The Magic of Doris Day... Too Marvelous for Words
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    • It's a Great Feeling
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    • Storm Warning
    • Lullaby of Broadway
    • On Moonlight Bay
    • I'll See You in My Dreams
    • Starlift
    • The Winning Team
    • April in Paris
    • By the Light of the Silvery Moon
    • Calamity Jane
    • Lucky Me
    • Young at Heart
    • Love Me or Leave Me
    • The Man Who Knew Too Much
    • Julie
    • The Pajama Game
    • Teacher's Pet
    • The Tunnel of Love
    • It Happened to Jane
    • Pillow Talk
    • Please Don't Eat the Daisies
    • Midnight Lace
    • Lover Come Back
    • That Touch of Mink
    • Billy Rose's Jumbo
    • The Thrill of It All
    • Move Over Darling
    • Send Me No Flowers
    • Do Not Disturb
    • The Glass Bottom Boat
    • The Ballad of Josie
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    • Who Knows What Might Have Been, PART 2
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Picture
"One key question remains at the end of the film: Why did anyone involved want to make this movie? Doris Day, Richard Widmark, and Gene Kelly, were all at the height of their powers in 1958 and surely had their pick of dozens of possible properties. Kelly, who could be a terrific director of musicals, has here made a film that forms an unbecoming bookend with his 1967  A Guide for the Married Man: Both films share the unfortunate underpinning of finding a husband's infidelity an occasion for hijinks and all-around good fun. For her part, Day's involvement stemmed from husband Marty Melcher's status as the film's coproducer. Perhaps the only charitable assessment is to point out that husband and wife would make better choices in the future."  - Considering Doris Day By Tom Santopietro

“30 years and 55 pictures - not more than five that were any good, or any good for me.” - Gig Young

"This is no criticism of Richard Widmark, who is one of the finest film actors we have and who actually started his stage career playing light comedic parts. It's simply that the public fixes an impression of an actor, they accept him in a certain guise and they don't like him to stray too far from it. Widmark had established himself in serious material and they weren't prepared to accept him in this light, sexy part. The public creates type-casting, not the actors - unfortunately." - Gene Kelly from The Films of Gene Kelly: Song and Dance Man







Picture
Picture
Directed by  

Produced by


Written by





Starring









Music by




Cinematography

Editing

Distributed by   

Release date(s)   

Running time

Country

Language

Box-Office Gross (USA)

Gene Kelly

Joseph Fields & Martin Melcher (Arwin Productions)

Peter DeVries (novel)
Joseph Fields , Jerome Chodorov & Peter DeVries (play)
Joseph Fields & Jerome Chodorov (screenplay)

Doris Day
Richard Widmark
Gig Young
Gia Scala
Elisabeth Fraser
Elizabeth Wilson
Vikki Dougan
Doodles Weaver


Paul Csnonka
Al Sack
Leith Stevens
Lee Zahler

Robert J. Bronner

John McSweeney Jr.

MGM

Nov 21, 1958

98 Minutes

USA

English

$3,600,000


After a hugely successful comedy with Gable, this one (co-starring Richard Widmark) did not match the popularity.  Again, lack of screen chemistry between the co-stars was probably the reason.  The title song did make it into the hits of the year.

A 1958 romantic comedy film based on the Broadway hit by Peter De Vries and Joseph Fields. The film follows a married suburban couple who for reasons unknown, are unable to conceive a child and soon endure endless red tape on a path of adopting a child. The film is the first directorial effort from Gene Kelly in which he did not also star. Doris Day received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress

Isolde and Augie Poole (Doris and Richard Widmark) have been trying to have a baby, their efforts so far without success. Isolde is a little uptight because of this lack of success, Augie a little uptight because that's his general nature. They aspire to the life of their best friends and next door neighbors, Alice and Dick Pepper (Gig Young and Elizabeth Frazer), who have three children already with another on the way.

But the one thing Augie doesn't aspire to is Dick's womanizing ways, despite Dick telling Augie that playing the field may make him less uptight, which Dick sees as one of the reasons why the Poole's haven't yet conceived. While the Pooles keep trying, they decide to apply to an adoption agency, Rock-a-bye, with the Peppers as their primary reference. When Estelle Novick (Gia Scala), Rock-a-bye's case investigator, comes for her first visit, Augie and Dick, initially unaware of who she is, make a worse than bad impression (Dick hits on her), and she turns down the Poole's application right then and there.

Miss Novick does come back, deciding to give the Pooles a second chance. On Dick's advice, Augie decides to let loose with Miss Novick. The next afternoon, Augie awakens in a motel room unaware of what happened in the preceding 18 hours; he is under the impression that he and Miss Novick had a tryst. Three months later without having heard from Miss Novick or Rock-a-bye, Miss Novick does come by for her last visit as she is taking an extended leave from her job. Augie is under the impression that she is pregnant and is going away to have his baby, which she is going to give to the Pooles.

Nine months after Augie and Miss Novick's supposed tryst( during which time Augie has been more wound up than ever), Rock-a-bye calls the Pooles with news of a baby. Although Augie is nervous, he is also all consumed with the idea of adopting his biological child. The baby does bear a striking resemblance to Augie, a fact not lost on Isolde, who ultimately confronts Augie with her suspicions. Only Miss Novick can truly explain the situation.

Weeks afterward, as the physical similarity grows, Isolde becomes more suspicious. When Isolde has Augie's baby picture blown up and Alice mistakes it for the baby, Isolde furiously accuses Augie of infidelity and declares she is leaving him. As Isolde is packing, Miss MacCracken returns to make an inspection of the couples' first month with the baby. Realizing that the couple is breaking up, she declares she must make a report to the agency, but Augie pleads for a week and Miss MacCracken agrees. Desperate to stop Isolde from leaving, Augie then confesses the incident with Estelle. Just then, however, Estelle arrives to congratulate the Pooles and repay Augie the loan. She explains the money made it possible for her husband to continue his research in Australia while she had her baby girl.

With her husband's success at publishing a book on his work, she and the baby will join him in Australia. After showing the Pooles a picture of her baby girl and admiring how well the agency did placing the Pooles with their baby, Estelle departs. Isolde apologizes to Augie for her suspicions, then admits to feeling unusual. The Pooles then realize that Isolde is pregnant and retire to the house to celebrate.



Movie Quotes

August 'Augie' Poole: [Isolde has confronted him on the mysterious imbalance of 1000 dollars in their bank account] "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." Who was it said that?
Isolde Poole: The cashier at the Westport Bank.


Isolde Poole: I bought a dress at Bonwits. A lovely watermelon shantung.
August 'Augie' Poole: Fine. Now you've got something fit to wear into Saks.


August 'Augie' Poole: Maybe I'd better get a regular job, and forget about art.
Isolde Poole: Never! Never to my dying day will I let you settle for anything less than you want to be.
Isolde Poole: If Van Gogh had been married to a woman like you, he'd still have both his ears.



Songs

"The Tunnel of Love" - Performed by Doris Day over screen titles

"Have Lips, Will Kiss in the Tunnel of Love" - Performed by Doris Day

"Run Away, Skidaddle, Skidoo" - Performed by Doris Day

"Annual Outing"

"Capers"

"Daphne"

"Esquire Rhumba"

"Jessica"

"Love Scene"

"Midway Break"




Trivia

This was the first time that Gene Kelly directed a movie that he did not star in.


In an outdoor scene the characters are discussing that the month is March but leaves are falling all around them.


From
TCM:

"The film's cast of Richard Widmark, Doris Day and Gig Young had been played on stage by Darren McGavin, Nancy Olson and Tom Ewell. But for a brief period, Ewell's part (the Gig Young movie role) of the ladies' man next door was actually played by late night talk show host, Johnny Carson."

"
Kelly's pinnacle years at MGM came to a close with The Tunnel of Love, which was the final film in his contract. He had been looking for more opportunities to direct and new MGM chief (and Kelly fan) Benny Thau needed someone to tackle The Tunnel of Love, so it was a beneficial collaboration for both of them. But there were conditions. Thau stipulated that Kelly had to make the movie in black & white, using only one primary set, shoot it in just three weeks and for a cost of less than $500,000."


From IMDB:

"Doris Day wrote that her manager/husband Martin Melcher was terribly concerned over the box-office failure of this film and It Happened to Jane (1959). Their failures caused Day to drop out of the Top Ten Box Office Stars. Day and Melcher had words about him hustling her into almost any film for the money instead of waiting to find good scripts that would have produced better results."

"
In the scene when the women are on their bikes discussing the $1000 you can see leaves falling from the trees. However when the guys are inside, reference is made that the month is March."



Movie Images

 

Movie/Song Clips

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  • Home
  • Magic Blog
  • Remembering Doris
    • Sentimental Journey Personal Tributes to the Magic of Doris Day
    • Doris Day was more complicated, and more forward-thinking, than she ever got credit for
    • Lifelong friend, business partner remembers Hollywood legend Doris Day
    • Doris Day, America's box-office sweetheart of the '50s and '60s, is dead at 97
    • Legendary actress and singer Doris Day has died
    • How Doris Day’s Movie Roles Challenged Stereotypes
    • Doris Day 'Died Peacefully' Surrounded by Her 'Loved Ones,' Says Manager
    • Secret love’s no secret anymore
    • The Matchless Presence of Doris Day
    • Doris Day's death mourned in Carmel, where icon lived
    • Remembering Doris Day
    • Dream a little dream of Doris Day
    • Inside Doris Day's Final Birthday Party at Her Home Near Carmel-by-the-Sea: 'It Was Idyllic'
    • Hollywood Pays Tribute to Doris Day
    • Doris Day, Cincinnati's girl next door, dead at 97
    • RIP Doris Day
    • R.I.P. Doris Day Decades
    • TCM Remembers Doris Day
    • Doris Day mourned by celebrities following her death: 'She was the world’s sweetheart'
    • Pine Cone Tribute
    • Doris Day rejected Lifetime Achievement Award about six times
    • Hollywood Remembers Doris Day: Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Goldie Hawn Sing Icon’s PraisesPage
    • Paul McCartney Remembers Doris Day: ‘She Was a True Star’
    • Doris Day Appreciation: Why Did Oscar Elude A Shining Star Of So Many Talents?Link Page
    • Paul Batura: Doris Day’s life was more than ‘Que Sera, Sera’ -- Because our ultimate future is ours to see
    • A Hip Sex Goddess Disguised as the Girl Next Doore
    • In Memoriam
  • Happy Birthday Doris!
    • 2020 Doris Tribute
    • Doris Day's 97th Birthday Celebration
    • Doris Day's 96th Birthday
    • Doris Day 95th Birthday in Carmel
    • Doris Day 92nd Birthday in Carmel
    • Doris Day 91st Birthday in Carmel
    • 90th Birthday Celebration
  • Tributes to an American Icon
    • A Tribute
    • Beneath wholesome image, Doris Day was an actor of depth
    • Doris Day Changed Us Forever
    • Why Doris Day reigns as one of the great jazz singers
    • Lucky Me
    • 60th Anniversary of “It Happened to Jane”
    • A Letter to an American Icon
    • What Singers Can Learn from Doris Day
    • Meeting My Idol
    • Doris Paved the Way for Women through Her Roles
    • Uptown Pluck
    • Reel Revival Doris Day
    • Not the Girl Next Door: Doris Day Reconsidered
    • Blonde and Blameless: Why I Love Doris Day Movies
    • A Tribute to Alma Sophia Welz Kappelhoff Day
    • Celebrity Memories
    • No More Que Será Será: Give Day Her Due
    • Doris Day Photo Gallery
  • Doris and Pets (It's Her Passion)
  • Magic Store
  • Music - Early Years
    • The Peak Years for Doris Music and Hits
    • 1957 and Beyond
    • The Studio Albums
    • Top 100 Hit Single Records
    • Doris Day Jukebox
    • Some Rare Recordings >
      • Rare Recordings, Part Two
    • Doris and Les "Those Were the Good Old Days"
    • Sheet Music Covers
  • Movies
    • Doris Day Co-Stars
    • Romance on the High Seas
    • My Dream Is Yours
    • It's a Great Feeling
    • Young Man with a Horn
    • Tea for Two
    • The West Point Story
    • Storm Warning
    • Lullaby of Broadway
    • On Moonlight Bay
    • I'll See You in My Dreams
    • Starlift
    • The Winning Team
    • April in Paris
    • By the Light of the Silvery Moon
    • Calamity Jane
    • Lucky Me
    • Young at Heart
    • Love Me or Leave Me
    • The Man Who Knew Too Much
    • Julie
    • The Pajama Game
    • Teacher's Pet
    • The Tunnel of Love
    • It Happened to Jane
    • Pillow Talk
    • Please Don't Eat the Daisies
    • Midnight Lace
    • Lover Come Back
    • That Touch of Mink
    • Billy Rose's Jumbo
    • The Thrill of It All
    • Move Over Darling
    • Send Me No Flowers
    • Do Not Disturb
    • The Glass Bottom Boat
    • The Ballad of Josie
    • Caprice
    • Where Were You When the Lights Went Out
    • With Six You Get Eggroll
    • Top 20 Girls Next Door in Movies
    • Press Books
    • Movie Memorabilia
  • Radio
  • Television
    • Doris Day Show Season 1
    • Doris Day Show Season 2
    • Doris Day Show Season 3
    • Doris Day Show Season 4
    • Doris Day Show Season 5
    • Doris Day Show Photo Gallery
    • Doris Day Specials
    • Doris Day's Best Friends
  • Interviews, Appearances on TV and Radio
    • 40's & 50's
    • 60's
    • 70's
    • 80's
    • 90's
    • 2000's & 10's
    • Radio Calls on Doris' Birthday
  • Latest News
    • 4-Legger News
  • Awards
    • Doris Day rejected Lifetime Achievement Award about six times
  • Doris Day Fashion
    • Doris Day in Pillow Talk: Couture Allure
  • Doris in Carmel
    • DayDreamers
  • Doris through the Years
    • Cover Girl (Magazine Covers)
  • Quotes by and about Doris
  • Doris Talks to Her Fans (Fan Club Tapes)
    • Fans Talk To Doris
  • Who Knows What Might Have Been
    • Who Knows What Might Have Been, PART 2
  • Creative Video Collection
  • Doris Day Collector
  • And a few rounds of applause...
  • Contact Us