Do Not Disturb (1965)
Rod Taylor plays Mike Harper in this Doris Day romantic comedy. In Rod's
words:
We play a happily married couple who fight like mad but
make up like crazy. ... The studio seems to think we have a sort of --
chemistry? Anyway, they've thought enough of us to team us in another picture
... called "The Glass Bottom Boat."
-- Modern Screen, July 1965
Doris Day plays Janet Harper, in this, her 33rd motion picture. At the time
this movie was made, Doris Day had been among the top 10 box office stars for
eight straight years, sitting atop the entertainment world as an actress and
recording artist.
For Rod, it was a departure from the adventurous roles the public had been
accustomed to seeing him in. "Making a sophisticated comedy like 'Do Not
Disturb' is 10 times as tough as a rugged, dramatic role," Rod says in the
movie's pressbook. "Dramatic action usually seems to flow naturally and
smoothly. With comedy, the actor has to work so much harder to make his
performance seem natural."
Director Ralph Levy seemed to feel that the pairing of Doris Day and Rod
Taylor was a natural: "There is a marvelous chemistry between Doris and
Rod. They work together so beautifully. There is no ego involved when they're
filming a scene. Their only interest is making the scene play to maximum
benefit."
ON THE SCREEN
Mike and Janet Harper try to adjust to life in England after Mike is
transferred by his company. He wants a simple apartment near the office,
but Janet rents an immense country estate. Mike must spend many late nights
working, and work often involves entertaining clients -- no spouses allowed.
Meanwhile, there are many silly scenes of Janet trying to adjust to the
local ways (driving on the left, figuring out ha'pennies and shillings,
and getting mixed up in a fox hunt).
Comedy and confusion ensue as Janet embarks on a shopping excursion with
an amorous antiques dealer (Sergio Fantoni). They wind up at his shop in
Paris. Alas, they're accidentally locked up in the shop overnight. Mike
arrives to find the pair waking up together (innocently enough -- but it
looks mighty bad to Mike).
Actually, Janet really had been trying to make Mike jealous because she's
suspicious of his new "personal assistant." Looks like her ploy
worked -- too well.
More mix-ups are in store when Janet drops by the ritzy hotel where Mike
is taking part in an international wool merchants convention. Posing as
his "secretary" (wives are frowned upon), Janet is transformed
in to the sexy, sparkly life of the party.
The film winds up with lots of scampering around between hotel rooms
until the loving Harper couple wind up with each other at last. |
