Saturday, December 25, 2010

Come September & Man's Favorite Sport

290. Man's Favorite Sport (1964) - Hawks. Rating **1/2 Co-stars Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss 120 minutes. A variation and updating of "Bringing up Baby" with Hudson filling in for Cary Grant (who turned down the role). Rock's an expert sports fisherman whose never been fishing or camping. When Prentiss and her girlfriend (played by sexy Maria Perschy) find out - they help him keep his secret and his job. This is a low-key, somewhat plot less, studio bound, uneven comedy with lots of slapstick and some funny dialogue. Highlights: a bear on a motorcycle, John Screaming Eagle, and the ever delightful John McGiver. Sadly, Prentiss has better chemistry with Pershcy than with Hudson, and Hudson himself seems slightly miscast, he's simply too All-American to play either an urbane outdoors klutz or be full of outraged dignity (Something Eddie Albert did so well on Green Acres). And why he's so hostile towards Prentiss is a bit of a mystery.

294. Come September (1961) - Mulligan. Rating **1/2 Co-stars Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida . 104 minutes. A wealthy American businessman arrives unexpectedly and finds his Italian mansion turned into a hotel for teenage tourists. Gina is his beautiful manipulative girlfriend - Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin are hotel guests. The story is fun but slight, the humor unsophisticated, the pace leisurely. Lollobrigida and Hudson are excellent together. Highlights: the Italian scenery and sexy Lollobrigida.

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