“As Head of the Agency, I Have a Right to Know. Are We in Trouble?” “Yes, We’re in Trouble.” “You Shouldn’t Have Told Me.”
Yep, I’m getting ready to read another Madison Night mystery from Diane Vallere, so that means it was time to watch Lover Come Back, the related Doris Day movie. This is a romantic comedy with a fun premise. However, the result ultimately fell flat for me.
This movie finds Doris Day sharing the screen with frequent leading man Rock Hudson. They play rival advertising agents at competing agencies. Carol Templeton (Doris Day) is tired of losing promising clients to Jerry Webster (Rock Hudson). Jerry’s secret? Alcohol and parties with young women. However, when Carol gets wind of a promising new product, vip, she decides to steal the account from Jerry. However, there is no such thing as vip, something that Jerry knows but is keeping secret for his own reasons. What will happen next?
Yes, this sounds a little confusing on paper, but on the screen, this set up works perfectly. This could have turned into a classic farce. Okay, a few elements of a farce weren’t here, but there were enough ways to milk humor from the set up.
And it delivered well on the premise for much of the movie. I was having fun watching the story unfold and watching Carol and Jerry falling in love. Having said that, I thought the funniest scenes involved Jerry and his boss, Pete, played by Tony Randall. They had some of the best lines and they played off each other well.
Not to say that I didn’t find the chemistry between Doris Day and Rock Hudson believable. They were definitely great as well. There are several actors you’ll recognize from other movies and shows of the era. The one I got the biggest kick out of seeing was Ann B. Davis. This might be the first time I’ve seen her in something other than The Brady Bunch.
So where did my problem come? The ending. It was obvious the writers didn’t quite know how to end things, so they just threw something together and hoped that the fans would buy it. Sorry, but I didn’t. I can see ways the characters could definitely wind up with a happy ending, but the way we got just didn’t work for me and rushed things too much.
Yes, I still recommend Lover Come Back. But be prepared for a rushed ending that doesn’t really satisfy like it should.
I love Doris Day, but I haven't watched this movie. Nice review, Mark.
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