Movie Monday: The Thrill of It All (1963)

The classic film we are talking about on this #MovieMonday is The Thrill of It All! Doris Day always knew how make a film both lighthearted and memorable, and with James Garner by her side there was no way this movie wouldn’t end up a classic! Day was the on-screen darling of the 1960’s so it is no wonder she made a lot of hits throughout the decade. This is one of her most famous movies that didn’t have another one of her favorite co-stars in it, Rock Hudson.

These photos are not mine.

This is another one of those films that’s especially fun for people who love advertising. In The Thrill of It All Doris Day’s character is recruited to be the new face of Happy Soap after reciting her own positive experience with the soap brand. Soon she rockets to stardom and this role turns her life upside down! Her doctor husband played by James Garner becomes jealous of her new success and wonders if she is even satisfied simply being his wife anymore. As you can imagine, I won’t give the rest of the story away just in case you haven’t seen the film yet. I will say this though, the first time I saw this film it instantly became one of my all time favorite Doris Day movies.

James Garner is one of the biggest highlights in The Thrill of It All! He displayed a variety of acting talents throughout his career, especially in this film! By the time The Thrill of It All was made 1963, Day had already starred in two of her infamous films with Rock Hudson. Garner knew he had to step up to the plate if this movie was going to live up to the other films that were previously made. He certainly didn’t disappoint!

In this role, James Garner delivered a pointed and hilarious counter part to Doris Day. He is somehow able to switch his emotions throughout the film with even the smallest movements like the turn of the head. He played the role of being Doris Day’s husband with sophistication and swagger. Doris herself was able to display a much larger amount of her comedic abilities in The Thrill of It All than she had in previous films! Typically with Hudson she is the straight woman, but in this movie she gets to show her funny bone a lot more.

These photos are not mine.

Overall, this film was a big success for everyone involved. It was an especially helpful career move for James Garner who was seen as the epitome of the classic man after the film’s release. The scene where Garner drives his car into the backyard pool (if you haven’t seen the film, don’t ask. Just go watch the scene and have a good laugh!) was praised by critics as one of the most iconic moments.

The Day and Garner duo also got along splendidly in real life! In Day’s autobiography, she wrote how her relationship on set with Garner was just as strong as the one she had with Hudson. Garner too was “thrilled” (haha see what I did there? Remember the title of this movie? ;)) with the partnership. He gave much of the credit for the success of this film to Day and boiled it down to her comedic talent.

These photos are not mine.

The Thrill of It All wasn’t the last film that Day and Garner would star in together either. The duo would reunite for another movie called Move Over Darling in 1963. But the magic couldn’t quite be recreated in this film, and The Thrill of It All would remain their most famous movie together.

Like I said above, I love this film because it has a clever way of incorporating advertising into the storyline and that is always a win with me! I think James garner nailed his role in this movie and was the perfect counterpart to Day. Plus, how can you go wrong with a Doris Day film?

Much Love,

Sarah

Source for some of the fun facts found in this review:  http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/474003%7C93971/The-Thrill-of-It-All.html

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