Il y a un homme dans le lit de maman

I saw this as a boy & I loved it! I still do because it's a retro look at life in the iconic 60's. It's full of physical comedy, camp, & the up's & down's of blending a ready made family! Doris Day & Brian Keith are an amazing team together. Keith was a good romantic choice, and a good looking man! I love Doris, what a fantastic multi-dimensional actress, just can't say enough about her! Pat Carroll as her sister & in her debut film, shows off her zany comedic timing as a gifted comedian. This is one of my most favorite movies! Not being a great reviewer, but a good critic I recommend seeing this light, bright comedy, and I think you'll feel better after watching! I gave it a 10 because I love it!

Doris Day's upbeat, cheery, and sunshiny career (with exceptions like "The Man who Knew Too Much," "Love Me or Leave Me," and "Julie") ended with "With Six You Get Eggroll," a film which shows how a father with one daughter gets along with a mother and her two sons, when the parents marry. The courting and romance of father Brian Keith and Doris is rather sweet, but the complications arise after their marriage, as to who moves into whose house and who sleeps where, which causes Brian and Doris to have a fight, and of course it leads inevitably to an outlandish and zany ending. This is one of Ms. Day's not-so-subtle movies, as the laughs come courtesy mainly from the youngest boy and his disposition and his crazy antics dealing with the change forced on him. This seems to have a juvenile sense of humor, but I've never laughed so hard in my life. I give this a '6', only because, while funny, it seems to come with a price of feeling rather uncouth, and maybe an embarrassment to the career of all concerned, including a young Barbara Hershey as Brian Keith's daughter. This came out a year before "The Brady Bunch," so one wonders if this movie inspired it. Directed by "The Andy Griffith Show" 's star Howard Morris, who played Ernest T. Bass, this is one family film that will either be a hit with families laughing at obvious jokes or fall flat with those who demand more from a Doris Day outing.

Doris Day's last feature film is a pleasant success, although it somehow isn't recalled as a such. Backtracking for a moment… Ms. Day's 1960s "sex comedies" were very big at the box office. The best of these films were critically acclaimed at the time, and are fondly remembered today. But, by 1967, Day began receiving scripts that lacked the wit (and hit potential) of earlier films. Day knew this, but found herself committed to a few unworthy movies, by manager/husband Martin Melcher. They weren't the first "bad" movies Day did, but they did come at a time when she was a "superstar". Day was able to make these bad movies better through her presence; as usual, she put a good effort into each assignment.

By 1966, Day was firmly entrenched in the "Quigley Top 10" poll of box office stars, and had become a very dependable, consistent attraction. The films she didn't care for were responsible for Day falling out of the "Ten Best" list, in 1967. She saw "With Six You Get Eggroll" as an improvement. And, it was. Day's last films heralded a return to form; and, she appeared at a very respectable #14 in her final 1968 "Quigley Poll" appearance. It was a CBS-TV series deal that prevented Day from continuing her film career. She was in demand, and would have had to continue in films (she needed the money). But, Day was committed to work on the television series, against her wishes, by the now deceased Mr. Melcher.

Seeing the success of the earlier released Lucille Ball comedy "Yours, Mine and Ours" (1968), the studio promoted "With Six You Get Eggroll" as similar fare. Actually, this film is a little better, overall (both are good movies). Herein, lumber yard owner "Abby McClure" (Day) is resigned to being single, after being left with her deceased husband's business, and three sons. But, she is "lonely" (a euphemism), as director Howard Morris clearly highlights with the overhead shots of Day on her bed. Day reluctantly accepts self-professed sex-minded sister Pat Carroll's arrangement of a date with widow Brian Keith (as Jake Iverson). Their courtship is marvelously depicted, thanks to fine scripting and performances.

Some have debated whether or not the characters played by Day and Keith have pre-marital sex. Everything about in the characters' behavior suggests that they do. If fact, the biggest reason for the marriage is that they find it increasingly frustrating to "sneak around" and be "alone" (more euphemisms). The rest of the film deals with the inevitable problems the marriage causes in their living arrangements. Now, considering Day's business (which she's good at), you've got to wonder they didn't just build another bedroom for one of the children. Unfortunately, the business sense of Day's character is left standing at the alter. The plot question becomes: Will the children learn to get along, or break up the newlyweds?

Representing the opposing fronts are her son John Findlater (as Flip) and his daughter Barbara Hershey (as Stacy). Youngsters Jimmy Bracken and Richard Steele handle their roles (and surprising bathtub scene) very well. Sounding like a cross between "Under My Thumb" and The Zombies, The Grass Roots do an original, exceptional, and very sixties-sounding song called "Feelings"; listen to them as Day visits a youth nightclub. Stand-up George Carlin turns up as fast-food patron. Two future "M*A*S*H" regulars lead a mob of tripping hippies. And, you can have a lot of fun picking out sit-com favorites. By the third act, the film has become more unfocused and ordinary, but it never really obliterates its appeal.

******* With Six You Get Eggroll (8/7/68) Howard Morris ~ Doris Day, Brian Keith, John Findlater, Barbara Hershey

When I saw "With Six You Get Eggroll" in a plush New York theatre, I had no idea that it would be Doris Day's last film appearance. This one was an old idea with a modern look: a widow with three boys marries a widower with a teenaged daughter (Barbara Hershey)and all hell breaks loose.

Even though I am not partial to films with children in them or "family pictures", I enjoyed Miss Day's performance in this film as well as her supporting players. As was always the case, she was surrounded by the best supporting people available. Pat Carroll, as her sister was a lot of fun as was Alice Ghostley, her harried maid. There were many familiar faces darting in and out. People like Jaime Farr, Vic Taback, Jackie Joseph and George Carlin.

Brian Keith was a "comfortable", but gruff leading man for Doris. They had many nice scenes together, although he did not measure up to the usual caliber star with whom Miss Day was usually paired.

As usual, Doris Day worked well with children. She was one of the few major stars that could. Many female stars avoided kids like the plague, but not Doris. She could handle the situation.

Even though this is a comedy, there were a couple of very dramatic scenes in which Doris shows what a marvelously serious actress she can be. This came when she and Keith had a blowout about his daughter cleaning the house without any help from Doris' older son. Day was so into the scene, you could see her actually shaking with anger.

The film became a tearjerker at the end when everybody "saw the light" and came together after a big car chase, an accident and a fist fight. The picture is more enjoyable than the Henry Fonda/Lucille Ball film with approximately the same theme. Their's was called "Yours, Mine and Ours", also in 1968.

Along with "Yours, Mine and Ours" (Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda) this film marked the start of the "let's-create-a-family-by combining-each-of-ours" genre and soon several variations of the theme plowed their ways into theaters (including the much forgotten "Mulligan's Stew" where childless parents adopt a variety of ethnic representatives). It was a way to have "modern" family dramas survive in the ever changing marketplace. Looking like situation comedies found on television it was no surprise that they influenced what TV families of the 70's would look like. There was a chance to examine the ever increasing reality of divorce (disguised as widowship), yet still have a complete family unit. Of those that survived on television, "The Brady Bunch" and "Eight is Enough" are perhaps the most well known. No wonder abortion became popular! Soon these shows would be replaced by the examination of same sex parents (disguised as "good heterosexual friends") in such shows as "My Two Dads," and "Kate and Allie." Shows such as "The Cosby Show," "Home Improvement," and "Family Matters" brought television full circle so perhaps the 21st Century will see more single parent television and in another ten years a remake of "With Six You Get Eggroll." Of course the title would have to change for political correctness. How about "With Sex You Get Kids?" No wait, the pro-life groups won't like that. Ahhh, the sixties.