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Captivating movie !

Absolutely brilliant

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

James Garner once famously complimented Doris Day as having the best fanny in Hollywood. Either she didn't like the praise or they didn't get along for a different reason, because in The Thrill of It All their kisses were some of the most awkward in screen history. They play a husband and wife team whose marriage gets threatened when Doris decides to pursue a career and neglect her "wifely duties". Yes, the premise and execution of the conflict is extremely dated and offensive to modern feminists, so if that rubs you the wrong way, you won't like the movie. The supporting cast is the best part of the movie. Doris's children, Brian Nash and Kym Karat-best known as Gretl from The Sound of Music-are absolutely adorable, unlike many movies from the 1960s that portray children as irritating, annoying brats. Kym was five years old in this movie-what a darling little girl! Arlene Francis opens the film with an adorable and hilarious scene: she's seen hysterically laughing as she gets out of a taxi and walks into an elevator full of somber men. I thought she must have just escaped from a lunatic asylum! Arlene's laughter infects the surrounding men, and soon everyone's laughing. When she approaches Edward Andrew, her husband, she laughs and cries and announces the happy news: she's pregnant. Arlene and Edward are very sweet and touching together, making me wish they'd been the focal point of the film instead of the younger couple.Through the dated man-and-wife roles, there are some very funny jokes sprinkled in. Carl Reiner acts in hilarious cameos as a television star acting the same scene every week in different costumes, and Doris Day manages to inject some real acting into a very accessible scene in which she humiliates herself on national television and tries to hold back her tears. The worst part of the film is James Garner's character, a dated, selfish, misogynistic jerk. It's a wonder David Niven wasn't called in to reprise his role in Please Don't Eat the Daisies, as the characters were so similar and mean-spirited towards their wives.The first half of The Thrill of It All is actually really cute and funny. My recommendation is to watch the movie, and when Reginald Owen says the line, "Get her a swimming pool," turn it off. It just goes downhill from there.

Doris Day was just 18 when her only child was born. That was before her multi-layered career took off, especially with movies from the late 1940s through the 1960s. Yet she could play a tender, loving, caring mom amidst the mayhem of comedy better than any other big name star. And, the kids in all her films convinced this viewer that she was the real thing. The two children in "The Thrill of it All," aren't played as much for laughs as in many other family comedies. Here, they are part of the family as the essence of the love that is "the thrill of it all." But there is humor in what the kids do and say at times. This film has a rare mix of comedy romance with family love and values, and the beauty of babies and having children. Doris shines as Beverly Boyer, and James Garner is a perfect match as her husband, Dr. Gerald Boyer. The film has a wonderful cast of supporting actors with more than cursory roles. Arlene Francis gives a glowing and warm performance as Mrs. Fraleigh. She is a newly expectant mother who has wanted children for 20 years. But, the sterling performance in this film is that of Edward Andrews. As Gardiner Fraleigh, this long-time character actor gives his best performance. It may seem strange to some people who were under age 40 at the start of the 21st century, but for the first three-fourths of the last century, most people were excited about having children. Family, friends and strangers would smile and congratulate an expecting mother. Expectant fathers might well be the nervous, anxious, excited, incoherent, and anything but calm characters as Gardiner Fraleigh appears in this film. That's why his exaggerated character will be so amusing to older men and women. We've "Been there, done that!" Especially in situations where couples really want to have children but can't for the longest time, one can still see such excitement today. I have known several younger couples who haven't been able to have children. Most conceived after considerable time, and were elated, as are the Fraleigh's in this film. Two couples have been able to adopt children, and they have been just as happy and excited. A scene with Mrs. Fraleigh and Dr. Boyer in his office is particularly descriptive of the time and culture. Mrs. Fraleigh, "I've been taking very long walks up and down Fifth Avenue." Dr. Boyer, "Fine! Exercise is very important." Mrs. Fraleigh, "I don't walk for the exercise. I walk to show off. I'm proud of my condition. Is that silly?" Dr. Boyer, "Silly? It's about the healthiest attitude you could have." Mrs. Fraleigh, "I don't know when I've been so happy. I guess there's nothing more fulfilling in life than having a baby. Oh, listen to me. Something you've probably heard a thousand times." Dr. Boyer, "Never stated so beautifully."And the scene of the Fraleighs rushing to the hospital and getting caught in a traffic jam with the baby coming was not all that rare in times past. I will never forget my own experience. Our youngest daughter came quickly and unexpectedly late at night. My wife delivered her naturally, with my nervous, dazed help of just holding the baby by her feet. I called the hospital, packed mom and baby in our car and headed to the hospital about five miles away. I turned the emergency flashers on, honked my horn and broke the speed limit all the way. We didn't get a police escort but we made it safe and sound."The Thrill of it All" is not a comedy of many witty lines of dialog, but of humorous situations. One of the funniest sequences is when Fraleigh hustles nervously between cars in the traffic jam. He asks one irate motorist if he has a shoestring. "I'm having a baby and I need a shoestring." The motorist yells, "Get outta here." Here are a few more funny lines. Andy, "Mom, can we play golf till lunch is ready?" Beverly, "Yes, darling. You can play in the back yard. Don't chop up the lawn like daddy."Gerald, "Now you have finally done it." Beverly, "Done what?" Gerald, "You have finally succeeded in equating the delivery of a baby with the delivery of a commercial."One other hilarious scene involves a phone call that passes between Dr. Boyer, Mrs. Boyer, the doctor's nurse-secretary, and the Boyer's German- speaking housekeeper. The German word for nurse is a real lulu – "krankenschwester." I would have loved to see and hear more dialog develop in that sequence. The funny incidents pile up in this movie and add up to a very amusing and enjoyable film. And, definitely a movie for the whole family.

When James Garner died last July, I had a yen to watch some of his movies but when I ordered this from Netflix at the time, it was listed as "long wait". So this finally arrived last week and I just watched it with Mom. Written by Carl Reiner from a story thought up by him and Larry Gelbart, Garner plays a doctor who delivers babies. Doris Day plays his wife who's a housewife. When an older woman played by Arlene Francis becomes pregnant for the first time, she invites Garner and Day to a party at her mansion. They watch a commercial produced by her father who isn't satisfied with the lady doing it and when he hears of Doris mentioning using the product on her daughter and how she loves it, well, he picks her for the next commercial. I'll stop there and just say there are some funny lines and scenes (though I thought the one involving a large bubble was a bit too much) and the movie as a whole was pretty enjoyable despite some sexist demeanor especially on James Garner's character's part. I also enjoyed recognizing some supporting players like Hayden Rorke, Kym Karath who would eventually also appear in The Sound of Music, Zazu Pitts in one of her last movie roles, Alice Pearce, Carl Reiner in various roles depicted on TV, and Bernie Kopell who, incidentally, didn't get a credit here. I guess this was before he became known as Seigfried on "Get Smart". Oh, and Edward Andrews is hilarious as the expectant father especially when stuck in a traffic jam. Of the two films starring Day and Garner, I think I enjoyed Move Over, Darling more. Still, The Thrill of It All has many good moments.

If you've seen TTOIA before, even once, even long ago on its first release in 1963, you may not remember ALL the treats you're in for under the tree, but you know it's one of Santa's most memorable Romantic Comedy deliveries in motion picture history.If you've NEVER seen it, you still can't help grinning, from the opening frames until the brilliant payoff."Santa" being, in this case, one of Hollywood's finest collaborative teams at the top of their game. It's a huge team! Carl Reiner (Dick Van Dyke show), Larry Gelbart (M*A*S*H) conceived it. Reiner wrote the screenplay.Ross Hunter produced it, along with Day's then-husband, Marty Melcher, who got titular co-producer credit and a nice paycheck, but whose actual contributions are questionable at best. It's a Ross Hunter Production all the way. "Hire the best and keep them happy." Reiner's script is tight as a drum. The continual builds and arcs he and Gelbart constructed are emotionally riveting, revealing of character, increasingly funny and broad (just pushing the edge of believability without ever violating it), with a foolproof "ticking clock" and jaw-dropping tender-yet-hysterical climax sequence unlike any before or since.Amazing! The production visuals are as brilliantly developed as the script. This is a lavishly complex and technically challenging piece of film-making.Ross Hunter nailed down the script, brought in Norman Jewison to direct. He cast Doris Day and James Garner as the irresistibly appealing leads. He also cast second leads to perfection: Arlene Francis and Edward Andrews. The supporting players, from Zasu Pitts to the two children – Jewison got stunning work from them too! Jewison's coordination of camera and technical work, color, set design, physical comedy touches, tweaks of his actors' close-ups – flawless.He hired Jean-Louis to design the most beautiful costumes (LOTS of them!) Miss Day ever graced. The man was a genius and Day never looked lovelier.But it's the grins that start from the first frames, with Miss Francis' deliriously happy laughter – soon explained – that grow and balloon into remarkable comedy set-pieces (punctuated with razor-sharp satirical on-screen bits featuring Carl Reiner himself) – and gradually explode into eye-popping visual comedy sequences that hark back to silent-film pioneers like Chaplin and Keaton – ending in the must-be-seen-to-be-believed, brilliantly staged and directed and played and edited, final sequence in stalled traffic – that lands TTOIA in the top ten Romantic Comedies of the last 100 years.As good as all Doris Day's romantic comedies were – and they WERE – TTOIA is as good as this incredibly difficult, deceptively "easy," genre gets.Watching it is a privilege.