Jeanie" meets the "Genie"
Before Barbara Eden played a Genie on the home screen, she played the fiance of a man (Tony Randall) who had a Genie. This film is a lot of fun to watch. The Genie (played by Burl Ives) tries everything to please his master, but to no avail. All of his good works turn into problems. This is a light-hearted comedy which should be reproduced for public viewing. We all need a laugh now and then (especially now!). And this film will fill the bill. Encourage the video and DVD makers to bring back "The Brass Bottle".

Brass Bottle Tony Randall and Burl Ives at Their Best
I love this movie so much it just is to funny. I was lucky enough to be able to buy a copy of this after it was stopped being produced...Well This movie is just so funny with the future Geanie Barbara Edan. and Burl Ives as the silly Jeanie. Well This is a great classic comedy.Its odvious why Universal put this in their Comedy Classics Collection.

A Great Family Movie
The ''Top 100 Reviewer'' obviously did not see this film, or even read the reviews previously posted here. This movie has nothing to do with Barbara Eden's TV series. Burl Ives plays a genie freed by Tony Randall, who does his best to repay his new master. What follows is a succession of silly situations which land Tony Randall in hot water with practically everyone he knows. The banquet scene is very good, as is the courtroom scene. An enjoyable movie that is suitable for children.

Barbara Eden "practices" for her Jeannie Series
This is an enjoyable family-fare hocus-pocus starring everyones favorite Jeannie, Barbara Eden. This movie is about 1 1/2 years ahead of the TV series, but very similar in its content. A beautiful genie is freed by a red-blooded-American man (played by Tony Randall), who is a bit overwhelmed with the possibilities of being the "master" of this beautiful blonde who will grant him any wish he desires. -- What this film lacks in script, it makes up in visual effects (for which we got to love the TV series). All in all, this is a lot of fun, especially for fans of the stars. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A collection of vignettes, loosely based on the book by Dr. DavidRueben, written and directed by Woody Allen, Everything contains some very funny moments. It's easy to forget that the cerebral Allen excelled at the type of broad, Catskill, dirty jokes and visual gags that run amok here. It's also remarkable how dirty this 1972 movie really was--bestiality, exposure, perversion, and S&M get their moments to shine. The Woody Allen here, who appears in many of the sketches, is a portent of the seedy old Allen of Deconstructing Harry. Although the final bit, which takes place inside a man's body during a very hot date, is hilarious, most of Everything feels like the screen adaptation of a '70s bathroom joke book. Still, a must for Allen fans. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (20)

just a silly funny move
Don't listen to Adi's review, calling the film "juvenile"
Adi should watch some of today's teen exploits to find a true juvenile movie.
This film was far beyond its time, and is a SPOOF, like many comedies. If you don't believe most of the reviews, just rent it first........have a few drinks, and you'll laugh hard......

this is the one movie that made me "discover" the talent of Woody Allen, and I'm glad I did.

Some incredibly memorable funny scenes
This movie is a series of short films, which makes it mostly good and partly bad. Who can say they ever expected to see Woody Allen dressed up as a giant sperm? However, the first film set in medieval times is classic Woody Allen stand-up type humor, Woody at his best. My other favorite short film is the one about the sheep. Gene Wilder does an amazing job of acting so serious and puzzled when the man says "I am in love with a sheep" and he says "...O-hhh...." I LOVE it!

The Funniest Woody Allen Movie
This is the funniest Woody movie, hands down. With seven stand alone skits each answering a question, my personal favorite happening to be "Why do women...?" It's a movie to watch over and over again. A movie with perversions, gigantic body parts, and sheep. If you like Woody or if you hate Woody, this movie is for you.

Juvenille and not that funny...
I used to love Woody Allen's work, and I had expected great things from this movie. Unfortunately for me, I was disappointed. The humor is too juvenile to even be called childish. Yes, I do realize this movie was made 30 years ago, when the sexual standards were more conservative, but 30 years later I'm having problem understanding what's so funny about these situations.

Mine Worked
The person bellow probibly dident go into the languages section of his dvd. Mine has subtitles. Feel free to buy as you wish.

(good move--and sheep!) ... Read more

Reviews (27)

The Littlest Angel 1969
The newest angel in Heaven, Johnny Whitaker (Jody from "Family Affair") meets up with fellow angel Fred Gwynn (Herman Munster from "The Munsters") in this charming story of two angels who just cannot seem to do things the right way. The music is wonderful and the movie itself can stand on it's own. It is my Christmas wish for 1999 that Bridgestone once again put this wonderful movie into production. They will not be sorry!

I know where to get this video!!!!
I too have been looking for this video since forever. I loved it as a child and was saddened when they stop showing it only to show a cartoon version. Well, weep no more folks!!! You can buy it at ChristianBook.com and the best thing is.....it is only 3.99!!!! I am unsure of the quality as I have not watched my copy yet. I hope this makes your holiday out there!
Merry Chirstmas to all! God Bless!

THE LITTLEST ANGEL
I loved this movie as a young girl and would love to share with my own daughters. I have been looking for this movie for years and no one seems to know what I'm talking about. I'm glad to know there are other people out there who loved this movie as much as I did. I too, hope it is rereleased.

Yet Another Soul Wishing for a Re-release
Like so many others, I too have always loved this movie. It is a classic and no modern holiday films can compare. This is my plea to have the film re-released soon! A clerk at Suncoast Video said it was available in their system last year (2000), but not this year, for some reason. What gives? Please, please make this film available again!!

STILL WISHING & HOPING
I ORDERED THE SCREEN VERSION OF THE LITTLEST ANGEL WITH JOHNNY
WHITTAKER AND FRED GWYNN, HOWEVER I RECEIVED THE CARTOON VERSION. WHILE I AM SURE THE CARTOON VERSION IS WONDERFUL, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THE SCREEN VERSION. I HOPE THE PRODUCERS OF THIS FILM RECOGNIZE THE POPULARITY OF THIS VERSION AND RE-RELEASE THE ORIGINAL VERSION SOON. THERE ARE QUITE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO PURCHASE THIS VIDEO. IF ANYONE OUT THERE HAS A COPY AND WOULD BE WILLING TO MAKE A COPY PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR "MANY" YEARS AND WOULD LOVE A COPY. ... Read more

Description

NBC-TV net. WALLY COX, TONY RANDALL, MARION LORNE. Definitely a television original, there was nothing like "Mr. Peepers" before or since (not even "Hiram Holiday"!). Mr. Peepers was the very mild mannered high school science teacher to which things just seemed to happen (usually with exaggerated sound effects). A live TV sit-com, the show was mounted by a cast of pros...especially memorable was the befuddled "Mrs. Gurney" played by Marion Lorne. School is back in session after summer recess...shall we join Mr. Peepers in his classroom? Caution: The visual quality of this Kinescope is below our usual standards. 21 minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Mr. Peepers was wonderfull
I enjoyed watching the Mr. Peepers video. I found it just like I remembered watching Wally Cox in the 50's I think on Sundays.
A lot of world and national news was going on at that time just like now but Mr. Peepers and the Alcoa hour I used to enjoy watching it when I went to my grandmothers house and as the adults were talking I would watch it quietly on an old small screen wooden television that seemed to take 5 minutes to warm up. I think anyone who wants to return to the peace of yesteryear need do is watch this video and you are really in a time warp of pleasantness. Steve Segall, Oceanside, Ca segalls@aol.com ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I did not like the movie.
I honestly did not like the movie more than the book. Why? because the movie just focus on some of the events of the book. Not the major events. I like the book it gives more details and more understanding (clear).

This movie was to different from the book.
The movie skips important parts of the book. Also I would imagine that Huckleberry Finn would look a bit tougher. I mean look at the kid who is playing Huck- a little red head that doesn't even know how to act. Don't buy this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

For specialized tastes only
This movie was intended for only the British audience. It assumes that the viewer knows about the details of the highly stratified British social customs in the early post war period. So much of the information necessary for the plot is contained in such subtle details as someone wearing a bowler hat or the upper class person offering a middle class person sherry and then leaving the room.

Unless you recognize the significance of these things the people seem to be doing strange random things and the entertainment value of the story is removed.

Tony Randall a Good Actor Was Badly Miscast Here!
Tony Randall as Hercule Poirot? You've got to be kidding? I liked Tony Randall in movies like Pillow Talk and he was great as Felix Unger in the Odd Couple TV show but he is no Poirot and he is definitely no David Suchet who all Poirot's will forever be measured, and after him Peter Ustinov and Albert Finney! Tony is just badly miscast as Poirot he's too tall, too skinny, etc, I also want to point out that Tony Randall is not the terrible actor the other reviewers are suggesting he is but he was just not right for tthe roll of Porot! Even though I'm not sure if he would have made a good Poirot they should have cast Robert Morley as Poirot and Tony Randall as Hastings and maybe it would have made a little more sense!

Icky-pooh
If you only LOOK at the cover for this video, you can tell that the lead is no Peter Ustinov, the yardstick by which all Poirot actors are measured:

Death on the Nile (1978) ASIN: 6302990114

Evil Under the Sun (1982) ASIN: 6302990130

Thirteen at Dinner (1985) ASIN: 079074130X

Appointment With Death (1988) ASIN: 0790741318

You will get a headache or some sort of ache watching this. Save your money and save your time. Don't watch this adaptation-watch Ustinov instead!

This was a SPOOF, right?
If you only LOOK at the cover for this video, you can tell that the lead is no David Suchet, the yardstick by which all Poirot actors are measured. Randall is almost scary-looking in this movie, certainly not the slick, suave Belgian sleuth that we are used to.

And good grief, who desecrated one of Agatha Christie's most thrilling and intriguing plots ever? This plot has little subtlety and all the jokiness is insufferable. Don't watch this adaptation-watch Suchet instead!

Of course, if this is a spoof, then they succeeded mahhhh-vellously! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It beats the 11:35
If you look close. For that matter if you do not look close, you can see yourself and others in this movie. Kim Novak (Cathy) is a sociologist who finds a perfect setup for applied research. Now before you cover your kid's eyes, it is not that type of movie. In fact every time a juicy story starts, some train comes by and all we get is the punch line. It must be an educational movie as the husbands tell their wives that they signed up for classes at "The new School for Social Research" I looked it up and the school is real. One class is "creative accounting"

Be sure to look at the cast list. It is fun to try to remember other movies that they were in. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Disapointment
I expected some of the spectacular, athletic dancing we usually associate with Russian folk dancing; however, there were only a few such performances. Most of the singing/dancing was slower paced, low skill level, and, to my taste, quite boring. It was interesting to realize the broad multi-ethnic spectrum that Russia encompasses, but each performance was repetitive and dragged on too long. Tony Randall's narration was no help.

Beautiful performances, more heart than the Moiseyev
Before the Moiseyev Dance Company dazzled the world with its
theatricalized folkloric dances from the Soviet Union, the first
theatrical folkloric group was founded by Mitrofan Pyatnitsky, a
business clerk and aspiring opera singer from Voronezh in southern
Russia, near Ukraine. His folk singing ensemble had its premiere in
Moscow in 1911 and was an instant success. In 1938, dancers and an
instrumental ensemble were added to the group. This same Pyatnitsky
Song and Dance Ensemble is the first group shown in this film. The
other groups are the Uzbekistan National Song and Dance Ensemble, the
Siberian Singers and Dancers of Omsk and the Moldavian National Song
and Dance Ensemble.

Narrated by Tony Randall, this documentary
appears to have been made around 1964-1965, judging by the women's
makeup and hairstyles (no date is shown either in the film or on the
jacket). "Russian," as it is used in the title, means "from the
Soviet Union." Only the Pyatnitsky Ensemble and the troupe from Omsk
actually perform ethnic Russian songs and dances. Many of the dances
are performed outdoors, in beautiful locations. The film looks a bit
old and sometimes the narration is a little corny, but it's still a
very enjoyable experience.

The Pyatnitsky Ensemble performs Russian
and Ukrainian songs and dances. The costumes are gorgeous and the
music, some of which is polyphonic, is magnificent. I often put in
the tape just to listen to the first full song when my spirits needs a
lift. There is a wedding (or perhaps betrothal) scene in this
segment, which has some very authentic singing and dancing. I saw
just such dancing in 1990 at a wedding reception in Moscow, when the
"dinner music" orchestra broke into a Russian folk tune.
Suddenly many of the urbane Muscovites broke into Russian folk
dancing, with the women waving handkerchiefs and the men slapping
their boots (well, shoes).

The Omsk ensemble is shown in excerpts
from a folk opera. The highlight is a men's dance of the exciting,
bravura style commonly associated with Russian or Ukrainian folkloric
dancing. I am always amazed at the strength of these men who can jump
endlessly in and out of squats, but I have to wonder whether, 35 years
later, they can still walk.

Folk dance purists may object to
labeling these dances "folkloric," as they are considerably
influenced by the western theatrical dance aesthetic, and not only in
that the dancers are ballet trained. In many cases, what once would
have been improvised solo dances have been turned into unison group
dances that make use of corps de ballet-like formations and staging, a
practice that stems from a desire to make folk dances more interesting
to an audience. Despite this tampering, the performers in this film
retain much of the original flavor of their regional dances.

The
dances of Uzbekistan show the influence of the cultures that conquered
it, primarily Persian and Mongol. Most of the dancers shown are
women, who display the beautiful, graceful hand and arm gestures
prevalent in Eastern dance. The music in this segment is very
beautiful, and the scenery spectacular.

The dances and music of
Moldova (then Moldavia) are very similar to those of Rumania, which it
borders. These dances have not been tampered with as much as the
others, probably because they are unison line or couple dances to
begin with, and the fast footwork is in itself enough to keep Western
audiences awake. The Moldavian segment also has a wedding
celebration, with an excellent--and authentic--instrumental
ensemble.

What I especially love about "Russian Folk Song and
Dance" is the enjoyment the performers project. This is what I
remember about the dancers in the Moiseyev when I saw them in the
early '60s. However, in a 1995 tape of the Moiseyev, the dancers look
to me like ballet dancers doing folksy steps, and not always
enthusiastically. By contrast, the dancers in this film, though they
do study ballet, actually belong to the ethnic group whose songs and
dances they are performing. Perhaps this is why they project such
obvious pride in their work.
... Read more

Reviews (4)

THOSE FABULOUS FIFTIES!
A slightly risque farce [for that time] about Tax Guy Tony Randall investigating 'unpaid taxes' [something about the Civil War] and spending some time on the Larkin farm with young Debbie and the rest of the brood. Oh, there's just something about that fresh country air! Tony Randall says volumes with just a gesture here and there but keep away from the moonshine - that's when things really become complicated, and he is not quite sure, or cannot quite recall just what happened in the barn......was it?

Great support from Paul Douglas and Una Merkel as Pa and Ma Larkin. Truly a great romp on the widescreen with Debbie Reynolds - always providing the fun!

Quite a joy on a gloomy day! Great double-bill with Debbie as "Tammy" [the one and only original!].

Light, Pleasant, Comedy Fluff; Good for 3.5 Stars
This is a fast-paced, slapstick comedy with a small but pleasant story. Tony Randall stars as a hard-nosed, up-and-coming IRS agent sent to bring down a farmer who has never paid taxes. This is actually a set-up by the farmer's rich neighbor who wants to take over the farmer's land, and has a friend in the IRS (Randall's boss).

When Randall arrives at the farm, he discovers that the farmer, played charmingly by Paul Douglas has never paid taxes because he never buys or sells anything and has no money (or need thereof). Douglas and his large, rambunctious, good-hearted, friendly family (think of a litter of golden retrievers, and you've got the right feeling) are the community's center for trading. Pop Larkin (Douglas) can get you anything, by trading whatever you've got for whatever you need. This whole set-up just doesn't fit with the IRS way of viewing the world, and Randall sets about his job of calculating their overdue taxes. But the Larkin's are just so darn likeable, and they immediately set about getting Randall married to their bright, charming, and rambunctious daughter, played by Debbie Reynolds. The outcome is pretty predictable, with lots of twists and pratfalls along the way.

This movie won't make you laugh or think much, but it will make you smile a lot. We need that sometimes. Paul Douglas stood out, for me, as giving the prime performance here, even with a lightweight story and script.

Based on "The Darling Buds of May"
This is one of Tony Randall's best. And I can not wait for it to be on DVD. My store bought video is wearing out. I think of this film as a lesson on economics. This was based on a book "The Darling Buds of May" ISBN: 0140016023 by H.E. Bates (It is still in print at amazon.uk.co) Debbie Reynolds is a little smarter than her Tammy character and a little more forward than in The Reluctant Debutante ASIN: 6302241138This will make a grate addition to anyone?s collection.

Debbie Reynolds...she made the movie worth seeing!
I was just a teenager when I saw this movie, when it first came out. I loved it. I fell in love with Debbie Reynolds...but so did most of the guys my age back then. Tony Randall was great! It is a very old fashioned movie, one that made you laugh, and in the end one that made you feel good. We need more movies like that today. I have to say, being able to own the movie myself, and being able to watch it again, will be great. I'm going to order a copy...but, don't count on being able to borrow it, I'm going to be watching it too much, and then having my children watch it, too. They are going to love it, just like me. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Interesting look at the SS' rold in Nazi Germany.
It's an interesting persprctive, looking at the SS from the points of view of two brothers: one in the SS, and one who ran afoul of the SS. The