A Ticklish Affair

I wondered how this movie with Gig Young, Shirley Jones, Red Buttons, and Carolyn Jones could only rate 2 stars out of 4 on my TV's guide. Then I saw the last 20 minutes. The movie had the stars and the start of a decent premise and then was ruined by ridiculousness in the last 20 minutes. They must have thrown some serious money at the 4 stars to get them to buy into this one. I can't see that it's ever been released to home video, so that should be a key indicator. It's that disappointing.

What can only be described as a sweet film, this family comedy is bright and sunny even when the situation takes a turn for the perilous.

Full of sprightly performances this is the kind of film that rarely gets made anymore and when it does is drowned in sugary sentiment.

The Jones girls, Shirley and Carolyn are both most engaging, play well off each other and look great. In Carolyn's case this might be the most attractive she ever was on screen.

As the men in their lives Gig Young get a rare chance to be the romantic lead who doesn't lose the girl in the end performing with his customary charming agility. Red Buttons provides comic relief but his character is more than that and he does it well, he and Carolyn are a surprisingly compatible couple.

A film that will leave you charmed at the conclusion this should really be more widely known.

This is one of the very few movies where Gig Young gets the girl. The casting for this movie was excellent with Carolyn Jones and Red Buttons, along with Edgar Buchanan. Shirley Jones is beautiful, as always. It is rarely shown on tv now, but if you happen to see it appear, be sure to tape it. I have it and watch it often, just for the good feelings it gives me. As a Naval officer, Gig Young is very good, acting as the protective, loving man. Red Buttons, as always, plays his part with great skill, making the movie just that much more enjoyable. I also liked the names of the characters, as they were unusual (Cy, Tandy, Key) and suited the persons who played them. Wonderful movie for a happy, contented evening's worth of watching.

Perky, pretty San Diego widow with shapely legs attracts the attention of a bachelor Commander with the US Navy. The fact she has three rowdy young boys doesn't seem to bother him; rather, he's anxious to become a father to this happy brood, while the kids work overtime trying to fix Mom up with the uniformed catch. Breezy comedy with familiar ingredients seems to take place in La-La Land--a plastic paradise--wherein an unmarried man cannot come to the aid of an unmarried woman without coy romance hanging in the air. Shirley Jones (perhaps substituting for Doris Day or Debbie Reynolds) is convincing as a young mother, but she seems a bit tense with Gig Young, who looks nonplussed throughout. Better are the alternate couple, a frisky Red Buttons and Carolyn Jones. The prolonged finale--with Shirley's youngest taking off over the city by way of some helium-filled balloons--is probably the most memorable aspect of the picture, not the characters nor the love story. ** from ****

"A Ticklish Affair" begins with Navy Commander Key Weedon (Gig Young) arriving at the Martin household. It seems the youngest, Grover, was sending Morse code distress signals from their house in San Diego! And, the US Navy noticed it and went on alert! This was the kooky meet cute in the film....and soon Amy Martin (Shirley Jones) and the Commander begin dating and fall in love. But there's a major hitch here. The widow lost a husband in the Navy AND if she marries the Commander, she'll have to move with her three small boys to Italy! This is too much for her...and you certainly can understand her rejecting the Commander's offer. And, it's a shame as the boys really love the guy and want their mother to marry him.

This first 3/4 of the film was great...and the dilemma was real and you could understand Amy. But what follows was just stupid....and it really made a great romance an okay one in the end. It seems that Grover 'accidentally' flies away on a cluster of giant balloons and soon the fire department, police AND Navy are all scrambling to save this dopey 6 year-old. Talk about contrived!!! It really, really was a bad decision...as before this ridiculous portion, the film was amazingly good....and Jones was simply radiant.