Even though it seems like Doris Day and Rock Hudson made as many films as Tracy and Hepburn, they actually made just three for Universal between 1959 and 1964. The trio of films Day and Hudson made hardly reflects pinnacles in cinema history, but they show what deft writing, nimble direction and expert farceurs can do to make these soufflé-light romantic comedies thoroughly enjoyable. As my favorite of the three, this frenetic 1961 farce evolves from a familiar act of deception initiated by Hudson's character, at which point it becomes a series of humiliations and comeuppances for both principals before the inevitable happy ending.
Directed by Delbert Mann and written by Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning, the movie works the exact same plot devices as 1959's "Pillow Talk", even the split-screen confrontations, but converts the pair into highly competitive advertising account executives at separate agencies. This time, Day is even more priggish as Carol Templeton, who loathes Hudson's Jerry Webster, as he manages to steal accounts under her and everybody else's nose by holding wild parties for the prospective clients. In an effort to pacify an ambitious model who wants to become a TV star, he shoots her in commercials for VIP, a product that doesn't exist.
Through the incompetence of his nominal boss Pete Ramsey, the commercials hit the airwaves, which force Jerry to recruit reclusive scientist Linus Tyler to invent a product for VIP. In her effort to steal the VIP account from Jerry, Carol mistakes Jerry for Linus, and the rest becomes inevitable. Since Shapiro also co-wrote "Pillow Talk", this one gets even more far-fetched, but its lightning-quick pace, plethora of sexual double-entendres, constant tweaking of Madison Avenue ad agencies and a wildly improbable ending make it a funnier movie. Both Day and Hudson show themselves to be expert at this type of formulaic romantic comedy, and perennial third-wheel Tony Randall plays Ramsey with his trademark boastful befuddlement. The 2004 DVD contains only the original theatrical trailer as an extra.
