Move Over, Darling
Move Over, Darling | |
---|---|
20th Century Fox | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 103 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $3,350,000[1] |
Box office | $12,705,882[2] |
Move Over, Darling is a 1963 American comedy film starring
The film is a
Move Over, Darling was chosen as the 1964
At the 21st Golden Globe Awards, Doris Day was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical but lost to Shirley MacLaine in Irma la Douce.
Plot
Lawyer Nick Arden is in court to get two petitions approved: he wants his first wife Ellen Wagstaff Arden
On the same day, Ellen returns to shore on a U.S. Navy submarine, which had rescued her from a deserted island where she had spent the last five years. When she returns to her and Nick's home, she encounters her young daughters, who do not remember her, but she does not have the heart to tell them the truth. Her mother-in-law Grace Arden tells her of the new marriage and puts her on a plane to Monterey so that she can prevent its consummation.
Ellen arrives at the hotel and manages to alert Nick of her presence, who is overjoyed to reunite with her and wants to stay with her. Ellen requests that he tell Bianca the truth first. When Nick returns to a confused and angry Bianca, Ellen eavesdrops on their conversation. Nick cannot bring himself to tell Bianca the truth and Ellen leaves the hotel angrily. When Nick sees Ellen leave, he fakes an injury to prevent further advances by Bianca.
The next day, when Nick comes home, he meets Ellen who is masquerading as a Swedish masseuse employed by Nick's mother to help him with his back. As Ellen and Bianca tussle, the doorbell goes. An insurance man is there with papers for a Mrs Arden to sign regarding a Stephen Burkett. Nick is informed that Ellen was on the deserted island with a man called Stephen Burkett for the whole five years and they were rescued together. They called each other "Adam" and "Eve". Nick is furious that Ellen did not tell him about Burkett and confronts her. She tells him that Burkett is a nerd and that nothing happened between them.
Later, with her mother-in-law's advice, she convinces an awkward-looking shoe clerk to pose as Burkett. Nick is not convinced and looks for Burkett himself. When he finds him at a hotel pool, he notices to his horror that Burkett is young, attractive, and athletic. Nick invites Ellen to the same pool bar to confront her with Burkett. But before she sees Burkett, she tells the truth about him but still swears that nothing happened between the two in the five years and asks for Nick's forgiveness. But when she notices Burkett, she angrily accuses Nick of trying to embarrass her and storms off.
Nick tells Bianca the truth about Ellen but is informed that Grace has reported him for bigamy earlier to force him to make a decision regarding Ellen and Bianca. This leads to another chaotic court date, where several matters are put to the decision of the same judge, who is even more confused: Nick's charge of bigamy, Bianca's request to annul their marriage, Ellen's request to void her death certificate, and Ellen's request for a divorce from Nick. The judge dismisses the bigamy charge, annuls Nick's and Bianca's marriage, declares Ellen alive again and postpones judgement on the divorce proceedings.
When Ellen returns to her home several hours later, devastated, Nick has already told his daughters that she is their mother and all happily reunite.
Cast
- Doris Day as Ellen Wagstaff Arden ("Eve")
- James Garner as Nick Arden
- Polly Bergen as Bianca Steele Arden
- Thelma Ritter as Grace Arden
- Fred Clark as Mr. Codd
- Don Knotts as Shoe Clerk
- Chuck Connors as Stephen Burkett ("Adam")
- Edgar Buchanan as Judge Bryson
- John Astin as Clyde Prokey
- Elliott Reid as Dr. Herman Schlick
- Pat Harrington Jr. as District Attorney
- Alan Sues as Court Clerk
- Max Showalter as Hotel Desk Clerk
- Eddie Quillan as Bellboy
- Jack Orrison as Bartender
- Pami Lee as Jenny Arden
- Leslie Farrell as Didi Arden
Production notes
This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2022) |
The film's script was written by
The story is a comedic update of the 1864 poem "Enoch Arden" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and the poem's title is the source of the lead characters' surname. This was the seventh film based on "Enoch Arden".
The film was originally to be a vehicle for
Garner accidentally broke Day's rib during the massage scene in which he pulls Day off of Bergen. He was not aware of what had happened until the next day, when he felt the bandage while putting his arms around Day.
The film utilized most of the interiors and stage-built exteriors from the original Cukor production for the Arden home, which was based on Cukor's Beverly Hills home. The on-location exterior scenes at the Arden home were filmed about three miles west, at 377 South Mapleton Drive in Holmby Hills. The original neoclassical house seen in the film has since been replaced by an enormous Italianate structure.
The producers scheduled the scene with Day riding through a car wash for the last day of shooting because they feared that the chemicals in the detergents might affect her complexion. When the scene went off without a hitch, they admitted their ploy to Day, then used the story in promotional materials for the film.
Box office
The film grossed $12,705,882 in the United States,
According to Fox records, the film was profitable, as it earned $8,750,000, exceeding the $8,300,000 needed in order to break even.[6]
Reception
The film has received generally mixed reviews from critics. In 1963, a review in Variety stated: "Doris Day and James Garner play it to the hilt, comically, dramatically and last, but not least (particularly in the case of the former), athletically. What is missing in their portrayals is a light touch, the ability to humorously convey with a subtle eyelash-bat or eyebrow-arch what it tends to take them a kick in the shins to accomplish."[7]
However, more recent reviews have been more positive. David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews praised James Garner’s performance
Soundtrack
- "Move Over Darling" – The film's title theme, with music and lyrics by Joe Lubin, Hal Kanter and Terry Melcher (Day's son), arranged by Jack Nitzsche, is sung by Day and chorus (featuring ace West Coast session singers the Blossoms, featuring Darlene Love, Fanita James and Jean King) during the opening credits and played as background music at the end. The song reached #8 on the British singles chart in 1964 for Day and charted in 1983 for Tracey Ullman.[10]
- "Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)" from Lohengrin (1850) – Written by Richard Wagner, the song is played when Nick and Bianca arrive at their honeymoon hotel.
- "Beautiful Dreamer" – With music and lyrics by Stephen Foster, it is heard as background music during the memorial service for Ellen.
- "Twinkle Lullaby" – Ellen sings this song, with music and lyrics by Joe Lubin, to her children.
Novelization
Slightly in advance of the film's release, as was the custom of the era, a paperback
The book can be classified as an "inferred novelization" as none of the screenwriters is given attribution, but the copyright is assigned to
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p253
- ^ a b Box Office Information for Move Over, Darling. The Numbers. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- ^ p. 170 Reid, John Howard Cinemascope 3: Hollywood Takes the Plunge Lulu.com; First edition January 18, 2006
- ^ Garner, James, and Winokur, Jon. The Garner Files: A Memoir Simon & Schuster; (November 1, 2011)
- ^ Solomon p 229. Please note figures are rentals.
- ISBN 9780818404856.
- ^ "Move Over, Darling". Variety. December 31, 1962. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- ^ "Move Over Darling 1963". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- RadioTimes. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- ^ spectropop.com/TerryMelcher