The Mating Game

Excellent farce! Which, of course, is all it is intended to be. Thankfully there is neither a social or political message, nor is there the slightest attempt in that direction. Could the plot actually take, or have taken place in any particular time or location? Unlikely, for, after all, this is simply, merely, a movie, and movies spring from imagination, not from reality. The only goal of this movie is to entertain, certainly not to educate, and entertain it does, with reality delightfully and lightheartedly tossed to the winds. I think most would agree that from documentaries we expect enlightenment and authenticity. But for entertainment I want what is nowadays described as a "no-brainer," which The Mating Game is in all respects. For a few chuckles and an outright laugh now and then, this is fine fare fantasy.

The film itself was not particular memorable but you have to watch it for Debbie Reynolds alone. In this comedy/romance film Debbie Reynolds plays a young, and very pretty farm girl tomboy with more spunk than tough guy James Cagney or Clint Eastwood could ever display. The picture quality is from an era (1950's - 1960's) that I wish film producers would bring back as the color is most brilliant, clear, crisp, and the landscape scenes picturesque.

Debbie Reynolds was a perky and beautiful 27 years old when she filmed this comedy/romance, and even after most recently being cheated on by her then famous husband Eddie Fisher who she had two (2) children with, her on screen presence hid her personal relationship issues she was then struggling with addressing.

There is a great list of supporting actors such as Paul Douglas, Tony Randall and Fred Clark. It is a simple plot and the comedy is not than funny, but what makes this film so special is how director George Marshall brings this quaint picture to life with a memorable performance by both Debbie Reynolds and Tony Randall.

I can watch this film over and over just for Debbie Reynolds alone, but also as this era of film making and the picture quality is from a forgotten era but deserving of a more memorable one. I give the film a 7 out of 10 IMDB rating.

The premise is funny where straight well-educated Tony Randall is sent to get Paul Douglas and family to pay up their taxers. Douglas is a nice rural type who has never bothered to file taxes in over 20 years! Una Merkel is his farm wife and Debbie Reynolds plays the eldest of his children. Naturally, Randall falls for Reynolds.

A vicious neighbor played by Philip Ober wants the Douglas homestead. He sends the IRS after the family. With Fred Clark and Charles Lane at the head of the IRS, you'd think the family is in for lots of trouble.

Reynolds musical ability is put to task briefly.

The film falls apart in a rather lengthy drunken sequence when Lorenzo Charlton (Randall) gets bombed out and parades around singing a Cole Porter tune. Other silly scenes is a brawl between Randall and a jealous suitor of Reynolds with his friends.

The ending is contrived. Get out your civil war documents and watch the interest build up. Mainly for the silly at heart.

I saw this together with "Every Girl Should get Married." Each is an example of a very large collection of movies about a charming girl plotting to get an innocent and succeeding. The game in this movie is to entice the audience into falling in love with the girl, thereby setting templates and expectations in so-called real life.

The filmmaker has to make a decision: will she place the audience within the movie or outside? "Every Girl" placed the viewer in the movie. The tone of the thing is earnest and the girl's appeal is earnest. She is so natural and appealing one really does fall in love with her. Her costar did as well and married her.

This is different. The whole thing is cast as a show, with some musical numbers. The situation is stagy: the city gent and the country lass. Debbie Reynolds does a stereotype rather than a real person. We don't fall for her in this movie because it lacks charm. But there are many examples of this approach where we do, or rather we fall in love with the stereotype.

If you are a serious movie watcher, you too need to make a choice. We cannot escape falling in love or otherwise getting engaged with what we experience on screen. But we can decide which to approach seriously. You probably want to avoid these "outside" movies that play with love.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Americans especially were more concerned about taxes than at any other time. At least, that's what Hollywood might lead one to believe, based on the number of films it turned out in those years with tax-related themes. Of course, we should be concerned about taxes. But, comedies such as "The Mating Game" helped put taxes into perspective. Toss in doses of romance, good-naturedness, neighborliness, friendships, and resentment and greedy wealth, and one has the makings of an entertaining and funny movie.

This film is an American version of the Larkin family. It's based on a 1958 short novel, "The Darling Buds of May," by British author H.E. (Herbert) Bates. In the book, the Larkins reside in rural Kent, the southeastern most county in England. Canterbury is located there. Yorkshire Television produced a TV series that ran from 1991 through 1993 in England under the original name of the book. This American adaptation made significant changes, mostly to accommodate for the culture differences. So, the setting here is in rural western Maryland. Apparently it was all shot in the MGM studios in California.

All the cast are excellent in this farcical story. Another reviewer thought Tony Randall was miscast as Lorenzo Charlton, but I agree with others who saw him as the perfect reticent and reluctant object of romance for Debbie Reynolds' Mariette Larkin. The two ogres in this film are played by Fred Clark (as Oliver Kelsey) and Philip Ober (as Wendell Burnshaw). They were a couple of the best character actor villains in those days. The chasing scenes involving Mariette are a lot of fun, and the exchanges with Lorenzo over taxes are very funny. But two actors stand out – Paul Douglas and Una Merkel as Pop and Ma Larkin. They steal every scene in which they appear.

This was indeed a fine performance by Douglas, who often played tough guy roles or serious parts in films. It was his last film. Douglas died a few months after this film came out. He suffered a heart attack at age 52.

People who want all the details of movies to make sense or to be realistic may not enjoy this film. But those who love comedy will get many smiles and laughs from "The Mating Game."