Classic Film Review: The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)

The Glass Bottom Boat stars Doris Day as Jennifer Nelson. At work she begins a relationship with the head of the aerospace research lab, Bruce Templeton (Rod Taylor), but their relationship becomes complicated when he starts to suspect she's a Russian spy out to steal his latest invention. The cast includes Arthur Godfrey as Jennifer's father, Dick Martin as Bruce's colleague and friend, Zack, and Paul Lynde as Homer Cripps, security guard.

Perhaps the first thing to say is that the glass bottom boat of the title only plays a small part in the film. Yes, it makes for a catchy title but that's about all, aside from some laboured metaphors that you really have to reach for. The action really takes place at the research facility, documenting Jenny's romance with Bruce and how his colleagues come to suspect she's leaking secrets to the Russians - it is rather suspicious to make phone calls several times a day and never speak to anyone but that's the way Vladimir the dog gets his exercise. It's also unfortunate that her father communicates with her via radio instead of phone. It all adds up to a pretty funny farce that really comes alive in the last half an hour or so.

Doris Day is excellent as widower Jenny while Rod Taylor works well opposite her as Bruce. The gems are the supporting cast though, with many others aside from the ones mentioned above putting life into little characters. For me, though, the highlight of them all is Paul Lynde, if only for his drag escapade to entrap the spy. The party that forms part of the climax of the film is full of hilarious moments and if the entire film had been at that pace it would've been brilliant. However, setting up all the dominoes early on seems to take far more time than it should've done and, unfortunately, the attempts to create a plausible romance between Jenny and Bruce take too much time for a farcical comedy. There are little interludes, such as the trip on a boat using electronic controls that goes disastrously wrong. There's an element of technology-gone-wrong about the film that works very well. And, strangely, watching Doris Day interact with a dog-like vacuum cleaner isn't that different to watching her interact with the real animals in the film.

Nonetheless, this was very funny and definitely worth watching. It might not be all about the glass bottom boat but it is all about Doris Day being brilliant and I could never say no to that.

Classic Film Review: Lover Come Back (1961)

Lover Come Back stars Rock Hudson and Doris Day with a side-helping of Tony Randall. Jerry Webster (Hudson) works for an advertising agency and has a pretty simple way of attracting clients - liquor and pretty girls. This infuriates Carol Templeton (Day) who works for one of his competitors and doesn't like the underhand methods. During their war, Webster accidentally advertises a product that doesn't exist - 'Vip'. Of course, Carol wants the 'Vip' contract and approaches the man she thinks is the inventor to wine and dine him. But, due to a stroke of luck, Webster intercepts her visit and he's suddenly masquerading as Dr Linus Tyler while the real Tyler (Jack Kruschen) works on a formula for 'Vip'.

This is a typical Doris Day comedy which relies heavily on her already-established chemistry with Rock Hudson. It's formulaic in places, yes, but it's still enjoyable. Tony Randall as Webster's boss Pete Ramsey, a man domineered by his late father and trying to become his own man, has a few excellent moments and I particularly liked Ann B. Davis as Millie, Carol's secretary, who has a few good lines of her own.

I found that the film trundled along, relying on gentle humour and Day's eyebrows (which are in top form). It really starts to pick up in the last twenty minutes when Carol discovers Webster's true identity. Tony Randall, as Pete flips, is very amusing too. As ever with these types of comedy, I found the ending a little rushed and unsatisfactory - although funny - and the fact that Carol had essentially fallen in love with a man who didn't exist wasn't resolved though, to be fair, I didn't expect it to be.

Lover Come Back isn't as funny as Pillow Talk (1959) but it's pretty good. The title is also nonsensical, the vehicle for a good Doris Day song if ever there was one. She also has another song as Carol wonders whether to succumb to 'Linus's' charms - 'Should I Surrender?', a number I hadn't come across before and rather liked. This is a light-hearted comedy that has a few golden moments but it's not my favourite Day film by any stretch. Worth a watch, though, if you haven't seen it, if only to see how Day's hair can stay perfectly still for long periods of time. Also, I have to admit that Hudson with a beard looks like a different man!

Classic Film Review: Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962)

This musical stars Jimmy Durante and Doris Day as father and daughter team Pop and Kitty Wonder alongside Martha Raye and Stephen Boyd as their respective love interests. Pop Wonder runs a circus, the prime attraction of which is Jumbo the elephant. But Pop's got a gambling habit and another circus has been trying to get hold of Jumbo for some time. When new circus-hand Sam Rawlins (Boyd) arrives, it seems they could be about to lose everything quicker than they anticipated.

There are some good numbers in this, particularly 'Why Can't I?' (a plea from Day and Raye) and 'Little Girl Blue' (Day). The final number 'Sawdust and Spangles and Dreams' (the four stars) drags on a little too long for my liking but this was MGM's last real musical extravaganza so I can forgive it. 'The Most Beautiful Girl in the World', originally sung by Boyd is reprised by Durante and is probably my favourite song of the film. The dances are as spectacular as a circus setting necessitates, especially the opening number 'Over and Over Again', and there are some decent stunts throughout. It really does have all the hallmarks of a classic MGM musical, although it slips up on occasion.

Although Day, Durante and Raye worked perfectly in their roles, there were moments when Stephen Boyd seemed to suffer from a combination of hackneyed dialogue and a lack of comfort in his role. This wasn't helped by the fact that the character had to consistently hide his real intentions from his love interest. It made their romance a little more unbelievable than most musical romances.

Day, though, was remarkably comfortable as Kitty Wonder, both long-suffering daughter and enthusiastic performer. Her rapport with an elephant is something to behold and I don't think I can fault her in this film. Though the script falters at times, she brings charm to this film. My favourite moment, though, has to be a Durante/Raye one: Pop decides to try and shoot Lulu (Raye) out of a cannon to give the circus a new act. It doesn't quite work!

Classic Film Review: Do Not Disturb (1965)

This is apparently one of the films that Doris Day didn't want to make but found herself contractually obliged by then-husband and manager, Marty Melcher. That gives Do Not Disturb a slight tint to it even before you start watching but, certainly, it's not a Day classic by any stretch of the imagination.

Day stars as Janet Harper alongside Rod Taylor as her husband, Mike. The pair have just moved to London so that Mike can run a failing woollen company. Janet wants to live in the country and rents them a house, owned by the stately Vanessa Courtwright (Hermione Baddeley). When Vanessa sees Mike in a restaurant with his secretary, Claire (Maura McGiveney), when he's supposed to be having dinner with his wife, she relates the tale to Janet and advises that she do something to make Mike jealous. Janet refuses but Vanessa begins to send cards and presents from a mystery lover and an unfortunate mistake with antique dealer, Paul Bellari (Sergio Fantoni), complicates matters further. Soon it certainly looks like Janet's having an affair - and she's still not so sure about Mike and Claire either.

As you can tell, the plot's a little convoluted. The film does feel a little all over the place, with constant cuts between what's going on with Janet and what's going on with Mike. The leading man and lady spend remarkably little time together, which was fine for me because I didn't really see any chemistry between them. They felt like sparring partners rather than a loved-up husband and wife. Day, despite her objections to the film, played the part as best she could. There were some memorable scenes - mostly occurring alongside either Baddeley or Fantoni - and a few laughs but very little truly comic material. The scene in a Paris pub where Janet gets drunk, ends up leaving and making conversation with a horse is rather funny. Equally, the scene where she rescues a fox from hunters is mildly amusing but there is an inexplicable goat called Wellington hanging around the house as well. Mike asked what the goat was doing in the house and, to be fair, I'd like to know too!

There are several flaws with this film but it still remains a reasonable Doris Day comedy if you're at a loose end. Don't expect something in the vein of That Touch of Mink (1962) or Pillow Talk (1959) but it's got some good moments peppered about. Watch out for Doris Day kicking a football around for starters.

Waterlogged

Picture this. After a reasonably good supervisory meeting, and with a book I've been waiting months to get my hands on safely borrowed from the university library, I headed to Sheffield train station in a relatively good mood. I was whistling. I'd bought a new teapot. I was considering throwing caution to the wind and being the kind of fearless person I've always wanted to be. Then, as I made to exit the toilet cubicle in the station I made an error of judgement - I believed I heard a buzzing. I spun around, pulled my Blackberry from my pocket and, well, you can guess the rest. Kerplop.

I was straight after it, of course. Reflex decrees you jump out of the path of oncoming traffic and stick your hand down a toilet to save your expensive phone (at this point I should thank the staff of Sheffield station for keeping their facilities so clean). I swaddled the poor thing in tissue and took it apart, water dripping out of the back cover as I did so. I dried it off as best I could and stuck the pieces in the box with the teapot.

When I got it home I gave it a blast with my hair-dryer. Alas, I already had the feeling that this time I'd well and truly dropped myself in it. I gave it the night to dry off - airing cupboard and then a bowl of rice - and for a few brief seconds on Saturday morning it worked. Then it went kaput again. But at least my SIM card was still in working order. That gave me a little wiggle room. I still have six months on my phone contract and now at least I could get a new handset with the minimum of fuss. However, to utilise the benefits of my contract it had to be a smartphone. I looked at my bank account and grimaced. Then my father stepped in with an offer - a cheap smartphone as an early birthday present. I would've hugged him if we did things like that in our family.

A few hours later I had a new Samsung phone. Although I still have the same number all my contacts got flushed away so I need to build them back up again (email me!). It's a nice phone, although I'm tearing my hair out at the touchscreen keypad. I'm sure I'll get used to it or, y'know, stop texting completely.

As Doris would sing: "Oops, there goes another problem, kerplop!"

Lessons in Romance from Judy Garland and Company

I've been ruminating on this post for some time but today seemed the ideal time to write it. As regular visitors to this blog will know, I adore Judy Garland and I'm a writer (not necessarily in that order but who knows?). I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes a good romance and there's a conversation in my favourite Judy film The Harvey Girls that sums it up neatly.

Susan Bradley is part of a group of women trying to bring some civilisation to a town dominated by vice. Ned Trent is the owner of the gambling and dancing den across the street. Of course, they find themselves attracted to each other, but it's not that simple. Susan and Ned meet in the valley when he's decided that his own course of action must be to move his establishment to another town.

Susan - What do you expect me to say?
Ned - I don't know. I guess I hoped you'd be glad. Might make it easier for me to leave.
Susan - All right, then, I'm glad. I only wish you'd left a long time ago.
Ned - So do I. Maybe it wouldn't have happened then.
Susan - What?
Ned - Meeting you. 
Susan - Yes, that was bad, wasn't it? Two people as far apart as we are.
Ned - Yes. Now, for the first time in my life, I've got things to remember.
Susan - I take it that you don't like memories, Mr Trent.
Ned - They don't pay off. They keep you awake nights.
Susan - Will you be awake many nights, Ned?
Ned - Every night. I'll always be wondering if I should've stayed.
Susan - Well, you couldn't. And even if you did it wouldn't make any difference because you'd just be giving into me. A thing like this can't be one-sided, we both have to give in, both of us together. 
Ned - Where would that put us?
Susan - No place in this world. Because it just can't be done.

They go their separate ways. But then comes the twist. Ned decides to stay in Sandrock and gladly waves the train goodbye. Meanwhile, Susan has decided that she will be a dancing girl if Ned wants her to be and is on the train. Ned races after the train on his horse and they reunite, aware that they both gave in and can therefore live happily ever after.

For me, that's the key of a great romance: both characters have to sacrifice something, or they perceive themselves to be sacrificing something. You see it time and again in my favourite musicals but I can't think of a more articulate example than The Harvey Girls.

Romance is about beating the odds, overcoming hurdles, getting to that happily ever after. What happens then, of course, we rarely see in the world of musical film. Do Mr and Mrs Don Lockwood create a storm as a beautiful husband and wife duo after the conclusion of Singin' in the Rain? In many musicals, you have to ask whether the husband will actually give up his vices: Sky Masterson from Guys and Dolls and Ned Trent himself are good examples of that. Some musicals do stray to the happily ever after and show it for the fallacy it can be (Carousel and Showboat strike me as excellent examples) but if you're looking for a romance to tug at your heartstrings in Hollywood musicals then you can't do much better than looking at Judy Garland's movies or, for that matter, Gene Kelly's or Doris Day's.

My post last Valentine's Day celebrated my favourite romantic musical songs - with a twist.

My Heart - Doris Day

There are so few women still around who represent what I consider to be the best of old Hollywood. These women had voices and talent beyond the realms of modern experience. They could act, they could sing and they could dance - compare that to some of the lifeless performers of modern cinema these days and see where it gets you. The likes of Debbie Reynolds, Angela Lansbury and Mitzi Gaynor are fortunately still with us. However, until the last few months, everybody who didn't know otherwise believed Doris Day had left us. Doris has actually spent her years out of the spotlight caring for animals in a small town in California. This new CD of songs includes some beautiful unreleased tracks which she mainly recorded in the 80s. They include some more modern standards: 'Daydream', 'Disney Girls' and 'You Are So Beautiful', along with other songs that she picked because they demonstrate her love for her late son, Terry Melcher, and her passion for animals.

It's an outstanding CD. The whole thing melts together so perfectly that it's very difficult to pick favourite songs from it. Every track is so wonderfully Doris, the smile that's evident in many of her recordings is more than evident here. Her version of 'Daydream' beats most others for me - it's a finger-clicking smile-fest, perfectly suited to her smooth voice. Equally, 'Disney Girls' is gentle and wistful and 'You Are So Beautiful' is - there's no other way to say it - absolutely beautiful itself. The album includes a tracked called 'Happy Endings', sung by Terry but introduced, quite bravely I think, by Doris herself. 'My Buddy' is probably the most painful recording to listen to if you know anything about her close relationship with her son. 'Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries' is included on the album because it was Terry's favourite song of hers, and it truly is gorgeous.

If I had to pick one song that stands out a little above the rest it would be the song that has been picked as the UK single and was consequently played quite a bit in the build-up to the release - 'Heaven Tonight'. It's an easy-going love song that snared me at first hearing. But, to be perfectly honest, there isn't a dud track in the bunch. I know Doris fans will be delighted with this album and if, Doris has any further inclination to check her archives for unreleased material, I can guarantee there will be several million people interested.

Recluses

I was listening to a short interview with Doris Day on BBC Radio 4 yesterday. She's doing a little promotion for her new collection of songs which will be released in September. I'm looking forward to it immensely and I'm loving the renewed attention Doris is getting as a result of this release. Beautiful voice, wonderful actress, altogether adorable woman. Watch her performance in Love Me Or Leave Me if you think she's only a singing star. Anyway, that isn't the point of this post.

In the interview, Doris said something that I think relates to me. She was asked whether her reputation for being a recluse was all it seemed. This was her response: "The town is so crowded now, you know, we have so many people. And I don't really like to get in crowds, that's just not for me." That sums up my feelings almost entirely.

I don't hate socialisation; I just dislike the pressures of it. I like people; I just have a hard time communicating with them face to face. I think a lot of writers have this in them. It happens that I'm a more articulate writer than speaker and my strength lies in my ability to put words on a page - possibly with the intention of then having them spoken by someone else. Other people may get fed up with my reticence to meet (and I get fed up with my own reticence) but I battle down my insecurities and do it more than I'm comfortable with. While I accept that life is not supposed to be easy, I don't accept that I constantly have to put myself in situations which increase my stress levels in order to 'prove' I'm normal. Sometimes, you know, you're allowed to be selfish to the point that if you want to stay in and hide behind a computer screen, you're perfectly within your rights to.

Of course, I do get out of the house. I have a select few friends who command my attention every now and then (and I love them for it). I have a boyfriend who insists on 'taking me out of my comfort zone'. I have a family who drag me to smelly monkey houses in order to give the kids a day out. I like all that. Perhaps what I don't like are the stressful meetings with my PhD supervisors, or the interactions in the doctor's surgery, or the prospect of going to see my little play performed in a few weeks.

How I'll cope with that one is yet to be seen. But at least Doris has made me feel a little better about myself this week. I'm allowed to want to stay away from crowds of people. I'm allowed to put it into practice. However, due to my own exacting standards, I'm not allowed to hide from people indefinitely.