Before I delve into the mediocrity of a fifties' romantic comedy film starring Doris Day, I would like to say that I do have an unquestionable bias against this film, and that is that it stars Day. There's just something so contrived and fake about her persona onscreen and every time I watch one of her sugar spun tales of deception and happy endings my stomach curdles in horror. Romantic comedies in themselves don't chafe against me, nor ones set in a time period that valued modesty and censorship. It's this particular film that seriously rubs me the wrong way, mostly because of how sterile and playful it's trying to be about adult relationships. Being childish about sex is not toned down, and it's not fine for the times, it's gross and leaves open a vacuum that gets filled with obtuse puns and ridiculous misunderstandings between characters. Really there are no cute catastrophes or remarkable setbacks to this film. It's simply a film about a prideful, powerful businesswoman who is trying to make calls through a party line while a philandering bachelor makes calls to floozies when he should be writing hit songs. She has none of the neurosis of future female leads, only ambitions and actual character. Rock Hudson's character is a less than affable, manipulative pig, who keeps messing with Doris Day's character, while she blithely goes along with everything that happens and listens to the advice of said pig which makes no sense. Really it's two noxious characters that are so difference than these actors really are. I was sincerely surprised at Hudson, who made a joke about a character being a homosexual and not in a subtle way at that, which was Hudson's sexual orientation throughout his life. It's just too easy to be cynical about this film, and too annoyed at the pithy dialogue and fake smiles to fully enjoy the lack of chemistry between Hudson and Day.

I don't think Doris Day and Rock Hudson have too much chemistry in the conventional sense, but it certainly is pleasurable watching them squabble. This movie has just the right amount of retro and cheese to make it delightful.