Send Me No Flowers (DVD)

...again... *sigh*

SEND ME NO FLOWERS

I have been a fan of Doris Day for as long as I can remember. From being about seven, Calamity Jane was one of my favourite films and I would go around singing the songs. As a teenager, I bought cassettes of her singing and later went on to watch as many of her films as I could.

Now in 2005, I have just bought The Doris Day Collection on DVD, 6 discs with a film on each ...
...shelves!

Send Me No Flowers was released in 1964 and was the third film to feature the pairing of Doris Day and Rock Hudson. It is a combination that works very well, as there is an obvious chemistry and rapport between the two and their timing is spot on.

In this film, Doris plays Judy Kimball with Rock playing her husband George. He is a hypochondriac, their house containing huge shelves full of his pills, lotions ... more

NOTE : I submitted this review earlier today and some of you rated it, but it never appeared in my list of reviews and has now disappeared from the list of latest reviews. So I guess something went wrong. So here it is again... *sigh*

SEND ME NO FLOWERS

I have been a fan of Doris Day for as long as I can remember. From being about seven, Calamity Jane was one of my favourite films and I would go around singing the songs. As a teenager, I bought cassettes of her singing and later went on to watch as many of her films as I could.

Now in 2005, I have just bought The Doris Day Collection on DVD, 6 discs with a film on each and thought I'd review one of these films - Send Me No Flowers. One of the good things about the collection is that each DVD is self-contained in its own box - which is just as well, as the box of the whole set is almost A4 size and doesn't fit in my shelves!

Send Me No Flowers was released in 1964 and was the third film to feature the pairing of Doris Day and Rock Hudson. It is a combination that works very well, as there is an obvious chemistry and rapport between the two and their timing is spot on.

In this film, Doris plays Judy Kimball with Rock playing her husband George. He is a hypochondriac, their house containing huge shelves full of his pills, lotions and potions for every need. He has regular check ups with his doctor 'just in case' and dreams about new medication for his many imagined symptoms and illnesses.

During one of his many visits to his GP, he overhears a telephone conversation between the Doctor and a Cadriologist and erroneously believes he is dying of a bad heart. Leaving the surgery, he begins to organise a plan to sort out all the practicalities he needs to, before shuffling off his mortal coil. He arranges the plot for his grave and tries to teach his wife all the skills she will need to know, without him being there.

He also decides he needs to find his wife a new husband, whom she can marry a respectable time after his death. Enlisting the help of his friend and neighbour, Arnold Nash (played perfectly by Tony Randall), they search for an eligible bachelor for her. But will things turn out okay? Will George find out the truth before everything gets out of hand? Will Judy end up with the Perfect Man?

George and Judy Kimball are an ordinary, married, middle class kind of couple. He goes out to work, while she looks pretty, cooks lovely meals and leaves him to deal with the bills. She doesn't even know how much ham costs, as hubby pays for everything for her!

Despite the modern woman in me shrieking out in frustration at such a stereotypical situation, I accept it, because it's Doris Day and she's sweet and cutesy and we love her for it. It's also what she's best at and where her acting and comedy talents stand out.

Rock Hudson's George is a Real Man with capital letters. He earns the money, he sorts out the 'important stuff' and comes home to a pretty wife, a tidy house and a nice meal. This makes the campness of the film much more effective! Ignoring Rock's sexuality, George Kimball is played straight, but many of his scenes are of him being with his neighbour, Arnold.

In fact, they seem to have a better relationship than George and Judy! It's Arnold that George confides in, spends a lot of time with, runs to in despair and finally shares a (platonic) bed with! (It is stressed that Arnold's wife is away! Oh yes, none of that funny business in 1964, oh no sirree.) This friendship is one of the highlights of the film and provides many of the comic moments.

Send Me No Flowers is not a great film. It's also not one that kids will enjoy much, as it's character-driven, slow-paced (compared to modern films kids watch) and a gentle comedy of misunderstandings. But it is enjoyable for most adults and definitely safe to watch with your grandparents! (In fact, I bought my Gran some Doris Day films for Xmas!)

It is a typical 1960s film of this kind - light but enjoyable, funny but not hysterical, good but not memorable, predictable but fun. The set is beautiful, the costumes are lovely, the acting is very good and the special effects are obviously dated but bearable. It has a charm that many '60s films have and especially those starring Doris Day.

You know what you are going to get with a Doris Day film. There aren't going to be any great surprises, no violent deaths, revealing sex scenes or swear words! She is best at being warm, fluffy and charming and does this engagingly. This film is an ideal Sunday afternoon presentation. No-one can take offence to it (except for the stereotypical roles, but that was how things were then!) and it's a fun little romp and a bit of escapism to a time when things were more innocent in many ways.

The DVD has subtitles in 16 languages, the soundtrack in five languages and Send Me No Flowers also features the original theatrical trailer as an extra. I bought The Doris Day Collection off Ebay for £21.98 including postage, but you might be able to find it for around £15. The second Doris Day set has just been released on Region 1 and contains eight of her films, including Calamity Jane, so that might well be my next purchase, once it's out on Region 2.

Send Me No Flowers is also available as an individual DVD (though only apparently on Region 1) and as part of a 3-disc box set as well.

 

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