Send Me No Flowers

in 1960 [ [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=2276 "Send Me No Flowers" at the Internet Broadway Database] ] .

ynopsis

When he experiences chest pains, hopeless hypochondriac George checks into the hospital for a checkup and overhears his doctor discussing the diagnosis of a terminally ill patient with an associate. Assuming he is the one scheduled to die, he asks his friend Arnold to help him find a new husband for his wife Judy so he'll know she won't be alone once he's gone. He locates Judy's old college beau Bert, now a Texas oil baron. Meanwhile, Judy mistakes her husband's machinations for an attempt to cover up an extramarital affair and throws him out of the house.

Production notes

The Universal Pictures release was the third (and last) on-screen pairing of Rock Hudson and Doris Day, following "Pillow Talk" (1959) and "Lover Come Back" (1961). Tony Randall also co-starred in the earlier films.

The film earned $4,108,000 in the U.S.

The title tune was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach.

Principal cast

*Rock Hudson ..... George
*Doris Day ..... Judy
*Tony Randall ..... Arnold
*Paul Lynde ..... Mr. Akins
*Clint Walker ..... Bert
*Hal March ..... Winston Burr
*Edward Andrews ..... Dr. Morrissey

Principal production credits

*Producer ..... Martin Melcher
*Original Music ..... Frank De Vol
*Cinematography ..... Daniel L. Fapp
*Art Direction ..... Robert Clatworthy, Alexander Golitzen
*Set Decoration ..... John McCarthy, Jr.
*Costume Design ..... Jean Louis

Critical reception

In his review in the "New York Times", Bosley Crowther called it "a beautiful farce situation" and added, "Julius Epstein has written it . . . with nimble inventiveness and style. And Norman Jewison has directed so that it stays within bounds of good taste, is never cruel or insensitive, and makes something good of every gag." [ [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F04E2DA133AE13ABC4B52DFB767838F679EDE "New York Times" review] ]

"Variety" felt " [it] doesn't carry the same voltage, either in laughs or originality, as Doris Day and Rock Hudson's two previous entries." [ [http://www2.variety.com/ref.asp?u=IMDB&p=H2BE&sid=VE1117794743 "Variety" review] ]

"Time Out London" calls it "probably the best of the Doris Day/Rock Hudson vehicles . . . nicely set in a pastel-coloured suburban dreamworld, but the ineradicable blandness gets you down in the end." [ [http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/74296/send_me_no_flowers.html "Time Out London" review] ]

Channel 4 says, "it would be churlish to complain that it is a little bland, fairly predictable and has an unsurprising happy ending. There's enough humour in the ensuing misunderstandings and enough skill in the playing and direction to stifle not just criticism but even the odd yawn." [ [http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=108101 Channel 4 review] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058571/ "Send Me No Flowers" at the Internet Movie Database]
* [http://www.tcm.turner.com/thismonth/article.jsp?cid=30022&mainArticleId=62604 "Send Me No Flowers" at Turner Classic Movies]