From the Archives: Move Over, Darling (1963)

"Gadzooks! My husband is going to re-marry?!" Doris Day looks stunned in this scene from the Universal comedy Move Over, Darling (1963) starring Day, James Garner, Chuck Connors, and Thelma Ritter. 

From the Archives is our latest series of posts where we share photos from the Silverbanks Pictures collection. Some of these may have been sold in the past, and others may still be available for purchase at our eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Silverbanks-Pictures 

April in Paris (1952)

S. Wintrop Putnam made a terrible mistake. As Assistant Secretary to the Assistant to the Undersecretary of State, his task was to send an invitation to Ethel Barrymore asking her to visit Paris as a personal representative of the American theater at the International Festival of Arts. Instead, he addressed the invitation to Ethel "Dynamite" Jackson, a New York City chorus girl(!).

His faux-pas turns out to be "a stroke of genius!" and S.Wintrop (Ray Bolger) is sent to accompany the well-built Miss Jackson (Doris Day) on her ocean voyage to Paris - and naturally falls in love with her en route. 

April in Paris was one of the many comedy-musicals that Doris Day made in the early 1950s. It does not rank as one of her best, but it has its funny moments, especially during the shipboard scenes. Director David Butler, always a reliable professional, seems to have done his best with the material he had but the material he had was not substantial to begin with. Jack Rose's script needed more broader humor to support its thin plot or else a stronger - and sillier - leading man, such as Danny Kaye. 

As it is, the film feels like it was rushed into production and the script was hastily written while shooting began. Gay ooh-la-la Paree deserved better. 

French actor Claude Dauphin was given a large supporting role as a friend of both Ethel and Wintrop, but even this part needed a man with a more vibrant personality, like Fernandel. Fortunately, both Doris Day and Ray Bolger had plenty of opportunity to sing and dance and they were best in their numbers together. The "I'm Gonna Ring the Bell Tonight" performance is especially fun. Other songs included the titular "April in Paris" by Yip Harberg, and "That's What Makes Paris Paree", where Doris Day showed off one of the many beautiful Leah Rhodes costumes for the film.

The supporting cast of April in Paris included Eve Miller as Winthrop's betrothed, Paul Harvey and George Givot. 

From the Archives: On Moonlight Bay ( 1951 )

 
Gordon MacRae serenades Doris Day in a wooden "canoe" while a man who looks a lot like Gower Champion paddles in this publicity photo from Warner Brother's musical On Moonlight Bay ( 1951 ). 

From the Archives is our latest series of posts where we share photos from the Silverbanks Pictures collection. Some of these may have been sold in the past, and others may still be available for purchase at our eBay store : http://stores.ebay.com/Silverbanks-Pictures

6 From the '60s - Favorite Films of the 1960s

Back in March, Rick of the Classic Film and TV Cafe announced the subject for the annual National Classic Movie Day blogathon - 6 From the '60s - and what fun it has been trying to narrow down the choices to only six favorites.

My sister and I were first introduced to classic movies through the films of the 1960s since this was the decade that our father loved the most growing up in. He started us off on children's classics from this time period and then worked us back to his favorites from the 1950s and then 1940s. Most of my personal favorite films have ended up being the ones from the 1960s as well, so it was difficult to choose only six. These are not what anyone would call "top recommendations" or "best films" of the 1960s - they are just six favorites that are especially dear to me ( and I am sure to many others as well ). 

Enjoy!
            _________________________________________________________

Send Me No Flowers ( 1964 ) 

How can one write about favorite films of the 1960s and not even think about Rock Hudson and Doris Day! This lovely couple practically started a whole new genre of "bedroom comedies". Of the four films that they made together, Send Me No Flowers is probably the most underrated. Rock Hudson plays a man who thinks he is dying and, with the aid of his friend Tony Randall, plots to find a husband for his wife Doris Day after he is gone. This was the film that introduced me to Doris Day and it has always remained my favorite. The suburban setting is marvelous, the dialogue is very witty and the comedic delivery of this dialogue from all the main actors is what makes this such a gem. The main title theme song - performed by Day of course - is happiness itself.  

Favorite Scene: The country club dance, especially when Burt ( Clint Walker ) begins to dance with Judy and steps on her toes!

Good Neighbor Sam ( 1964 )

And speaking of suburban settings....here is another underrated gem that features some beautiful suburban ranch sets. Good Neighbor Sam showcases Jack Lemmon in one of the funniest roles he ever played. Sam ( Lemmon ) and his wife Min ( Dorothy Provine ) help her old school friend Janice ( Romy Schneider ) move in next door. When Janice discovers that she inherited $15 million from a long-lost uncle, they naturally help her claim her inheritance - which includes proving that she is still happily married. The catch is, she isn't. So Sam pretends to be her husband and things work well until her real ex-husband shows up! I've watched this film countless times and never tire of it. It's chock full of familiar character actors from film and television, including Edward G. Robinson, Edward Andrews, Louis Nye, Charles Lane, and Joyce Jameson. The location scenes around San Francisco are great, Romy Schneider never looked more alluring and the whole plot idea of a woman "loaning" her husband to her best friend is too much fun. 

Favorite Scene: When Sam spends the evening at Janice's house, eats a steak dinner, and then comes home and pretends he hasn't eaten, only to be fed burnt macaroni and cheese ( "Here's some more of that crust that you love" ). 

The Pink Panther ( 1963 ) 

Now, this is a real childhood favorite and one that's probably a favorite for many. Heist films were all the rage in the 1960s, but The Pink Panther is great because it is played for laughs. David Niven makes such a debonair jewel thief ( he also starred in the original Raffles ) and the beautiful location setting of the film ( in Paris, Cortina d'Ampezzo and Rome ) really make this a delight. My sister and I loved watching this on winter evenings when we were youngsters. Peter Sellars made the character of Inspector Clouseau so lovably bumbling that he reprised the role in four more films. 

Favorite Scene: The informal dinner party at the Princess' mountain lodge. Sir Charles thinks he is going to have a private dinner with the princess and then discovers that it is a party affair. 

The Parent Trap ( 1961 ) 

No favorite list of mine would be complete without a Hayley Mills film included and, in this case, there are two - both from Walt Disney Studios. The Parent Trap tells the story of twin sisters who were separated at birth and meet up at a summer camp by accident. They then switch places with each other in order to meet the parent they never knew. This was the movie that launched Hayley Mills career in Hollywood. She was such a talented child actress and she plays both parts so well that you really DO believe that there are twins in this movie! 

Most favorite films are chosen for a reason and, in my case, location settings have a lot to do with why I enjoy a certain movie. The Parent Trap was filmed in and around beautiful Big Bear Lake in California and at the Walt Disney ranch and these sets conjure up wonderful summer feelings of camping, hiking, and being out in the woods. Since they are a family of two sisters and a mother and father, it also makes me think of my own home life...especially Saturday evenings with my mom cooking stew in the kitchen. 

Favorite Scene: There are too many favorite scenes in this movie, but the stew scene does stand out as one of the tops. This is when Mitch ( Keith ) and the twins come back from a camping trip with Vicki and Mitch sees Maggie ( O'Hara ) in the kitchen making stew. It reminds him of the old days when they were married and he realizes that he still loves her and wants to marry her again. 

That Darn Cat ( 1965 ) 

This Disney classic was made when Hayley was a few years older and this acted as a nice transition film for her. She was no longer a child star and not quite ready for adult roles. In the film, she plays Patty, a teenager who has a bent for getting into trouble. Her cat comes home one night with a wristwatch around its neck and scrawled on its backside are the letters HEL. Patty believes it belongs to a kidnapped woman who was trying to write "help" and so she enlists the aid of the FBI and her cat becomes an agent. This is a light-hearted mystery comedy and always enjoyable to watch. Walt Disney knew how to pick good talent and the cast in That Darn Cat is especially great - Dean Jones as the FBI agent, Dorothy Provine as Patty's sister, Frank Gorshin as one of the criminals, William Demarest and Elsa Lancaster as the neighbors, and Roddy McDowall as an obnoxious coworker. 

Favorite Scene: When Zeke ( Dean Jones ) tracks "DC" the cat around the town and follows her into the drive-in movie theatre where Patty and her boyfriend ( Tom Lowell ) happen to be watching a surfing film. 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ( 1968 ) 

Ian Fleming's classic story about a magical motorcar was brought to the big screen by Albert "Cubby" Broccoli in an attempt to mimic a Walt Disney film. He hired the best crew, including the Sherman Brothers to compose such a wonderful score, and created quite an entertaining musical. This is another childhood favorite that I simply cannot resist. Although, I must admit that the first half of the film is what intrigues me the most. Once Professor Potts and his family arrive at the castle of Baron Bomburst the story is primarily fantasy. Nevertheless, it is a favorite I never tire of. Sally Ann Howes is "truly scrumptious" and, once again, the settings are beautiful. The movie was shot on location in France, Germany, and England ( at a windmill that Hayley Mills later purchased for herself ). This film also reminds me of my own childhood and seeing the children wait while their father repairs the car, brings back fond memories of hearing my dad clanking away in the garage repairing automobiles. 

Favorite Scene: When Sally Ann Howes sings "A Lovely Lonely Man" on the grounds of her mansion ( which happens to be Heatherton Hall at Pinewood Studios ). 

So there you have it....six favorites from the 1960s. And not a single drama in the lot!

It was very difficult making a choice of only six films for this blogathon, especially because The Comfort Films Blogathon is next week and so many of these titles would have been repeated for that list. So, because of that, favorites like The Chalk Garden, Blue Hawaii, and the Miss Marple Mysteries were omitted. Other runner-ups include It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World ( 1963 ), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken ( 1966 ), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie ( 1968 ) and First Men in the Moon ( 1964 ). 

Be sure to check out other film fan favorites from this blogathon by clicking the link here. 

Thank you, Rick, for picking such a swell topic for this year's National Classic Movie Day blogathon!

From the Archives : Pillow Talk ( 1959 )

Doris Day offers Tony Randall some candy during a break in between filming scenes from Pillow Talk ( 1959 ) in this "candid" publicity photo. This was the first of three films Day and Randall would make together.

From the Archives is our latest series of posts where we share photos from the Silverbanks Pictures collection. Some of these may have been sold in the past, and others may still be available for purchase at our eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Silverbanks-Pictures

Jack Lemmon Delivers a Patriotic Speech

Happy Birthday America! You're a grand old gal, and at 240 years old, you're looking as young as you ever did. And Happy Independence Day to all of our readers! 

There are a lot of great classic films to watch on this day ( if you don't plan on enjoying the fireworks ) but I wanted to share this clip from a very unlikely July 4th film - It Happened to Jane ( 1962 ) starring Doris Day. I doubt that anyone views this movie as a patriotic classic, but if you look at its message - and the small-town American charm it exudes ( plus the presence of Miss America, Doris Day, herself ) - it really is quite fitting for Independence Day. 

The film focuses on a young widow ( Day ) who operates a lobster-farming business in Maine. One day a shipment of 100 lobsters gets returned to her because her client, a restaurant, claimed they were dead-on-arrival. The culprit is the Eastern and Portland Railroad, who let the lobster sit in a warehouse over the weekend. She turns to her dear friend and lawyer ( Jack Lemmon ) to ask that she be reimbursed from the train company. A few days pass and they oblige, only by then Day doesn't want to accept the amount offered for the dead lobsters because her business reputation has been ruined by the incident in the meantime. No restaurant will take the risk of buying dead lobsters. When her small case is brought to court it snowballs into a town event; later, when a big-town newspaper picks up on the story, she becomes a national hero, a "David" who is attempting to knock down a "Goliath" of big enterprise.

The town initially is in great support of her....until the president of the railroad company cancels all trains in and out of their town, then they blame her for the trouble they're in. It's at that moment that mild-mannered lawyer George Denham stands up and addresses the town hall: 

Midnight Lace - Sheer Entertainment

In Ross Hunter's tense 1960 thriller Midnight Lace, effervescent musical star Doris Day becomes the pawn in a cat-and-mouse game when a sadistic man harasses her over the telephone. Tormented by an eerie voice who promises to kill her before the month is out, she is unable to convince anyone that a stalker even exists, let alone figure out who is behind these menacing calls.

Who would want to kill our heroine and why? That's the question viewers are asked to answer and when the film reaches its nail-biting conclusion, the audience is asked to keep the secret mum so that friends can have the fun of solving it themselves, too.

Doris Day is charming as Kit Preston with Rex Harrison as her dashing husband Tony, head of the respected Preston Mining Company. The couple share an elegant London townhouse, designed in a modern taste by Alexander Golitzen and Robert Clatworthy, which overlooks posh Grosvenor Square. 

The action begins right away on Kit's way home one day from shopping, when a sinister voice calls out to her in a thick London fog:

"Mrs. Preston. Over here. So close I can reach out my hands on your throat."

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"You'll know when the time comes Mrs. Preston, just before I kill you..."

Understandably frightened, Kit is told that her experience could be that of a prankster and she finds comfort the next day after seeing Lord Horatio Nelson's statue doused in bubble gum pink paint, a result of hooligans running amok in the previous day's "pea-souper", as Tony so aptly puts it.

Kit's peace of mind doesn't rest long after she receives a call, phrased much like the threat in the park and just as terrifying. The couple turns to England's esteemed Scotland Yard for professional help lead by Inspector Byrnes, played most convincingly by dapper English character actor John Williams. Byrnes explores all angles to the case, even questioning Kit's sanity. Perhaps she is making up her assailant as a means to garner attention from her frequently absent husband. 

Just when Tony's worries about his wife begin to increase, company accountant Daniel Graham ( Richard Ney ) uncovers a major discrepancy in the account books leading Tony to believe that a member of his staff has embezzled nearly one million British pounds! Could it be Daniel, himself? Or is it company treasurer and close friend Charles Manning ( Herbert Marshall )? He has been losing a lot of money at the horse races lately... Rounding out the cast is attractive Natasha Parry as Kit's dear friend Peggy, Myrna Loy as her sociable and sophisticated Aunt Bee, and Roddy McDowall.

Based on a 1961 two-act play by Janet Green entitled "Matilda Shouted Fire", Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts's witty script included an innocent flirtation between Kit and construction crew foreman Brian Younger ( John Gavin ). His crew is hard at work at a site next to the Preston's townhouse building and he keeps a careful watch over her after a series of unfortunate accidents occur, such as when a darkly-dressed man appears at Kit's doorway soon after another threatening phone call.

"Sometimes I think the Blitz left us with more derelict minds than derelict buildings"
                                                                                   Inspector Byrnes

Director David Miller did a fine job giving "Midnight Lace" a Hitchcock flavor. It chugs along at a nice clip and provides a clever twist at the finale when all is revealed. Talented cinematographer Russell Metty, famous for his work on classics like Bringing Up Baby ( 1937 ), Written on the Wind ( 1956 ), and Touch of Evil ( 1958 ), paints a rich picture in Eastmancolor which also serves to showcase Irene's chic gowns and dress suits worn by Doris. A champion of costume design, Irene was nominated for an Academy Award for Midnight Lace, but Arlington Valles snagged home the award that year for his creations in Spartacus. 

Doris's real-life husband Martin Melcher, and fellow producer Ross Hunter, had Universal release the film in October 1960 in New York City, though not in London as one would expect with regards to the story's setting. Hunter made his mark in crafting lush Technicolor dramas during the 1950s and 1960s, usually casting Doris, Lana Turner, or Jane Wyman in the lead role. He took a risk making a suspense, but it proved to be a wise move.

The film suited Doris well, allowing her to express her dramatic chops and it was appropriate for her legions of fans. Though one may not consider Universal's Midnight Lace in the same league as the studio's earlier horror classics, it has just the right blend of mystery and glamour to make it a satisfying flick to watch on a Friday night.

Just be sure you don't pick up the phone if it starts to ring...you never know who might be on the other end.

This post is my ( Diana ) contribution to the Universal Blogathon being hosted by yours truly, Silver Scenes. Be sure to check out all of the great posts covering Universal's most memorable classics from the 1910s-1960s.

Moments of Intuition from Seven Actresses - Part Three

Doris Day

When I was 12, I was bedridden for weeks because an accident had injured my legs and both of them were in heavy plaster casts. One morning, finally, the doctor had come to my hospital room and very carefully removed them. This was a happy day for me, for my dancing lessons had been long neglected, and I knew that if I was ever to become a professional dancer, I'd have to practice twice as hard now. 

The doctor usually had a poker face - you could never tell what he was thinking - but this time his look frightened me. When they had finished removing the plaster, they took me to the X-ray room. After they made the films, they brought me back to my room and left me alone. About half an hour later, the doctor and my mother came in. Mom was trying desperately to be cheerful. So was the doctor. He took my foot, raised it gently and said, "Wiggle your toes, Doris." I tried as hard as I could, but my toes didn't move. Then the doctor did something to the soles of my feet and said, "Did you feel that, Doris?" I just stared at him and shook m head. I was never so scared in my life. The doctor looked at my mother. Mom sensed the verdict. She started to cry. It was strange, but the moment I saw the first tear in her eye, I wasn't afraid any more. I said, "Don't cry, Mom. I'll be all right." Then the doctor said, "I'm sorry, Doris, you shouldn't hope. I'm afraid you won't walk any more."

But, intuitively, I knew the doctor had made a mistake. 

Six weeks later, I walked again. 

Natalie Wood

The one time that intuition hit me the hardest was on an evening in September, 1955. Nick Adams, Sal Mineo, Richard Davalos, Mrs. Davalos and I were having dinner at a Chinese restaurant in New York City. I guess we were the happiest group in the place. Nick and Sal started us laughing while we were eating wonton soup and kept us in stitches all through the egg rolls, chop suey and fortune cookies. After we finished dinner, we were still laughing. I don't remember at what. 

Suddenly, although until then I wasn't concerned at all, I had to know what time it was. I stopped laughing and asked Sal to let me see his watch. He was talking and didn't hear me. I had spoken in a low voice. Then I said, "Sal, Sal, what time is it?" I felt as if I were dreaming. Sal checked his watch and said, "It's nine thirty-one, Nat. Why?"

I said, "I don't know, but I think I'm going to cry." For no reason I could understand, my whole being was swept by a wave of almost unbearable sadness. It only lasted for an instant. Then I told the others to forget it. 

The next day, Nick told me that Jimmy Dean had been killed in an auto accident in California the night before. 

It wasn't until days later that I realized that Jimmy's death had occurred at about 5:30pm in California. At that moment, because of the difference in time zones across the states, it was 9:30pm in New York. 

This post is the final part of our republication of the 1957 Motion Picture magazine article that featured seven actresses sharing stories of moments of intuition. We hope you enjoyed reading it. Please be sure to check out the first post and the second part here! 

TV/Movie Set - The Glass Bottom Boat ( 1966 )

Spy fever was in full heat in the mid-1960s, what with the success of James Bond in the theatres and television shows such as Mission Impossible and The Man from UNCLE. It's no wonder then that even Doris Day was thrust into a spy adventure. In 1966 Universal Pictures cast her and Rod Taylor in a film that took a comedic take on spies in America - The Glass Bottom Boat. Why the screenwriters chose that title is beyond us, for the film has nothing to do with the boat! 

Everett Freeman ( George Washington Slept Here, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty ) penned a wild, but amusing, script surrounding a single woman who is mistaken as a spy when she cryptically dials home to "Vladimir" her dog. Complications ensue when she is given a job as assistant to the handsome boss ( Rod Taylor ) of Spaceways Lab and finds the plans to their top-secret space "GIZMO" in her possession. 

The Glass Bottom Boat featured some marvelous sets designed by art directors Edward C. Carfagno and George W. Davis. Davis had a grand career as an art director lastly nearly thirty years, primarily at MGM and 20th Century Fox studios. We cover some of his work in a little more depth in our set design post on The Courtship of Eddie's Father ( 1963 ), which was one of his projects. 

Rod Taylor's character has the coolest house in the film and we really should be featuring that set with its completely automatic kitchen and vacuum-sucking electronic cleaner ( that resembles an ant-eater ). But it was Doris Day's house that caught our attention the most and so this is the spotlight set of the month. 

The exterior of the house gives the impression that the interior is a spacious ranch, but it is actually quite small ( "cozy" in real estate terms ) and may have only two bedrooms at the most. The garage takes up most of the exterior design. Beautiful landscaping surrounds the property which is perched atop a hill in a typical 1960s squashed suburb.

The front entrance 

Every afternoon Jennifer ( Day ) dials home to Vladimir - her pet pooch - to give the dog some exercise. The ringing of the phone drives him crazy and he runs around the house giving himself a good workout. In this screenshot we can see Jennifer's living room, which is open to the kitchen on the left side and features a large sliding room door on the right. The ceiling is vaulted too. 

The Living Room

Just off the living room is a quaint little corner that has been set up as a radio communications center. Here Jennifer chats with her pop who runs a glass bottom boat touring company in Catalina. Today, this would be the household computer station. 

Carfagno had a long career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer specializing in period sets working on such prestigious films as Quo Vadis, Julius Caesar and Ben-Hur. He also created a number of great sets for light-hearted pictures like Good News, On an Island with You, and A Ticklish Affair.

The radio center. 

In the later seasons of The Doris Day Show ( when Doris' character suddenly became single ) her apartment was decorated in a style very similar to this house. Perry Ferguson II and James Hassinger ( set decorator ) were the talents behind that show's sets while in this film all these little dining room decors antique rockers were picked out by set decorators Henry Grace and Hugh Hunt. 

Since this was 1966, Jennifer had to have green walls in her bedroom. This shade of green is actually quite nice, especially since it is offset by the white wood paneling and doorways. Also note that the bedroom is carpeted while the living room has beautiful hardwood flooring. 

Unfortunately we don't get a good look at the kitchen from whence comes all those famous banana cream pies. Just to the right of Dom DeLuise is the dining room which for some reason has a table that seats four and a counter with bar-stools.

Spy spoofs never were our favorite genre but this one is entertaining and for our readers who have not seen it, it is worth checking out...for its set design alone! 

Warner Brothers : Hollywood's Ultimate Backlot - A Book Review

Steven Bingen, co-author of the fabulous book, MGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot, has sharpened his pencil and put words to paper once again in his marvelous new tribute to the WB backlot : Warner Brothers - Hollywood's Ultimate Backlot. This hefty 275 page coffee table book covers the inner and outer workings of one of the best studios in the business. It is chock full of behind-the-scenes Warner Brothers images from the Bison Archives and features a short but sweet introduction from the WB starlet herself, Doris Day. 

The Jeer : It's hard to find fault with this book, but if there is to be a jeer it is in the design layout of this particular edition. Unlike MGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot, which featured a fantastic layout for reference use, this one turns the spotlight on Bingen's writing and utilizes its layout for great cover-to-cover reading but is hard to navigate for the info seeker. 

The Cheer : Steven Bingen has written a loving tribute to the real star of Warner Brothers Studios - the backlot; its fabulous sets and the creative team who helped to create them. The rare images are a delight and the appendix "Productions Shot on the Backlot" is worth the price of the book itself. 

The Skinny : Warner Brothers - Hollywood's Ultimate Backlot makes a great read for the avid classic film fan but would have benefited even more had it duplicated the layout of MGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot.