Walk Don't Run

It was on TV during lockdown, nothing else on, and I was busy pottering around but got quickly drawn in. There are some absolutely masterful moments, tiny details in the acting and scripting that are reminiscent of a bygone age of film in which love honesty kindness and trust were still understood. The acting is superb throughout and they all have immense timing and patience to make it even funnier. An unexpected joy.

I'm sure that Cary Grant was dangled the prospect of a nice all expenses paid for location shooting in Tokyo for his final film, Walk Don't Run. It's the reason he did the film I'm sure.

It's not a bad film to go out on, not near as good as say The Shootist was for John Wayne, but no Cuban Rebel Girl like Errol Flynn had. It's a remake of an earlier Columbia Pictures hit, The More the Merrier that starred Joel McCrea, Jean Arthur, and Charles Coburn. Coburn got a best supporting Actor Oscar for his performance and Grant has his part.

The original film dealt with a tremendous housing shortage in Washington, DC during the World War II, a crisis of four year duration as opposed to a few weeks in Tokyo where because of the Olympics of 1964 there are no hotel rooms to be had.

On a whim, visiting industrialist Cary Grant answers an ad for a room mate posted at the British Embassy by Samantha Eggar. She gets the full court Cary Grant charm and after a bit of reluctance, allows him to stay. Then Grant lends half of his half to American Olympic athlete Jim Hutton.

Eggar has a fiancé, but foxy Cary works his wiles on both Samantha and Jim. The results are obvious.

Walk Don't Run has a few funny moments, Cary Grant style, especially when Grant strips down to his underwear to talk to Hutton during Hutton's event which is the long distance walk. He also has to pry Eggar's fiancé away to get Eggar and Hutton together. John Standing is Eggar's fiancé and he puts in a droll performance as a dull predictable British civil servant.

Cary managed to mine a few more laughs out of his last screen role, but you decide if the trip was worth it.

I saw this again on TV the other night, and the sad fact is that it's a very dated, formula-driven 1960s comedy that would deservedly be forgotten except for three things:

1) If you're interested in the Olympics, it offers one of the few looks at Tokyo during the 1964 games. I'm not sure if any other films use the Tokyo games as a setting. Also, it offers a glimpse at 1960s Tokyo, which apparently no longer exists.

2) He was old and graying and his material was awful, but in many ways, this film displays the magic of the great Cary Grant. He rose above lame material one more time, and without him, this would have been unwatchable.

3) I will never forget the closing line from the original TV ads for this film: "Run, don't walk to see 'Walk, Don't Run.' " They don't make them like that anymore.

This film is an absolute must see for all Cary Grant fans !!! It is a superb twist of romance and comedy.. although surprisingly it's not Cary whose on course for the romance, rather he plays the matchmaker !! and wonderful he is at it too !!!

There are many highlights to this film... watch out for the way Cary talks his way into sharing Samantha Eggar's flat, and when he runs in the race in his boxer shorts and vest !!! (a hilarious moment) and finally the most heart rending moment when he's outside at the end of the film and he lets the shutters go up between the two lovebirds, allowing them to be be together !!! Will definitely make you say aww !!!

This film is absolutely brilliant and definitely in my top 5 Cary Grant films !!

a must for Cary Grant fans !!!!

I am a huge Cary Grant fan and in this, his final film, he is charming as usual. Jim Hutton and Samantha Eggar are very good as the victims of his matchmaking. Its predictable but who cares? Its a feel good movie and I give it ***** big stars out of 5.