A VERY SPECIAL FAVOR
US, 1965, 105 minutes, Colour.
Rock Hudson, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Nita Talbot, Dick Shawn, Walter Slezak, Larry Storch.
Directed by Michael Gordon.
A Very Special Favor is one of those light sex comedies so popular at the end of the '50s and into the '60s. It was written by Stanley Shapiro (who won an Oscar for Pillow Talk) and was directed by Michael Gordon, the director of Pillow Talk. Pillow Talk, in fact, began a series of very popular comedies at Universal with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. Others were made with Doris Day and Cary Grant, Rod Taylor, James Garner. Rock Hudson also made films like this with Gina Lollobrigida and this one with Leslie Caron. However, by this time the formula was wearing somewhat thin.
Rock Hudson handles the comedy lightly. Leslie Caron is always pleasant on screen. There is Charles Boyer as a typical French father and some amusing support by Walter Slezak and, especially, Dick Shawn and Norma Varden as his mother.
The film has French and American locations, lavish style - and Yves St. Laurent costumes. It is that kind of film.
1. An enjoyable light comedy? The popularity of this kind of film in the late '50s and '60s?
2. Production values: French and American locations, chic and affluent atmosphere - apartments, hotels, restaurants? The glamour of the stars? The musical score?
3. The title - and the indication of the light sex comedy? The way that the title was applied by Michel for Paul and Lauren?
4. The focus on Paul as the romantic hero - the initial encounter with the judge and the favourable case in France? His impressing Michel? His behaviour on the place with the hostess, the double phone call on return? Michel asking the favour to court his plain daughter? Paul presenting himself as a patient, the therapy groups, individual therapy? His pretending that women couldn't resist him - and his contriving sequences? Lauren falling for the trick, for him? Michel's
revelation of the truth and Michel turning on him, the drinking sequences? Her humiliating him - and pretending that she had an affair with a Spanish Captain? His reversing roles and pretending to be homosexual? The evening out of all the wrinkles in the plot and the reconciliation, marriage - and the number of children?
5. Leslie Caron as Lauren - prim, her running Arnold, her bossing him about, the patients, the response to Paul over the phone, diagnosing his illness, putting him in therapy, her helping him ,listening to his stories, coming to his rescue - though not always able to and caught up in the party in the hotel? Her bringing him to her apartment, Arnold's reaction? The discovery of the truth? Her putting on her act - and drinking? The encounter with Arnold's mother and her horror? The discovery of her father the bond with him? The reverse trick about homosexuality? Her rescuing Paul and falling in love?
6. Charles Boyer as Michel, the Gallic lawyer, the visit to America, his memories of his little daughter, his watching her, Arnold employing Paul, his daughter, telling on Paul, the further complications, his friendship with Etienne though using him? The happy ending?
7. Arnold as the put-upon American, being bossed about by Lauren - and not knowing so much was wrong with him until she told him? His prim mother and her encountering the drunk Lauren and encountering Paul?
8. Etienne and his helping Michel at the restaurant? Paul's secretary and her disguising herself as a man - and the friendship with the philosophical taxi driver? Paul getting drunk and the whole group drinking to his cause?
9. The humour, the picking fun at sexual stereotypes, at American primness? French primness? The risque humour with the light touch?
