Caprice

"Caprice" was made near the end of Doris Day's spectacular film career. It was met with mixed reviews by the New York critics. But, when I saw the film at Radio City Music Hall, the audience seemed to enjoy it.

The opening credits were very clever and there was a spectacular beginning to the film, a ski chase with the villain in black and the victim in white getting shot to death.

Doris Day was dressed in mod attire and gave her usual professional performance. The plot was the film's biggest problem. It was very complicated and it takes two or three viewings to grasp everything.

Richard Harris was a good choice to play opposite Miss Day. He later said that, even though he didn't like "Caprice", he was delighted to work with Miss Day, a true expert in the comedy field. He stated that he learned more from her about comedy than he could have learned in years at the Royal Academy. Nice words.

This picture could have been good, if they had cut several scenes. I liked the rapport that Miss Day had with Edward Mulhare in their scenes together. She also worked well with Lilia Skala, Ray Walston and Jack Kruschen. There was a funny bit, which Doris played with Michael J. Pollard in a movie theatre, that was showing Doris Day and Richard Harris in "Caprice".

Doris Day is a "natural" actress. She uses props well and approaches her material from a realistic standpoint. You believe her, even when she is thrusted in the most unbelievable situations. Miss Day was very good near the end of the picture when she confronted Ray Walson, in drag, and then Edward Mulhare who sent her on an unexpected helicopter ride.

There were some exciting scenes, especially the one when Doris is being chased down the slopes by the man who killed her father in the beginning of the film. The resulting "rescue" was directly out of the old '40s cliffhangers.

It has become fashionable to dismiss "Caprice", but if you are a Doris Day fan, you might enjoy it if you can ignore some of the "cuteness" director Frank Tashlin threw into the plot.

While skiing, an Interpol agent is shot and killed in the Alps of Switzerland. Not long afterward, "Patricia Foster" (Doris Day) is caught red-handed trying to sell industrial secrets from the cosmetics firm she is employed with to a rival company. She is immediately terminated and subsequently hired by the rival American firm to become an industrial designer for them. This results in her working with a man named "Christopher White" (Richard Harris) who is actually a secret agent employed by the same firm that initially fired Patricia. Or so it all seems. What follows is a complicated story involving industrial espionage, double agents, secret formulas and murder. Anyway, as I said before, this is a complicated story and in order to fully understand it a person has to see this movie all the way to the end. Along with that, I think a person needs to take into consideration the fact that this movie was filmed in 1967 and as a result some of the action may seem rather basic by today's standards. Likewise, some of the humor may seem a bit tame as well. Even so, although some of it seems quite mild, it was still an enjoyable movie for the most part. Additionally, as far as the actors are concerned, both Doris Day and Richard Harris performed reasonably well together and, along with that, Irene Tsu (as "Su Ling") also looked quite nice--even if her role was somewhat limited. Be that as it may, while certainly not a great spy film by any means, it still managed to pass the time, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Have always loved Doris Day since forever and would see anything with her in it. Not all her films were great, a few of them not even good, but Day was an incredibly talented performer, was always watchable and always gave her all even in her lesser films.

Despite being her lowest rated film (as of now) on IMDb, critical reception not being kind to it at the time and even Day herself (Richard Harris apparently too) disliking it, while a long way from a flawless film and the weaker of the two films Day did with director Frank Tashlin (the other being 'The Glass Bottom Boat), 'Caprice' to me wasn't that bad. Again from personal opinion, it is not Day's worst film, that distinction goes to 'Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?' and 'Lucky Me' and 'Starlift' are not far behind. She has certainly done much better, especially 'Calamity Jane' and 'Pillow Talk' for films and both of those and 'Love Me or Leave Me' for performances.

'Caprice' certainly could have been much better. Its most problematic element is the often hopelessly convoluted (things get so complicated at times figuring out what was going on was not always easy) and daft story that was in more need of excitement and suspense overall. The script suffers from the same problems, and, while there are some undeniably funny and thrilling moments, tonally it felt muddled. It didn't seem to know whether it wanted to be a comedy or spy/espionage thriller, instead trying to do both with varying results, and when to be. The comedic elements fare much better, with some witty dialogue and some wildly entertaining set pieces, while the thriller elements only work in spurts with the lack of suspense and the convolution working against it.

Richard Harris is a rather ill-suited leading man. Very like Richard Widmark in 'The Tunnel of Love', Harris does step out of his comfort zone, which is laudable, but there is a real sense that he was completely out of his depth, to say that comedy isn't his forte is being generous. He plays the role too heavily and broadly instead of the lightness of touch and urbane charm needed here. It also was rather hard to take him seriously with the blue eye shadow and he visibly looked embarrassed wearing it, it just looked strange even in this particular context.

On the other hand, Day is a warm and natural presence and she shows a gift for a deft balance of comedy and drama, her chemistry with Harris had some nice moments. There is effortless support from Ray Walston, Edward Mulhane and Michael J. Pollard, and Tashlin's direction is both restrained and witty on the most part.

'Caprice' looks great too, apart from some cheap multi-layered gauze, the eye shadow and some obvious back projection. The cinematography is one of the film's biggest merits, full of ravishing colours and an atmosphere that one wishes was matched in the story. Production design is similarly audacious, and the clothes are like their own characters (worth seeing 'Caprice' for them alone).

Music score is quirky and slinky while also with an understated ominous touch, also loved the title song and it is beautifully sung by Day. As said, 'Caprice' does sport some fine moments. They are the chase sequence in the apartment complex that's entertaining and thrilling, the hilarious elevator scene (genius comic timing by Day) and especially the delightful scene in the theatre. The film could have done with more kick sometimes but was never what one would call "boring" (highlighted seeing as it has become one of my most hated words to its overuse and how it's constantly abused on the internet).

In summary, not great (couldn't help thinking of 'Charade', also with a mix of comedy and thriller-mystery, and how much better that was) but a long way from a disaster. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Surely Fox had intended this one for Raquel Welch but dusted it off when Doris needed to complete her three picture deal with the studio. She had saved their necks at Christmas time in 1963 with MOVE OVER, DARLING (the re-tooled SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE), but two years later she was rewarded with DO NOT DISTURB, a second-rate farce based on a third rate play. Then along came this attempt to turn Doris into a go-go mod spy with BATMAN trimmings. Well, Doris is always watchable and there are a few funny and/or exciting set pieces, and the photography is gorgeous, but really, I am shocked that a major MAJOR talent like Doris Day settled for this feeble outdated-the-minute-it-was-released effort. There isn't even a decent ending! The way films were being made and watched and reviewed and studied was changing rapidly (mostly for the good) in 1967, and it is a shame that an iconic performer like Miss Day could not ride the wave to a nice third act to her movie career. Still, this does have the makings of a cult film, and perhaps when viewed in context of the time it was made and released (Spring of 1967) future audiences will appreciate it for what it is rather than what it is not. Watch anyway!

Drug smuggling in the cosmetics industry, with Doris Day and Richard Harris as industrial spies. Wild Frank Tashlin slapstick--funny gadgets, double agents--mixes curiously with serious action sequences involving a sniper; there's also a transvestite reveal (!) and at least one movie in-joke (Day's father, seen in a photograph, is Arthur Godfrey, who played her dad in Tashlin's "The Glass Bottom Boat"). Certainly an odd choice for Day, who later claimed her manager-husband signed her to the project before she could read the script (it was later tailored to her--and very well). She's dryly sarcastic throughout, and very appealing in her scenes with Harris. Incredible Leon Shamroy cinematography, terrific locations, plus a hilarious bit by Michael J. Pollard as a hippie. A strange one, indeed, but fun. *** from ****