Smartorhypo
Highly Overrated But Still Good
Matrixiole
Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
Kirandeep Yoder
The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.
HotToastyRag
Doris Day made some silly movies in the 1960s, part of the reason she retired from Hollywood. Lover Come Back was the first of the sillies, and it's by far the most tolerable. It seems like every comedy after this one went increasingly downhill. If you watch the preview, you'll think you're getting a shameless remake of Pillow Talk. Doris Day and Rock Hudson have a split-screen telephone call, she's prim and proper, he jokes her about her lack of a sex life, he cons her with a mistaken identity and pretends to be innocent in order to get her into bed, and Tony Randall is Rock's friend who quips about being rich. And let's face it, when you watch the movie that's exactly what you'll get: a shameless remake of Pillow Talk. In this one, instead of a Texan and a songwriter, Rock Hudson is mistaken for a scientist and pretends he's clueless about man-woman relationships. Doris Day hates who he really is-just as in Pillow Talk, she knows who he is without having met him-but completely falls for his act. Basically, if you liked Pillow Talk and want to watch a very similar movie co-written by one of the same writers, you'll want to check this one out. I actually liked Send Me No Flowers much better, but you can watch all three of the Doris and Rock movies and pick which one's your favorite.
Dalbert Pringle
Let's face it, folks - If you've seen one Rock Hudson/Doris Day Comedy/Romance, then, yep-yep, you've, pretty much, seen them all.With only a slight variation on the theme - This predictably trite, little story about deliberate identity deception (set in the bustling, backstabbing world of NYC advertising agencies) really prolonged its ridiculous, little charade for far too long. And, that, in turn, totally wore on my overall patience as I desperately wanted to get through this nothing-picture, like, pronto! Believe me, I am trying to keep in mind that this flighty, little film (from 1961) was, in fact, made in a much more naive era of movie-making history than we live in today. But, regardless of this, its storytelling was pretty stale stuff, for the most part.And, speaking about the likes of Rock Hudson and Doris Day - Personally, I found the on-screen chemistry between these 2 to be pretty terrible and very unconvincing. I wonder if this was because, off screen, they (perhaps) hated each other's guts (?).
krdement
My personal preference is for films of all kinds from the '30's to the mid '40's. For me the writing is generally much more sophisticated than later films - especially films from the era of Lover Come Back. That said, I give this film extremely high marks for the script. The writing here is much more sophisticated than Pillow Talk. There is nothing in any of the Day/Hudson movies to compare with the aquarium scene. It is classic.Another key scene is when Rock comes up to Doris' apartment for dinner. The dress that she wears in that scene is one of the best ever! It is sophisticated, chic, glamorous and as sexy as they come! It accentuates her knockout figure without revealing anything! Wow is she ever hot in that dress!But that scene, paradoxically, is why I do not rate this film more highly. Rock really overdoes the poor, sheltered, inexperienced guy. (I wish he had played that scene with the subtlety he displays when Doris mistakes him for the professor in the lab, and in the subsequent aquarium scene. They are both perfect.) As hammy as it is, it is a real blemish on an otherwise great performance and fabulous comedy. That scene just seems more hammy than the rest of the film.One other criticism is the ending. It comes very abruptly. I wish there had been some film footage showing his mailing letters for 8 months before giving up in the 9th, rather than just having his character tell us about that long interval while proposing to Doris on her way to delivery.Lastly, I think that this film gets overlooked because of its title. If it had a title that actually reflected the story, it would be more memorable. Every time I hear "Lover Come Back" I just draw a blank. Day and Hudson aren't lovers except for one night very late in the story, and they are reunited a few scenes later at the very end of the film. The bulk of the film deals with their conflict! The title leads you to expect a story built around the efforts of one lover to rekindle a romance with an estranged beloved - not this movie at all! Big mistake.
wes-connors
Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randall are excellent - the movie is not so much. First of all, the film is a one of those sophisticated (?) '60s "sex comedies". There are suggested sexual situations throughout: Mr. Hudson is, I believe, fairly explicitly stated as a promiscuous man; and, Ms. Day makes a conscious decision to have out-of-wedlock sex with Hudson. Also, there are "gay jokes"; and, there are suggestions of marijuana use (note the scene where Hudson explains away an uncomfortable situation by saying he smoked a funny cigarette, lacking a label).The advertising industry is effectively satirized. The VIP storyline is funny. The scenes between Hudson/Day and Hudson/Randall are witty and well-played. I liked Hudson and Randall with their beards. You'll get to see Hudson in his underwear (boxers) and Day in a bathing suit (one-piece, alas).BUT, the script is filled with tired old jokes. The ending is too rushed. Very distracting are the blurring of Doris Day's close-ups in this film. The other performers have very clear close-ups. I would rather they not blur Ms. Day's close-ups, or just blur everyone. I suppose this is a feature of several of Day's sixties films - it's unfortunate. ******* Lover Come Back (1961) Delbert Mann ~ Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall
