Move over Darling (1963)

Doris Day, the perky, chaste adult star of an odd collection of winking 1960s sex comedies, takes the Irene Dunne role in this remake of the comedy classic My Favorite Wife. As the survivor of a five-year ordeal on a desert island, she returns home the very day her husband has remarried. James Garner, trading his Maverick impish humor and con man cool for a mugging performance of double takes and pratfalls, is her overjoyed husband who is too cowardly to tell his neurotic bride (Polly Bergen). All of this, naturally, leads to a ridiculously complicated plot that combines door-slamming sex farce with mistaken identities (Day poses as a Swedish masseuse) and a goofy sped-up car chase. Chuck Connors, who costars as Day's hunky, he-man island mate "Adam," leads a topnotch supporting cast that includes sassy Thelma Ritter as Garner's no-nonsense mother, Don Knotts as a nervous shoe salesman enlisted by Day to impersonate Adam, Fred Clark at his indignant best, and John Astin and Pat Harrington in early roles. Edgar Buchanan practically steals the film as a gruff, irascible judge who growls through the legal circus that forms the film's chaotic climax. The cast for the most part rises above the tepid script and bland direction and Day sings two songs. Interestingly, this remake was originally developed for Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin as the never completed Something's Got to Give. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

One of Doris Day's Best

This fantastic remake of an old Cary Grant movie about a woman who returns home after being pronounced dead is one that can be watched over and over by the whole family. It is one of Doris Day's best and James Garner makes a great partner for her in this film. There are other great supporting players, though Polly Bergen seems to be miscast. Doris's "massage" where she references the old Cary Grant movie is hilarious! A movie worth getting! July 29, 2008

Saw all the movie!

This was a treat! Finally getting to see the entire movie without the parts they cut out for commercials! Only saw the movie on TV old movies, so some parts of it I had never seen. It is my favorite Doris Day movie!
May 6, 2008

One of Day's Better Movies; Ritter shines

In Move Over Darling, Doris Day escapes from her "Polly Purebread" roles in films perfected with Rock Hudson, and comes into her own as a woman who tries to reclaim what was rightfully hers, with an all star staff providing all star comedic results in a perfect farce format.

An updating of the Cary Grant-Irene Dunn film My Favorite Wife, this film also has the shadow of Marilyn Monroe's final and uncompleted movie "Something's Got to Give" (Monroe's inability to stick to a filming sequence ruined the project and her death ended all hope of salvaging the film), Move Over Darling has been regulated to an asterick on Day's well know film career, and was one of the last of 1960s comedies to make it to DVD format.

The plot is pure Hollywood. Doris plays Ellen Wagstaff Arden, who we meet immediatly after she has been rescued from a tropical Island for five years that she shared with another survivor of a ship wreck. After revealing herself to she shocked mother-in-law (played to the hilt by Themla Ritter) Doris discovers that she has two problems. The first is that just that morning her husband Nick (James Garner) has had declared legally dead so (this is the second problem) he can marry Bianca (Polly Bergen). The film follows Doris as she tries to reclaim her husband (who would prefer Ellen over Bianca any day) who just can't seem to get out the words to tell Bianca that Ellen is still alive. Also appearing in teh film at his comic best if Edgar Buchannan (sic) as the confused judge who has to sort out the whole legal mess.

Move Over Darling is solid entertainment, beautiful sets, and well acted. You should move over all those DVD's that you've been meaning to watch and pop this one in the play and enjoy these actors, all at teh top of their game. April 24, 2008

The Original Romantic Comedy

If you like to watch a romantic movie and be highly amused at the same time, this is THE ONE. A remake with one of the original cast, Doris Day as usual, brings her own unique funny pathos to this lovely film. Do the ironing, watch the film, the job will seem worthwhile. April 21, 2008

A Day fan!

Another Doris Day at her best! Great movie. Doris knows how to keep things clean and innocent! April 1, 2008

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