The Thrill of It All
Encyclopedia
The Thrill of It All is a romantic comedy film
directed by Norman Jewison
starring Doris Day
, James Garner
, Arlene Francis
, and ZaSu Pitts
. The screenplay was written by Larry Gelbart
and Carl Reiner
. Reiner also plays a cameo as a character actor appearing on TV in various nasty roles.
Reiner had originally conceived the project for Judy Holliday
, who developed cancer and had to bow out of the project, according to Reiner's reminiscence during his videotaped "Archive of American Television
" interview. (Holliday died of cancer in 1965 at the age of 43.)
) and her husband, a successful gynecologist and devoted family man, Gerald (James Garner
). Beverly is offered the opportunity to star in a television
commercial advertising soap
. After a shaky start, she gets a contract for $80,000 per year to appear in weekly TV commercials. Soon the TV studio places greater and greater demands on the unlikely TV star. Gerald becomes jealous of the fact that she is now out-earning him, and their relationship slowly deteriorates until she decides to return as a housewife.
When the Boyers (Doris Day and James Garner) are being driven to the Fraleighs' (Arlene Francis and Edward Andrews), the limo driver looks at them in the rear view mirror, but the image is not reversed. Mrs. Boyer is still on the right of Dr. Boyer which is impossible, if it was seen in the mirror the image would have shown Mrs. Boyer on the left of Dr. Boyer.
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
directed by Norman Jewison
Norman Jewison
Norman Frederick Jewison, CC, O.Ont is a Canadian film director, producer, actor and founder of the Canadian Film Centre. Highlights of his directing career include In the Heat of the Night , The Thomas Crown Affair , Fiddler on the Roof , Jesus Christ Superstar , Moonstruck , The Hurricane and The...
starring Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
, James Garner
James Garner
James Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
, Arlene Francis
Arlene Francis
Arlene Francis was an American actress, radio talk show host, and game show panelist...
, and ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning to comedy sound films.-Early life:ZaSu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas to Rulandus and Nellie Pitts; she was the third of four children...
. The screenplay was written by Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart
Larry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
and Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
. Reiner also plays a cameo as a character actor appearing on TV in various nasty roles.
Reiner had originally conceived the project for Judy Holliday
Judy Holliday
Judy Holliday was an American actress.Holliday began her career as part of a night-club act, before working in Broadway plays and musicals...
, who developed cancer and had to bow out of the project, according to Reiner's reminiscence during his videotaped "Archive of American Television
Archive of American Television
The Archive of American Television is a division of the non-profit Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation that films interviews with notable people from all aspects of the television industry....
" interview. (Holliday died of cancer in 1965 at the age of 43.)
Plot summary
The story centers around urban housewife Beverly Boyer (Doris DayDoris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
) and her husband, a successful gynecologist and devoted family man, Gerald (James Garner
James Garner
James Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
). Beverly is offered the opportunity to star in a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
commercial advertising soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
. After a shaky start, she gets a contract for $80,000 per year to appear in weekly TV commercials. Soon the TV studio places greater and greater demands on the unlikely TV star. Gerald becomes jealous of the fact that she is now out-earning him, and their relationship slowly deteriorates until she decides to return as a housewife.
Production
During the scene when Dr. Boyer (James Garner) drives his car into the pool, the car is pointed towards where the garage was oriented. Later in the film, when they use a crane to lift the now soaked car out of the pool, it is facing the opposite direction towards the street. The car that was driven in was a black 1958 Chevrolet Convertible. In the beginning of the movie, he was seen driving a black 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible.When the Boyers (Doris Day and James Garner) are being driven to the Fraleighs' (Arlene Francis and Edward Andrews), the limo driver looks at them in the rear view mirror, but the image is not reversed. Mrs. Boyer is still on the right of Dr. Boyer which is impossible, if it was seen in the mirror the image would have shown Mrs. Boyer on the left of Dr. Boyer.
Cast
- Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
as Beverly Boyer - James GarnerJames GarnerJames Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
as Dr. Gerald Boyer - Arlene FrancisArlene FrancisArlene Francis was an American actress, radio talk show host, and game show panelist...
as Mrs. Fraleigh - Edward AndrewsEdward AndrewsEdward Andrews was an American actor, one of the most recognizable character actors on television and films between the 1950s and the 1980s...
as Gardiner Fraleigh - Reginald OwenReginald OwenJohn Reginald Owen was a British character actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American movies and later in television programs.-Personal:...
as Old Tom Fraleigh - Zasu PittsZaSu PittsZaSu Pitts was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning to comedy sound films.-Early life:ZaSu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas to Rulandus and Nellie Pitts; she was the third of four children...
as Olivia - Elliott ReidElliott ReidElliott Reid is an American character actor from New York City.He worked regularly in radio dramas during the Golden Age of radio...
as Palmer - Alice PearceAlice PearceAlicia “Alice” Pearce was an American actress. Brought to Hollywood by Gene Kelly to reprise her Broadway performance in the film version of On the Town , Pearce played comedic supporting roles in several films, before being cast as Gladys Kravitz in Bewitched in 1964...
as Irving's wife - Kym KarathKym KarathKimberly "Kym" Karath is an American actress, best known for her role as Gretl in The Sound of Music.- Career :...
as Maggie Boyer - Brian Nash as Andy Boyer
- Lucy Landau as Mrs. Goethe
- Paul HartmanPaul HartmanPaul Hartman was an American dancer, stage performer and television character actor.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, Hartman, like Fred Astaire, began performing as a dancer with his sister...
as Dr. Taylor - Hayden RorkeHayden RorkeWilliam Henry Rorke was an American actor best known for playing Col. Dr. Alfred E. Bellows on the hit 1960s American sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Career:...
as Billings - Alex Gerry as Stokely
- Robert Gallagher as Van Camp
External links
- James Garner Interview on the Charlie Rose Show
- James Garner interview at Archive of American TelevisionArchive of American TelevisionThe Archive of American Television is a division of the non-profit Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation that films interviews with notable people from all aspects of the television industry....