Themes: Playing the Field, Battle of the Sexes, Opposites Attract
Main Cast: Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, Edie Adams, Jack Oakie
Release Year: 1961
Country: US
Run Time: 107 minutes
Plot
Although not as well known as Pillow Talk (1959), this romantic-comedy pairing of stars Rock Hudson and Doris Day earned an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay. Hudson stars as Jerry Webster, a Madison Avenue advertising executive who has achieved success not through hard work or intelligence but by wining and dining his big-shot clients, even setting them up on dates with attractive girls. Jerry's equal at a rival agency is Carol Templeton (Day). Although she has never met him, Carol is disgusted by Jerry's unethical antics and reports him to the Ad Council. Jerry avoids trouble with his usual aplomb, sending a comely chorus girl, Rebel Davis (Edie Adams), to seduce the council members. When Jerry subsequently makes Rebel the star of television commercials for a nonexistent product called VIP, the spots are accidentally aired by perplexed company president Pete Ramsey (Tony Randall). Carol becomes determined to win the VIP account away from Jerry, but after she discovers the truth, she again reports him to the Ad Council. Jerry skirts out of trouble a second time by producing VIP, an intoxicating candy quickly whipped up by company research scientist Linus Tyler (Jack Kruschen). VIP's extreme effects lead to a one-night stand between bitter rivals Jerry and Carol, with unexpected consequences. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
The second of their signature trio of romantic comedies, Lover Come Back (1961) mixes the sexual sparring between Doris Day's ethical career woman Carol and Rock Hudson's scheming Lothario Jerry with a lightly humorous satire of the advertising business. Taking on the ultimate 1950s profession, and 1950s sexual mores, Jerry's efforts to outwit "undersexed" (but divinely dressed) business competitor Carol with an accidentally successful ad campaign for non-existent product VIP and an identity subterfuge send up both consumer desire and male-female sex roles. As with Pillow Talk (1959), the 1980s revelation of Hudson's sexuality adds an extra edge to Jerry's feigned sexual innocence and fears of impotence (not to mention his walk through a lobby wearing only a woman's fur coat), but the joke's already on the notion that men always pursue It and women shouldn't, as Day muses in song, Surrender. Tony Randall's worthless advertising scion is the ultimate example of both corporate vacuity and privileged weakness, as he unknowingly sets Jerry's VIP campaign in motion to assert his negligible power. Snappily directed by Delbert Mann, Lover Come Back became another Day-Hudson hit, and earned an Oscar nomination for Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning's screenplay. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
This movie directed by Delbert Mann features one of the most prolific comic trios in the American cinema: Day/Hudson/Randall. Although not as well known as Pillow Talk (1959), this romantic-comedy pairing of stars Rock Hudson and Doris Day earned an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay.
The story concerns life in a New York advertising agency. Rock Hudson stars as Jerry Webster, a Madison Avenue ad executive who has achieved success not through hard work or intelligence but by wining and dining his clients, even setting them up on dates with attractive girls.
Jerry's equal and sworn enemy at a rival agency is Carol Templeton (Doris Day). Although she has never met him, Carol is disgusted by Jerry's unethical antics and reports him to the Ad Council. Jerry avoids trouble with his usual aplomb, sending a comely chorus girl, Rebel Davis (Edie Adams), to seduce the council members.
Jerry then promises Rebel a spot in commercials, so he shoots commercials featuring her for “VIP,” a non-existent product. The commercials accidentally are broadcast on TV, thanks to perplexed company president, Pete Ramsey (Tony Randall). Jerry needs to come up with a product quickly. He bribes a chemist, Dr. Linus Tyler (Jack Kruschen), to come up with a “VIP” that could be marketed. Jerry pretends to be the inventor to Carol, while she is attempting to steal the account from him by wining, dining, golfing, and frolicking at the beach with him.
Carol learns the truth. Appalled, she once more reports him to the Advertising Council, this time for advertising a nonexistent product. Jerry, however, arrives at the hearing with VIP, a mint-flavored candy he offers it to everyone including Carol.
“VIP” turns out to be an intoxicating candy, having the same effect as a triple martini. Its extreme effects lead to a one-night stand between Carol (who has a low tolerance for alcohol) and her bitter rival, Jerry, complete with marriage license. Carol has the marriage annulled, but Jerry convinces the liquor industry to give Carol a quarter of its advertising. Jerry leaves New York to work in the company's California branch — only to be called back nine months later to remarry Carol in a hospital maternity ward, just before she gives birth to their child.
Quotes
Doctor Linus Tyler: Just what the world needs, a good 10-cent drunk!
Carol Templeton: You kissed me and I was thrilled!
Jerry Webster: A kiss? What does that prove? It's like finding out you can light a stove. It doesn't make you a cook.
Doctor (after seeing Carol & Jerry on their way to the materity ward): That's what I call close.
Songs
Doris Day sings two songs in the film: "Lover Come Back" during the opening credits, and "Should I Surrender" as she contemplates what to do with her feelings for Jerry.
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