Move Over, Darling (1963)

Plot:  A remake of My Favorite Wife.  A woman returns from a Desert Isle to find her Husband remarried.
Stars: Doris Day, James Garner, Polly Bergen, Thelma Ritter, Don Knotts, Edgar Buchanan, Chuck Conners
Best Quote:  Nicholas:[Muttering] My wife is alive. My wife is alive. My wife is alive.
Seymour: So's mine, buddy. That's why I drink!

Whether you prefer Move over Darling or My Favorite Wife is simply a matter of taste, since they have the same story and many of the same scenes. But its not an exact copy, since Doris Day, at the height of her Box Office stardom, dominates the remake.

 Not only does Doris sing two songs, the writers add new scenes  to show off her dramatic/comic skills.  Nobody did comedic indignation or frustration better than Day and so she gets trapped in a car wash and battles a Telephone operator. Overall, the humor is broader then the original. Garner, as usual, has excellent chemistry with her, while Ritter, Buchanan, and Don Knotts outdo their 1940 supporting counterparts. However, the Randolph Scott role  (now Conners) is reduced to a cameo.

Summary:  My Favorite Wife turned into a pleasant Doris Day Vehicle.  Slickly made without a wasted moment.  Not in the same class as Pillow Talk, but better then most of Day's comedies.

Note:  This was a re-shot version of Somethings Got to Give cast with Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin. After Monroe's death, Dean Martin left the picture, and Garner and Day took over.  John McGiver, Wally Cox, and Phil Silvers were replaced by Edgar Buchanan, Don Knotts, and John Astin. After seeing the brief 37 minute "outtake" it has more  of a "big movie" feel to it then Move Over.  However, I'm skeptical that Monroe had the right comedic skills (verbal wit) for the role.