Lover Come Back (1961)

I am a big fan of Doris Day, and Lover Come Back is no exception. It is stylish, with the beautiful production values, lovely music and sophisticated direction. It is witty, with a great story and a funny script, I have to admit those anti-advertising jokes are still amusing. And it is beautifully performed. Rock Hudson is immensely likable and charming and Doris Day hasn't lost her warmth. They are well supported by Tony Randall(in another of his better performances), Edie Adams and Jack Kruschen. My only real criticism is the ending really, I know it is all to do with taste but I do find the ending rather tasteless. Overall though, it is a delight of a film. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Fmovies: The feminist brigade will doubtless take offense, but this send-up of Madison Avenue, careerist women and consumerism is hilarious. Jackie Gleason was once asked why The Honeymooners has stood the test of time. A bit peeved, he replied, "Because it's funny."

The same with Lover Come Back. Almost every line is a joke, and every single joke works — it was funny in 1961 and is funny today. The script is tight and never insults our intelligence with implausible plot points. And the stars, Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall, are at their peak. And the feature roles are filled with great character players (Anne B. Davis, Joe Flynn and the great Jack Oakie). You'd almost think it was the golden age of the Studio System.

It's difficult to summarize the plot, because it would be like explaining the punch line of a great joke. Trust me on this: Lover Come Back will go down as one of the great comedies in movie history.

There's a scene at the aquarium, where Jerry Webster seduces Carol Templeton. It takes place in front of a tank with an angler-fish and a minnow. Need I say more?

This Doris Day/Rock Hudson comedy is a vast improvement over their previous one, "Pillow Talk". At least, both stars seem to be having a relaxed time with one another, under the direction of Delbert Mann. It helps a lot that the tremendously talented writing team of Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning are around to give the movie lots of laughs with what they created.

The idea of warring advertising executives works well. Doris Day plays the uptight Carol Templeton, a girl from the provinces that manages to land a plum job in a Madison Avenue firm and lives in a fantastic Manhattan apartment that was only to be found in the movies. Carol dresses with style, but one wonders whose idea was to have her wear those hideous hats she constantly sports.

Carol's enemy turns out to be Jerry Webster, the playboy adman who steals everything from Carol's reach. As played by Rock Hudson, this is one of his best roles in comedy. Somehow he made us believe he was that man who has a knack to get what he wants, especially from the adoring women he charms.

The basic premise of the film is the constant battle between Carol and Jerry. Both stars do some of their best work as they clash over the new product that suddenly appears in ads all over the place. VIP is something nobody knows about, yet Carol wants to get the account. VIP turns out to be a product that gives its user a great feeling for only 10 cents. Sampling the product at the Ad Council, where Carol takes Jerry to be tried for his unprofessional conduct, turns out to be one of the best things that ever happened to Carol and Jerry and all the ones that have a taste of the product.

Doris Day was a beautiful comedienne. Her wholesome figure and natural charm is one of the best things this film has going for it. Rock Hudson also is excellent with his take of the lecherous Jerry. Tony Randall plays another of his neurotic characters. Edie Adams is only seen shortly, but in her few scenes, she is wonderful. Jack Oakie makes a great appearance as the Virginian with a taste for girls and booze on a business trip in Manhattan.

This is a comedy for Doris Day and Rock Hudson fans.

Lover Come Back fmovies. I love this movie. It's one of the wittiest and funniest comedies I've ever seen, and I can watch it over and over again without getting tired. I like "old" movies, but most comedies of the 50's and 60's contain some scenes where I can't help feeling a bit embarrassed because they are so old fashioned and can't be understood or laughed at 50 years later. But this movie is still perfect, although the mentalities have changed so much. The actors (Day, Hudson and Randall) are wonderful and there are not many pictures that catch the 60's better: the furniture, the clothes... And besides, is there an actor (or man) nowadays who has so much sex-appeal as Rock Hudson without looking as if he was 15 or without having many muscles and no brain? I love the song "Lover Come Back" and the opening credits too. If you like romantic comedies with wit, spirit and great actors, watch this one!

and with a lavender floor joke!... among an avalanche of gay jokes, a marijuana joke, and plenty of virgin cracking gags. ...LOVER COME BACK is - in widescreen - an hilarious all star advertising comedy with a gorgeous Doris Day (in a million spectacular outfits) and a very he-man Hudson poking fun at his image. If you have seen the 1957 sex farce WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER also with Tony Randall and also spoofing the advertising industry, this sparkling 1961 comedy is a worthy chaser.. as well as fleshing out the PILLOW TALK imagery and settings. I found this film to be really funny, and in superb colour art direction and photography that just made it a treat to watch. it does not matter that it is dated by our clever new standards, or that Hudson really did turn out to be gay, because this film is already having fun with itself... and recalls how witty and delightful these pix were designed to be. The recent DOWN WITH LOVE attempt with Ewan Macgregor and Renee Zellweger miscast completely only shows how these 60s pix got it right the first time and should be left alone and not 'spoofed' as they already were satires and ideal as they prove in this DVD. Randall as usual is hilarious.

Both Rock and Doris are caught up in the VIP madness. Trouble is that no one knows what VIP actually is. You see that Rock made it all up to get Edie Adams off his back. Unfortunately, his "crazy" boss, Tony Randall, doesn't know this and as a result the hilarity begins.

Rock Hudson excelled in comedy roles when he would be imitating others so as to fool Doris Day. Remember Rex Stetson in another Rock and Doris film? As Jerry Webster, the advertising Casanova in this film, Rock gave a totally memorable performance. Doris plays Carol Templeton, a devoted advertising executive who can no longer stand losing accounts to Jerry, since he knows how to wine, dine and bed prospective clients.

The dialogue is crisp and riotous at best. Edie Adams as Rebel will make you laugh out loud with a darling southern accent. Jack Kruschen has his moments as the embittered chemist who can be bought. Interesting to note that both Adams and Kruschen appeared together the year before in "The Apartment." As is the case with this film as well, they weren't in any scenes together.

A romp in every sense of the word.