SEND ME NO FLOWERS
US, 1964, 100 minutes, Colour.
Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, Paul Lynde, Hal March, Edward Andrews, Clint Walker.
Directed by Norman Jewison.
Send Me No Flowers is the third and final teaming of Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall. They made a big impact in 1959 in Pillow Talk and then in 1961 in Lover Come Back.
This was the kind of film that Doris Day was making in the 1960s – with Cary Grant in That Touch of Mink, with Rock Hudson in Do Not Disturb and The Glass-Bottom? Boat, with Richard Harris in Caprice.
Rock Hudson gets a diagnosis that is not his – a hypochondriac who believes that he is dying and decides to find a new husband for his wife, Doris Day. However, she becomes very suspicious and suspects the worst.
This is popular entertainment, misunderstandings, happy endings. Rock Hudson was to continue to do this kind of film with other stars including Gina Lollobrigida in Come September and Strange Bedfellows, Claudia Cardinale in Blindfold and A Fine Pair.
This was the third film to be directed by Norman Jewison. He also directed Doris Day in The Thrill Of It all, with James Garner. He was to go on to direct many films over the coming decades, quite a range from Fiddler on the Roof to Jesus Christ Superstar to Agnes of God to The Hurricane. Three of his films were nominated for best film Oscars: In the Heat of the Night, A Soldier’s Story, Moonstruck.
1. How entertaining a comedy? Observation on human nature? Rock Hudson/Doris Day comedy and the tradition and expectations?
2. Popular audience enjoyment of this kind of American domestic comedy? the conventions of the presentation of of husband and wife, home life, relationships, risk to the marriage? Friendly neighbour, doctor? How were these presented ? conventiontionally, ironically for the theme of hypochondria and marriage? The quality of this Doris Day comedy within the context of her other films?
3. Colour photography, home locations? Music and songs? The credits?
4. How credible was the plot? Was this important? The emphasis on George and his hypochondria and the consequences of this? The impact on Judy? Power and his arrival and the threat to the marriage? The complications and mix-ups - especially with the doctor? Do audiences accept basic plot implausibilities for the entertainment value?
5. Rock Hudson’s style as George? The initial presentation of his hypochondria at home, his work, his visit to the doctor and misunderstanding about his death? The satire in his imagining his illness In terms of TV commercials? His decisions about Judy, his jealousy, the humour of his involvement with the neighbour about to be divorced and Judy’s reaction? His relying on Nash? The complications and his handling of them? A Conventional American husband character? poked fun at? the contrast with Judy and Doris Day as the all American wife? Pandering to her husband's whims? Involved in farcical situations? being locked outside etc.? Her relationship with the neighbour, trying to cope with George’s idiosyncracies, her jealousy and the threat to the marriage? Her pretence at the end that all was not well? The humour of it the mutual deception and forgiveness?
6. Nash and the good neighbour, his presence in the neighbourhood, sharing the interests of the family, the humour of his compassion for George and his drinking? His being involved in the marriage complications?
7. The character of the doctor and his ability to deal with George, the humur of the mix-ups, of his arrival back with the fish, his being blamed,, helping with the solutions?
8. The humour of these crises as inflated by comedy? How much insight into marriage relatlonships jealousy?
9. The humour about hypochondria, the indication of the title, the poking fun at the soft American husband? Of the modern pill-popping generation?
10. The character of Power and Clint Walker as the other man the ambiguous humour and audience enjoyment of this?
11. Is thare any more value than sheer lighthearted entertainment in this kind of domestic Americana?
