Verdict
Summary
That Funny Feeling was modeled after the Doris Day / Rock Hudson romantic comedies of the era, and it shows with a facsimile, canned formula, but it’s breezy, easy to follow and digest, and has an on-screen couple in it that were obviously into each other, so it’s an easy win. The entire movie was shot on the Universal Studios backlot (and it’s easy to recognize if you’ve ever taken the tram tour), which is charming.
Plot:
A housekeeper tries impressing a wealthy bachelor by pretending the house she cleans is hers … not realizing it’s his house.
Review:
Single and attractive Joan (Sandra Dee) works for a maid agency, and part of her beat covers uptown New York where all the wealthy businessmen live. She has a dream of becoming an actress, but she just has no luck at auditions. She bumps into a single, eligible bachelor named Tom (crooner Bobby Darin who was married to Dee at the time) on the street several times in a row, and he falls in love with her and asks her out. She says yes and comes up with the clever-not-so-clever idea to make him think that she lives in uptown in a swanky apartment that she cleans (because she’s got the key) … not realizing that it’s his place. He catches on pretty quick what she’s up to, but doesn’t embarrass her and make her feel bad about it because, after all, she’s really just trying to impress him. But as their relationship get serious, the whole set-up becomes a big elephant in the room for both of them, leading to mix-ups, confusion, and a story that maybe they can tell their kids someday if their romance survives the deception.
That Funny Feeling was modeled after the Doris Day / Rock Hudson romantic comedies of the era, and it shows with a facsimile, canned formula, but it’s breezy, easy to follow and digest, and has an on-screen couple in it that were obviously into each other, so it’s an easy win. The entire movie was shot on the Universal Studios backlot (and it’s easy to recognize if you’ve ever taken the tram tour), which is charming. Richard Thorpe directed it.
Kino Lorber has just released That Funny Feeling on Blu-ray in time for Valentine’s Day, and if you’re looking for some retro romance, look no further than this. The transfer is nice and sharp, and the disc comes with an audio commentary by several film historians, as well as the trailer.
