The Thrill of It All!

Director: Norman Jewison Norman Jewison

Overview

This amusing romantic comedy concerns Dr. Gerald Boyer (James Garner), a successful gynecologist with a wife and two children. Wife Beverly (Doris Day) focuses on maintaining the household and watching the kids. One of Gerald's patients, Mrs. Fraleigh (Arlene Francis), overhears Beverly talking up a new product she's discovered called 'Happy Soap' - whose manufacturer just happens to be Mrs. Fraleigh's father-in-law, Old Tom Fraleigh (Reginald Owen). She introduces Beverly to him; hugely impressed, the old man offers her $80,000 a year to pitch a new product called "Happy Soap." Beverly's career takes her away from her family responsibilities and causes a series of comedic commotions for Gerald and the kids. He comes home from work one morning and accidentally drives his convertible into a freshly dug swimming pool ordered by Beverly without his knowledge. The furious physician throws a bevy of boxes of Happy Soap into the pool, causing the house to be engulfed in suds by morning (which the kids mistake for snow). The family maid Olivia (Zasu Pitts) is nearly driven crazy with the events and has many harried scenes of comedic frustration. Directed by Norman Jewison, this thouroughly engaging comedy was written by Larry Gelbart and Carl Reiner. Reiner provides the screenplay for the feature which turned out to be the last film appearance of Zasu Pitts. With her passing marked the end of a long and successful career as a comedic and well respected actress that began in 1917.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/17/2018
UPC:	0191329032121
Original Release:	1963
Rating:	NR
Source:	Universal
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Doris Day	Beverly Boyer
James Garner	Dr. Gerald Boyer
Arlene Francis	Mrs. Fraleigh
Edward Andrews	Gardiner Fraleigh
ZaSu Pitts	Olivia, maid
Reginald Owen	Old Tom Fraleigh
Elliott Reid	Mike Palmer
Alice Pearce	Woman in Car
Kym Karath	Maggie Boyer
Brian Nash	Andy Boyer
Lucy Landau	Mrs. Goethe
Paul Hartman	Dr. Taylor
Hayden Rorke	Billings, yes man
Alex Gerry	Stokely
Robert Gallaer	Van Camp
Anne Newman	Miss Thompson
Burt Mustin	Butler
Hedley Mattingly	Chauffeur
Robert Strauss	1st Truck Driver
Maurice Gosfield	Truck Driver
William Bramley	Driver
Pamela Curran	Starlet
Herbie Faye	Man
Lenny Kent	Cabbie
John Alderman	Mr. Caputo
Carl Reiner	Actor
Lennie Weinrib	Actor

Technical Credits

Carl Reiner

Norman Jewison	Director
Alexander Golitzen	Art Director
Robert F. Boyle	Art Director
Howard Bristol	Set Decoration/Design
Miton Carruth	Editor
Frank deVol	Score Composer
Larry Gelbart	Original Story
Joseph E. Gershenson	Musical Direction/Supervision
Frederick Herbert	Songwriter
Ross Hunter	Producer
Jean Louis	Costumes/Costume Designer
Martin Melcher	Producer
Russell Metty	Cinematographer
Carl Reiner	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The Thrill of It All is an appealing (if terribly lightweight) little comedic confection, the kind of film that's the equivalent of a nice mid-day snack. A viewer looking for more substantial fare will definitely need to look elsewhere, as will those with a low tolerance for manufactured situations, a slight tendency toward cutesiness, or some dated feelings about gender roles. But for viewers who don't mind if situation setups are really based in reality, so long as they pay off in a decent laugh; who are won over by the grins and pouts of four-year-old children; or who can accept gender double standards as part and parcel of the period, Thrill should provide plenty of enjoyment. Certainly scripters Carl Reiner and Larry Gelbart know a thing or two about the mechanics of comedy writing and the likes of Doris Day and James Garner are expert at playing for both the humor and the warmth. Throw in some fine support from Arlene Francis, ZaSu Pitts, and (in a very small role) Alice Pearce, as well as smooth and professional Norman Jewison direction, and you've got a pleasing, if totally insignificant, way to spend a couple of hours.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler