SEND ME NO FLOWERS

(director: Norman Jewison; screenwriters: Julius J. Epstein/from a play by Norman Barasch & Carroll Moore; cinematographer: Daniel Fapp; editor: J. Terry Williams; music Frank : De Vol; cast: Rock Hudson (George Kimball), Doris Day (Judy Kimball), Tony Randall (Arnold Nash), Clint Walker (Bert Power), Hal March (Winston Burr), Patricia Barry (Linda Bullard), Edward Andrews (Dr. Ralph Morrisey); Runtime: 100; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Harry Keller; Universal; 1964)

“A tiresome,  tasteless convenional farce.“

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A tiresome, tasteless conventional farce. Director Norman Jewison (“Moonstruck”/”Agnes of God”) can’t keep the slight story line afloat. Julius J. Epstein adapts it from a play by Norman Barasch & Carroll Moore. This is the last and weakest of the Day/Hudson collaborations.George Kimball (Rock Hudson) is a hypochondriac. Despite this he has been happily married to Judy (Doris Day) for 8 years. When George visits his doctor (Edward Andrews) to complain of indigestion, he overhears his doctor talking about another patient but mistakenly thinks it’s about him. George concludes he has only a few weeks to live and tells this to Arnold Nash (Tony Randall), his over sympathetic neighbor and best friend. He also tells Arnold that he wants wealthy oilman Bert Powers ( Clint Walker), her college sweetheart, to be her next husband so that she will be well-taken care of after he’s gone. George’s attempts to throw his wife and Bert together make for awkward comedy.

REVIEWED ON 9/27/2016 GRADE: C

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