Quatre fiancés pour un mari

Also starring with Sandra are George Hamilton, Celeste Holm, Bill Bixby, Dick Kallman, Mort Sahl & Dwayne Hickman. In this comedy, Sandra Dee is an unwed, pregnant, would-be singer. The film starts out with Dee being rushed to the hospital to have her baby. Accompanying her are three men who want to marry her. The rest of the film is a flashback dealing with Dee's rise to stardom and the pregnancy. Hamilton is Dee's stuffy boss who tries to discourage her from singing.

I grew up with these shows...Doris Day, Debbie Reynolds, Sandra Dee... And, no, they didn't earn kudos from critics. As John Wayne was to the Western, these ladies were to the romantic comedy. My wife and daughter love this movie -- not for the fact this girl got herself in 'trouble', but for the three lovable guys who want to rescue her from the shame (remember the time period) of having a baby out of wedlock. The people who are knocking this movie are probably not on Social Security and probably enjoy the trashy R rated movies or crass television shows that pass themselves off as Romantic comedies. This was a time when morality was embraced, not made fun of. If you enjoy the old fashion era, this won't disappoint.

"Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding" is a sex comedy starring America's sweetheart, Sandra Dee. She's a talentless lady whose mother insists she'll be a singing star...but all she wants is a normal life. However, somewhere along the line she gets pregnant and a whole pack of guys are vying to marry her and care for the baby.

The big problem with this film is that it is a comedy and most of its 'laughs' consists of people yelling or behaving weirdly and loudly. In a word, the film is shrill. But, sadly, rarely is it actually funny...and I think the biggest laugh is supposed to see sweet, ever-virginal Dee playing spoiled goods. A waste of talent and a rather unfunny and loud film with little to recommend it.

By the way, if you do watch (and I don't recommend it), look for Nichelle Nichols in a tiny part as a secretary.

Pretty blonde Sandra Dee (as Heather Halloran) is rushed to the hospital to give birth. With her are pushy mother Celeste Holm (as Louise) and three men claiming fatherhood. The prospective daddies are playboy neighbor Bill Bixby (as the nicely named Dick Bender), shoe salesman Dwayne Hickman (as Hank Judson) and blond musician Dick Kallman (as Pat Murad). The blessed event is put on hold while we flashback to discover who impregnated Ms. Dee… We learn Dee is an aspiring, but reluctantly so, singer. After years of struggle, she takes a job as secretary for brainy businessman George Hamilton (as Harlan W. Wycliff)...

We aren't certain why Dee was in college, but she went parking with a lot of guys she would not kiss...

In his office shaving mirror, Mr. Hamilton begins to stare at Dee's sexy legs. He quickly becomes another suspect in the pregnancy mystery. If you really think there is any mystery here, "Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!" This type of sex comedy - a little sex, a lot of sneering innuendo - peaked with the popular films made by Doris Day in the early 1960s. Dee was the teenage "box office" queen. By 1967, both Dee and the genre were out of style. She looks cute, has a great supporting cast and gets beautifully colorful sets. This film is, at least, pleasant for those reasons.

***** Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! (4/28/67) Peter Tewksbury ~ Sandra Dee, George Hamilton, Celeste Holm, Dwayne Hickman

I rate this movie this highly because it does extremely well exactly what it sets out to do--provide a couple of hours of entertaining fluff. In the wake of the news of the death of Sandra Dee, I was asked for my favorite Sandra Dee movie, and I realized this is it! The ever-delightful Celeste Holm and the protective stage mother, George Hamilton too perfect as the snotty boss, the late Bill Bixby, for whom I'll never stop mourning, the sweet friend wanting to help out, and an enjoyable appearance by Mort Sahl, a groundbreaking comedian of the time who now is, unjustly, almost completely forgotten.

A movie that does what it sets out to do and does it well deserves praise, and this one has mine.

Today, Sandra Dee joins my "eternal mourning" list.