That Touch Of Mink 1962
It’s hard
for me to believe that it’s been 52 years since I saw That Touch of Mink at
Radio City Music Hall with my mom. I was 15 and even at that age I wasn’t so
crazy about it and seeing again the other night didn’t change my opinion of it.
Doris Day who was pushing 40 plays an out of work working “girl” who one day in
the rain gets her pretty outfit splashed with water by Cary Grant’s car and
she’s all upset and fuming until she gets a look at Grant and falls heads over
heels in love with him. When he tries to give her some money for her ruined
outfit she turns it down, but agrees to go out on a date with him. This is all
silly but it is also vapid and vulgar with sly innuendoes that passed for high
comedy back in the wink wink early 60’s versions of boy meets girls
romances.
The only problem is that both Grant and Day were too old to be playing these kind of roles, and no doubt it was with this performance by Grant which is one of his worst that he decided to retire from films after doing three more films including the much better “Charade” with a more fitting romantic co-star Audrey Hepburn than Day proved to be.
Grant who looks lost and embarrassed throughout the film plays a rich businessman who wines, dines and tries to make Day by taking her on a lavish weekend trip to Bermuda but Day is so freaked out about spending the night with Grant that she breaks out in a rash and back they go to New York. We are asked to believe that Doris is still a virgin.
Also on hand is her roommate played by Audrey Meadows who works in the Automat and feeds Day free food. Meadows is also too old for her role but her tough as nails persona, a carry over from her Honeymooners days is sometimes good for a laugh or two. Also in the cast is Gig Young in the Tony Randall role playing the loyal stooge for Grant and the butt of most of the jokes including some gentle homophobic gags where his psychiatrist thinks that Gig is in love with another man and wants to marry him. Pretty prophetic in it’s own stupid way.
There are the usual mix-ups, mistaken identities, sexual putdowns and misogynist jokes along with laughs directed at character’s looks. There is no chemistry between Grant and Day, they seem to be in separate worlds let alone separate movies, he’s wooden and she’s pretty much off the wall through most of the film. They’re like paper cut-outs, dolls which the director pushes around and in and out of scene after fake looking scene with no feeling or sense of Hollywood reality. The film also is garish and ugly but the 60’s fashions are worth a look. This film was a big hit becoming the 4th biggest grossing film of the year and getting Three Oscar nominations including one for original screenplay. Go figure.
The only problem is that both Grant and Day were too old to be playing these kind of roles, and no doubt it was with this performance by Grant which is one of his worst that he decided to retire from films after doing three more films including the much better “Charade” with a more fitting romantic co-star Audrey Hepburn than Day proved to be.
Grant who looks lost and embarrassed throughout the film plays a rich businessman who wines, dines and tries to make Day by taking her on a lavish weekend trip to Bermuda but Day is so freaked out about spending the night with Grant that she breaks out in a rash and back they go to New York. We are asked to believe that Doris is still a virgin.
Also on hand is her roommate played by Audrey Meadows who works in the Automat and feeds Day free food. Meadows is also too old for her role but her tough as nails persona, a carry over from her Honeymooners days is sometimes good for a laugh or two. Also in the cast is Gig Young in the Tony Randall role playing the loyal stooge for Grant and the butt of most of the jokes including some gentle homophobic gags where his psychiatrist thinks that Gig is in love with another man and wants to marry him. Pretty prophetic in it’s own stupid way.
There are the usual mix-ups, mistaken identities, sexual putdowns and misogynist jokes along with laughs directed at character’s looks. There is no chemistry between Grant and Day, they seem to be in separate worlds let alone separate movies, he’s wooden and she’s pretty much off the wall through most of the film. They’re like paper cut-outs, dolls which the director pushes around and in and out of scene after fake looking scene with no feeling or sense of Hollywood reality. The film also is garish and ugly but the 60’s fashions are worth a look. This film was a big hit becoming the 4th biggest grossing film of the year and getting Three Oscar nominations including one for original screenplay. Go figure.
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