Oui ou non avant le mariage ?

A skirt chaser manages an apartment complex in which all the residents are beautiful women. He regularly wines and dines the ladies, and is a charming, although rascally fellow. He brings in a new tenant and begins his game on her, much to the annoyance of her boyfriend. Most of the film is spent with the landlord trying to get into the new tenant's pants, and her boyfriend making every effort to keep him out. Fairly funny spoof on the California lifestyle.

I don't even think this plot served as anything but farce even back in 1963. It is still a lot of fun. Carol Lynley is very funny in a rare comedic role and Dean Jones is excellent as well. Immogene Coca and Paul Lynde are at their comic best in supporting roles.

Carol Lynley was breathtakingly beautiful.

Lawrence Roman's popular stage farce comes to the screen seeming a bit undernourished, with everyone playing 'perky' to perfection but without benefit of any funny lines. With a whole apartment complex full of sexy, single gals, landlord Jack Lemmon becomes fixated on innocuous college girl Carol Lynley, who has just moved in with her boyfriend--a platonic arrangement that has Lemmon up in arms (and on the roof!). A shiny package with nothing inside, and Lemmon visibly strains to give the proceedings some bounce (tough to do since his wolfish character is thoroughly loathsome). The script, adapted by David Swift (who also directed), tries for snappy repartee, but since none of the characters are particularly sharp, the results here lack wit, sparkle and imagination. *1/2 from ****

Robin Austin (Carol Lynley) is concerned about her compatibility with boyfriend Dave Manning (Dean Jones). She convinces him to live together first. Her divorced aunt Dr. Irene Wilson (Edie Adams) is moving out of her apartment to move in with her boyfriend Dr. Charles Howard. Hogan (Jack Lemmon) is the womanizing neighbor landlord and he's more than eager to rent the place to Robin.

It's a little bit of fun especially with Lemmon. It could be funnier. It should be funnier. Lemmon and Jones could be a fun rivalry but her choice is never in doubt. Lynley is plenty pretty enough and she is fine. There is some attempt at 60's sex comedy humor but the bite isn't sharp enough and it doesn't bite deep enough. This may be edgy for a 50's sex comedy but feels safe for the 60's. For Lemmon fans, this is interesting to complete their list.

I'm sure that the reason Jack Lemmon was cast in the screen version of Under the Yum Yum Tree was the resemblance of his character of the landlord Hogan here with the part that got him his first Oscar, Ensign Frank Pulver in Mister Roberts. Superficially there is a resemblance.

But the womanizing frat boy gone to sea in Mister Roberts is behaving under acceptable standards. It's kind of expected that men act out their sexual fantasies being deprived of it when on sea duty. Those stories about sailors on shore leave aren't an exaggeration.

In Under the Yum Yum Tree it's as though Frank Pulver was left an inheritance of an apartment building which is obviously strategically located near a co-ed campus. What was acceptable behavior for Lemmon in Mister Roberts is unbelievable in this situation.

Try as he might Lemmon cannot make this character likable. He's a rich guy who never worked a day in his life which apparently is devoted to being a peeping tom in regard to all the beautiful young women he rents to. And he only rents to young women.

When you think about it, it's pretty darn scary. I can't believe one of these girls hasn't called the police on him.

On Broadway the play was a five character thing and only Dean Jones came over from Broadway. Lemmon, Carol Lynley's part, and Edie Adams part were taken by Gig Young, Sandra Church, and Nan Martin. Under the Yum Yum Tree had a respectable run of 173 performances on Broadway.

But if this is what the theater audience saw, how did it run so long?