Pillow Talk (film)
"Pillow Talk" is a 1959 romantic comedy directed by Michael Gordon and produced by Universal Pictures, featuring the iconic pairing of Rock Hudson and Doris Day. The film centers on Jan Morrow, portrayed by Day, a career-oriented interior decorator who shares a party phone line with the charming yet carefree songwriter Brad Allen, played by Hudson. Their interactions become a comedic battleground as Morrow grows frustrated with Allen's incessant phone chatter and womanizing behavior. The film's narrative unfolds in New York City, where Allen, seeking to win Morrow's affection, adopts a false persona as a Texas rancher, leading to a tangled web of romantic mischief.
"Pillow Talk" was a significant success, paving the way for future sex comedies and marking a pivotal moment in the careers of both Day and Hudson. The film is noted for its witty dialogue and clever use of split-screen techniques during telephone conversations. It received critical acclaim, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and earning several nominations, including one for Day's performance. The film's influence is evident in its exploration of gender dynamics and romantic relationships, setting the stage for the evolving comedic narratives of the 1960s. Despite its light-hearted premise, "Pillow Talk" subtly addresses themes of identity and societal norms, contributing to its enduring legacy in cinematic history.
Pillow Talk (film)
- Release Date: 1959
- Director(s): Michael Gordon
- Writer(s): Clarence Greene; Maurice N. Richlin; Russell Rouse; Stanley Shapiro
- Principal Actors and Roles: Doris Day (Jan Morrow); Rock Hudson (Brad Allen); Ross Hunter (Alma); Tony Randall (Jonathan Forbes)
Pillow Talk is a romantic comedy that was released in 1959 by Universal Pictures and was directed by Michael Gordon. It starred Rock Hudson and Doris Day together for the first time on the silver screen. The original script, which was written by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene, was never produced for the stage. The screenplay was rewritten by Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin and awarded the Academy Award.
Day is Jan Morrow, a career woman who shares a telephone line with playboy and songwriter Brad Allen, played by Hudson. Hudson tries to charm Day by posing as a Texas cowboy, but she figures him out in more ways than one. Pillow Talk was wildly successful, as audiences loved the pairing of Day and Hudson. They went on to make two more films together.
The film set a precedent for other sex comedy films that followed it in the 1960s. It also made Rock Hudson, already a sex symbol in Hollywood, a romantic comedian. It was his first comedy. The film revived Day’s career in film.
Plot
The film is set in New York City in the late 1950s. Jan Morrow is a single young woman who works as an interior decorator. She is frustrated because whenever she tries to use the party phone line that she shares with songwriter Brad Allen, he is always singing the song "Inspiration" to one of his many girlfriends. Fed up with him, she complains to the phone company that he’s a sex maniac. To her dismay, Allen woos the phone company representative, and nothing is done to solve the problem.
Allen and Morrow continue to have the same issues on the phone line. Allen tells Morrow that she has bedroom problems, which is why she has so much time to bother with him. Even though Morrow has a man, a rich interior design client named Jonathan Forbes (played by Tony Randall), who is pursuing her, she is not interested in him. After she turns him down, he goes to his friend, who happens to be Brad Allen, to complain. Allen is instantly intrigued by Forbes’ description of Morrow (and recognizes her name from their party phone line squabbles). At this point, Morrow and Allen have still not seen each other face-to-face, and Forbes is still driven to get Morrow.
When Morrow goes to a party hosted by one of her clients, the client’s son, Tony, pulls her away. He takes her to a club where they manage to sit next to Allen and his date for the night. Unknown to Morrow, Allen realizes who she is but doesn’t reveal this information. Instead, he checks her out and tries to think of how to reel her in.
Allen becomes Texas rancher and oil tycoon Rex Stetson to attract Morrow, and it works. She is smitten—with his looks, accent, and demeanor. Allen goes further to charm her, which includes impersonating Forbes to make Stetson look bad. In the meantime, Morrow completely falls for Allen and Allen falls for her. By this time, Forbes realizes that Morrow is in love with someone else, and only after hiring a private investigator does he learn that it is his old friend Allen.
While away with Allen in the country, Morrow discovers his real identity. She is irate and rejects him. With the help of Forbes, Allen devises a plan to get her back. At first the plan is unsuccessful but soon Allen and Morrow realize their true love for each other.
Significance
The film trailer for Pillow Talk includes a voiceover with the line, "This career girl had everything but love." It goes on to set up the storyline of the sex comedy film that follows a "battle of the sexes" pattern. The Sexual Revolution had not yet begun, but Pillow Talk was on the cusp of it and arguably initiated the sexual comedy genre. Some aspects of the screwball comedies of the 1940s and early 1950s are vaguely present in Pillow Talk, but the film took a bigger step toward sex. Shot in Cinemascope, Pillow Talk appealed to audiences for its witty dialogue, sexual double entendres, and new romantic duo of Day and Hudson. Even though neither Day nor Hudson won an Academy Award for their performances, Day was nominated for one—the only time in her career.
Director Gordon was applauded for his work in brining out the best and perhaps hidden talents in Day and Hudson. Day was already an established comedian and singer in real life. Hudson, who had been nominated for best actor for his performance in Giant two years before was new to comedies. In real life, he was a homosexual (although it was not widely known), and in the role of Allen he plays a heterosexual playboy who is programmed to bring a plethora of girls to his bachelor pad. Allen is a typical womanizer who has the perfect bachelor pad—souped-up with all of the techno gadgets of the time—to draw women in.
Even as a sexual comedy, the film takes a big step forward for the 1950s when homosexuality was still in the closet. This is most apparent at the end of the film, which is ironic and quite contrasts the rest of the movie. Pillow Talk does not end with Morrow and Allen living happily ever after. Morrow and Allen do get together and marry. Allen announces that Morrow is three months pregnant. On the other hand, the film also suggests the possibility of a homosexual relationship with Allen and Forbes.
Gordon’s use of the split-screen technique for the telephone conversations, which was fairly new to its day, was applauded. Frank DeVol, who created the musical score, featured popular music that was light-hearted and generally well received.
Awards and nominations
Won
- Academy Award (1959) Best Screenplay (Original): Clarence Greene, Maurice N. Richlin, Russell Rouse, Stanley Shapiro
Nominated
- Academy Award (1959) Best Actress: Doris Day
- Academy Award (1959) Best Supporting Actress: Thelma Ritter
- Academy Award (1959) Best Score
- Academy Award (1959) Best Art Direction-Set Direction (Color)
- Golden Globe (1959) Best Motion Picture (Comedy)
- Golden Globe (1959) Best Motion Picture Actress (Musical or Comedy): Doris Day
- Golden Globe (1959) Best Supporting Actor: Tony Randall
Bibliography
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Glitre, Kathrina. Hollywood Romantic Comedy: States of the Union, 1934–1965. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2006. Print.
Halliwell, Martin. American Culture in the 1950s. Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP 2007. Print.
Kimmel, Daniel M. I’ll Have What She’s Having: Behind the Scenes of the Great Romantic Comedies. Chicago: Rowman, 2008. Print.
Laham, Nicholas. Currents of Comedy on the American Screen: How Film and Television Deliver Different Laughs for Changing Times. Jefferson: McFarland, 2009. Print.
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