Il y a un homme dans le lit de maman

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.

"With Six You Get Eggroll" is a light comedy-romance with a very familiar theme by its date. Widow and widower with kids still at home meet, fall in love and decide to tie the knot again, only to be challenged by their respective offspring. But, Doris Day and Brian Keith carry it off fine, with the help of her three sons and his daughter. Doris plays Abby McClure and Brian plays Jake Iverson. The cast are all good, and there are some very funny scenes especially in the beginning, when Abby and Jake meet up for the first time at a party she throws.

This was Doris Day's last movie. She made only 42 films in her entire career and retired from the screen and TV early. Except for her last few films, arranged by hubby Martin Melcher to bail out the estate he had poorly managed for years, Doris Day's star shone bright for movie and TV audiences alike for 25 years. Many, many fans and movie buffs would have loved to see Day in more films. After Melcher died in 1968, Doris hit it big with her own TV series, The Doris Day Show. It ran for five seasons, and after her last episode on March 12, 1973, she ended her performing career for good. She was just 50 years old.

Probably no other actress with such a bleak background and problem- filled personal life has done more to lift peoples' spirits by her talents. Doris Day was indeed a bright spot in the entertainment world. She was equally adept at dramatic and mystery roles, but her endearing talents shone best in her musicals and comedy-romances. She was one of a rare breed of screen, stage and TV stars who could act, sing, and dance and who excelled at comedy. She never won an Oscar but was nominated nine years for Golden Globes as the favorite female film star in the world – winning three times, in 1958, 1960, and 1963.

Brian Keith's background is very different. Except for a few uncredited parts in movies since childhood, his acting career didn't get started until the early 1950s when he appeared in several TV series. His first male lead came in a 1956 movie, "Storm Center," with Bette Davis. After that, he had many roles in films, TV movies and TV shows, and continued acting until his death in 1997 at age 75. He was in more than 160 films and TV shows.

"With Six You Get Eggroll" is a simple, light comedy-romance that most should enjoy. It's a good family film that may be a little slow for kids of the 21st century.

'With Six You Get Eggroll' was yet another film as part of my Doris Day completest quest, being a fan and realising that there were still films of hers to see. Seeing it, with it being notable for being her swansong film, it is pleasant enough but one can see the reviews here are so mixed.

Day certainly made much better films, 'Calamity Jane' and 'Pillow Talk' especially. She also made far worse, some have often cited later efforts for understandable reasons (her best decade easily was the 50s) as among her worst, to me a few of her early films like 'Lucky Me' and 'Starlift' are also strong contenders. 'With Six You Get Eggroll' is somewhat of a middling film for her.

There are numerous strengths with 'With Six You Get Eggroll'. The music has quirky energy and is suitably understated when needed. Some of the dialogue is witty and sophisticated and there are some amusing, if never exactly hilarious, moments. Day driving off in the trailer leaving Brian Keith in his underwear on the road stands out.

Some of the story has an energetic bounce, and there are moments that really charm. Howard Morris directs competently. Most of the cast make the film and their material work. Day comes over as very natural and at ease, she has fun and radiates charm. Keith has lovely chemistry with her and is a likable leading man with a gift for gentle comic timing. Pat Carroll is great fun in support, and it was nice to see George Carlin and a young Barbara Herschey. One mustn't forget the personality-filled dog either.

However, the children are rather annoying (not the first time that's been the case in a Doris Day film), while the production values have a very low-budget feel and looks very made for TV. 'With Six You Get Eggroll' gets rather absurd towards the end and the final scene is a sea of messy chaos.

For all the fun, bouncy and charming parts of the story, there are also a few dull and tired moments that is suggestive of padding things out, and while the predictability is forgivable not so much is including very 60s elements like hippies and an appearance from The Greenshots that just date the film and a rather clumsy effort to make the film current of the time, inconsistent pacing, the messy final scenes and a sense that it would have fared better as an episode for a sit-com considering the relative thinness.

In conclusion, not awful, not great, somewhat mixed instead. 6/10 Bethany Cox

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

Doris comes across as a beautiful 40-plus woman. Never saw her so mature and easy to look at. She is wonderful and has some great scenes with Brian Keith (who is wonderful in this). Good supporting cast and enjoyable for the whole family.