{"id":20789,"date":"2011-12-09T18:25:34","date_gmt":"2011-12-10T01:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20789"},"modified":"2020-12-25T20:22:18","modified_gmt":"2020-12-26T03:22:18","slug":"send-me-no-flowers-1964","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20789","title":{"rendered":"Send Me No Flowers (1964)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;That&#8217;s one heck of a guy you&#8217;ve got there, Judy. When they made George Kimball, they threw away the mold!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[<strong>Note:<\/strong> The following review is of a non-Peary title; click <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=4388\">here<\/a> to read more.]<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Poster-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-20790\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Poster-198x300.jpg 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Poster-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA hypochondriac (Rock Hudson) mistakenly believes his doctor (Edward Andrews) has determined that he only has three weeks left to live, and &#8212; with the help of his best friend and neighbor (Tony Randall) &#8212; tries to find a new husband for his wife (Doris Day).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Death and Dying<\/li>\n<li>Doris Day Films<\/li>\n<li>Rock Hudson Films<\/li>\n<li>Tony Randall Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nMy dear collaborator and friend, writer93_99, argues in his response to my review of <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20749\"><em>Pillow Talk<\/em> (1959)<\/a> that all three of the comedies Doris Day and Rock Hudson made together &#8212; <em>Pillow Talk<\/em>, <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5064\"><em>Lover Come Back<\/em> (1961)<\/a>, and <em>Send Me No Flowers<\/em> (1964) &#8212; could\/should be considered must-see for film fanatics, given that they represent the inimitable duo at various stages of their onscreen romantic career together. Inspired by his confidence, I recently re-watched <em>Send Me No Flowers<\/em>, and was tickled to find that it&#8217;s actually my favorite of the bunch. It remains likely the best film ever made about hypochondria, given that it takes this wonderfully ripe premise to its &#8220;logical&#8221; conclusion, and exploits every comedic possibility along the way. And while <em>Pillow Talk<\/em> and <em>Lover Come Back<\/em> were crafted from the same deliciously <u>cynical<\/u> mold (with Hudson and Day simultaneously duking it out and falling in love under false pretenses), the deception in <em>Send Me No Flowers<\/em> is much gentler: Hudson really DOES believe he&#8217;s about to die in three weeks&#8217; time, so any deception (at least for the first hour or so of the film) is unintentional. <\/p>\n<p>Hudson and Day are both in peak comedic form (as usual) &#8212; but it&#8217;s co-stars Tony Randall and Paul Lynde who really steal the scenery in this one. Lynde wasn&#8217;t in many big-name movies (most viewers will recognize him simply from his work on &#8220;Hollywood Squares&#8221;), but his role here as an earnest cemetery plot salesman is flat-out hilarious:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\n<strong>Lynde:<\/strong> As you can see, we suggest the entire family all go out and select the final resting place together. The kids love it; they have a ball.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hudson:<\/strong> You see, I&#8217;d rather my wife didn&#8217;t know about this.<br \/>\n<strong>Lynde:<\/strong> You want to surprise her.<br \/>\n<strong>Hudson:<\/strong> Yes.<br \/>\n<strong>Lynde:<\/strong> Well, this&#8217;ll give her a <em>real thrill<\/em>! It makes a very thoughtful gift.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hudson (with astonishment):<\/strong> You really <em>enjoy<\/em> your work, don&#8217;t you?<br \/>\n<strong>Lynde:<\/strong> I sure do. I wouldn&#8217;t want to do anything else. [pauses, then explains] I like people.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Note that, in addition to his early scene-stealing interaction with Hudson, Lynde&#8217;s character plays an unexpectedly important role in the film&#8217;s denouement as well. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Randall proves why he was such an essential element in all three of the Day\/Hudson films: his consistently maudlin reaction to Hudson&#8217;s morbid situation convincingly grounds the entire affair. The thinly-veiled &#8220;connection&#8221; between the two men (best friends, neighbors, and&#8230;? where IS Randall&#8217;s wife, anyway?) has been duly noted (indeed, it&#8217;s hard to miss); check out the infamous bed-sharing scene, for instance. Yet it&#8217;s all simultaneously so &#8220;innocent&#8221; &#8212; and Hudson&#8217;s adoration of his wife so clear &#8212; that audiences at the time were likely comfortable with the film as the heteronormative experience it was more broadly meant to be.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tony Randall as Arnold<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Randall.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Randall-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-20794\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Randall-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Randall-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Randall-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Randall.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Paul Lynde as Mr. Akins<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Lynde.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Lynde-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-20795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Lynde-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Lynde-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Lynde-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Lynde.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Rock Hudson as George<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Hudson.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Hudson-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-20796\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Hudson-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Hudson-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Hudson-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Hudson.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Doris Day as Judy<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Day.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Day-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-20797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Day-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Day-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Day-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Send-Me-No-Flowers-Day.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Julius Epstein&#8217;s marvelous script<\/li>\n<li>Frank De Vol&#8217;s hilariously melodramatic film score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a most enjoyable comedy featuring fine performances throughout. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0058571\/m\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/movies.nytimes.com\/movie\/review?res=9F04E2DA133AE13ABC4B52DFB767838F679EDE\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/89542\/send-me-no-flowers#articles-reviews?articleId=30022\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/send-me-no-flowers\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s one heck of a guy you&#8217;ve got there, Judy. When they made George Kimball, they threw away the mold!&#8221; [Note: The following review is of a non-Peary title; click here to read more.] Synopsis: A hypochondriac (Rock Hudson) mistakenly believes his doctor (Edward Andrews) has determined that he only has three weeks left to live, and &#8212; with the help of his best friend and neighbor (Tony Randall) &#8212; tries to find a new husband for his wife (Doris&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20789\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-missing-title-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20789"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59573,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20789\/revisions\/59573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}