Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

jarrodmcdonald-1 The delinquent tax plot in The Mating Game is rather far-fetched, but it is worth the suspension of disbelief because it produces some amusing results. Mostly, it provides an opportunity for Tony Randall and Debbie Reynolds to have a darn good time frolicking down on the farm. And though Miss Reynolds does not sing in this picture, it has other compensations. The movie is full of spectacular physical comedy—especially a wild and boisterous brawl that takes place in the barn. Handling the acting chores of the supporting roles are Una Merkel and Paul Douglas (in his last movie). They skillfully cover territory familiar to fans of Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride in the Ma and Pa Kettle series.

wes-connors Rambunctious Debbie Reynolds (as Mariette Larkin) gets the urge to mate with tax collector Tony Randall (as Lorenzo Charlton). And, he wants to mate with her! - How? - Well, farming father Paul Douglas (as Sidney "Pa" Larkin) doesn't pay taxes; he trades things, and raises piglets. Maryland "Ma" Una Merkel raises children, and bakes blueberry pies. Ms. Reynolds rides a pig into wealthy neighbor Philip Ober (as Wendell Burnshaw)'s mansion, prompting Mr. Ober to summon Mr. Randall from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). Will Randall collect taxes, Reynolds, or both? Reynolds and Randall are not a very convincing romantic couple. They should have considered casting, perhaps, Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue. Randall dances a drunken melody of "Frère Jacques" / "I've Got You Under My Skin". This is followed by an impossibly implausible (even for this type of film) implied sex scene, with Reynolds. Director George Marshall gives it an appropriate feature-length "sit-com" treatment; but, the material makes the increasing slapstick more painful than funny (witness the "barn" fight scene). The supporting cast, with its old pros and fresh faces, is a treasure trove, however.***** The Mating Game (4/29/59) George Marshall ~ Debbie Reynolds, Tony Randall, Paul Douglas, Una Merkel

dougdoepke Energetic romp overseen by that veteran of slapstick George Marshall. This is not his best, but he does keep things moving. Enjoyable for the most part if you can get past owlish Tony Randall as the answer to a maiden's dream (Debbie Reynold's). He certainly looks the part of an IRS collections tiger, but it's a stretch in the romance department. Lots of barnyard innuendo as earthy farmer Paul Douglas and his obstreperous family manage a living outside the money economy. He barters things in shrewd fashion, while enjoying life's simple pleasures. That is, until snobby neighbor neighbor Philip Ober sics the IRS on him in an attempt to grab his property after Douglas refuses to sell.Really clever premise, with a provocative subtext that pits the older agrarian way of life against the modern complexities. Bureaucrat Randall must collect a lifetime of back taxes from throw-back Douglas who, of course, has never dealt in money. But Randall, all officiousness, has never encountered the likes of the artful farmer and his bursting-with-life family that keep him perpetually off-balance. At the same time, comely daughter Reynolds works her wiles in typical spirited fashion. Some funny set-ups, especially when the barnyard critters turn on the hapless bureaucrat. However, some of the slapstick goes on too long for my liking, suggesting that Marshall is indeed past his prime. Nonetheless, Douglas is near perfect as the good-natured hick, while Reynolds manages the spunk without too much excess. Look for outlaw biker Bill Smith as a muscle-bound rowdy, and of course the great Fred Clark in one of his typical bah-humbug roles. All in all, there are some genuine guffaws, but in some ways the movie is more interesting than anything else. Come to think of it, comedy aside, the movie can be viewed as a must-include at any hippie or Libertarian film retrospective.

bkoganbing The Mating Game's plot is based entirely on the premise that in the mid 20th century, a family could live on the barter system and hence not come up on anyone's radar including the IRS. It was forced then, but in today's computer world with the increasing use of credit cards, it would be impossible to make.Yet that is what we are to believe about the Larkin clan led by Paul Douglas and Una Merkel and their five kids, oldest being Debbie Reynolds who dusts off her Tammy character for this film. A neighbor, Philip Ober, who is a little tired of the Larkin's Tobacco Road ways, has finally ratted them out to the IRS and Tony Randall's been sent to investigate the situation.The rest of the film is about the Larkin income tax situation and how everything is ultimately resolved in the end. The best scenes in the movie involve Tony Randall getting smashed on some of the Larkin's concocted schnapps.Unfortunately in order to make this work it would have to have been set maybe at the turn of the 20th century. Had they done so, the situations might have been believable. For instance, the Larkins have a television. I'd love to know just what they would have offered in barter every month for the electric bill. Or how did they manage to pay the phone bill.