Director: Michael Gordon
Starring: Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter
Running Time: 98 Minutes Approx
Certificate:
Extras: Back In Bed With Pillow Talk, Chemistry 101: The Film Duo Of Rock Hudson And Doris Day, Feature Commentary With Film Historians Jeff Bond, Julie Kirgo And Nick Redman, 3 Universal 100 Years Celebratory Featurettes
With Universal Studios celebrating 100 years in 2012, a number of classics are being restored for Blu-ray re-release. One such title, PILLOW TALK (1959), was very much one of the new era of Hollywood comedies. Starring Rock Hudson and Doris Day the film – as the featurette Back In Bed With Pillow Talk states – was at the forefront of a sexual revolution, and considering it was made in 1959 stands up to that reputation with innuendo in spades.
Concerning Jan (Doris Day) and Brett (Rock Hudson) the story follows the two leads on their collision course of romance. Coming from a time of shared telephone lines the film commences with a disagreement concerning Brett’s dominance of the line and Jan’s crusade to ensure she gets her time, what follows is a chance meeting and a game of cat and mouse and deceit as Brett tries everything to get the girl.
Given the complete assault on the rom-com in recent decades by Hollywood watching PILLOW TALK is, as you’d expect, a retrospective treat. Its innocence – although not always that way – is endearing and Day is an absolute blast. Her performance and character are as strong as any female lead in a romantic comedy ever and won her a deserved Oscar nomination; Rock Hudson on the other hand is atypical of the chauvinistic males we see in films on an almost weekly basis, playing a womanising, egotist who during the course of the film manipulates the other characters to his gain he still manages to be a joy. As good as the leads are though, there is an actor who manages to steal the show every time he appears; Tony Randall, as Brett’s best-friend Jonathan, is hilarious his banter and chemistry with Hudson are the real clincher for the movie.
With an Oscar-winning screenplay this is, as they’d say back in the day, a ‘delightful romp‘ and still, 53-years on, is a tremendous watch: it’s funny, heartfelt and the sets and costumes are incredible. It was the first of a few collaborations between Day, Hudson and Randall and is arguably the best, and with the Blu-ray restoration it’s never looked or sounded better.
PILLOW TALK is a rare thing, a comedy from the 1950s that dares to be a little dirty but boy does it work. Tremendous fun and perfect for a putting a bit of romance in your day.
Extras: The Back In Bed featurette is a nice look back on the film, although the gushing can become somewhat over-bearing. The look at Rock Hudson and Doris Day’s film work is a great piece on two friends who worked tremendously together, the commentary is too enthusiastic to be enjoyable and the Universal featurettes are unnecessary but inoffensive.
PILLOW TALK is released on Blu-ray 7th May
