Rating: 
Summary: "You're my inspiration..."
Review: Jan Morrow (Doris Day) is an interior decorator that relies on her telephone for business. Brad Allen (Rock Hudson) is a songwriter who relies on his telephone for monkey business. Turns out that they both share the same party line. Yep you saw it coming. Unknown to either of them, the Broadway producer that Brad is writing for, Jonathan Forbes (Tony Randall), is as close to love with Doris day as he was with his previous wives. Putting two and two together, rock Hudson realizes that his party line antagonist is a blonde cutie.
Knowing that he does not have a chance with her if he reveals his true identity, he takes on Texas persona (Rex Stetson.) Will this work? Will Tony Randall find out? Better still will Doris day find out the truth? Will decorating sense prevail? This could get ugly.
Look for the split screen scenes while they are talking on the phone. And Doris gets a chance to sing.
Rating:
Summary: Universal Has Fixed The Framing Problem!
Review: "Pillow Talk" stars Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, and Thelma Ritter. It remains today what it was when released in October of 1959, and that is -- a highly-entertaining and well-acted romantic comedy.
In an earlier review for this DVD (which I've since deleted since it no longer applies to this product), I felt the need to lambaste Universal Studios for its lack of quality control regarding its DVD re-release of "Pillow Talk" on April 6, 2004.
And while I still feel it was pure carelessness on the part of Universal to release a DVD product that exhibited obvious framing defects, I now feel the need to turn around and commend Universal for responding very quickly and fixing the "mis-framing" problems that existed on the DVD that was released to the unaware public on 04/06/2004. The framing on the new fixed copy of this DVD looks just fine. Rock and Doris (and other characters) aren't being "chopped off" the sides of the picture, as was the case with the mis-framed version.
To receive a "fixed" and properly-framed 2.35:1 Widescreen replacement disc of "Pillow Talk", and to obtain a pre-paid USPS envelope in which to mail back the original (mis-framed) disc, you can call 1-800-222-6280. Universal started mailing out corrected replacement discs in late June 2004.
I assume that in a short time (after June or July 2004), the corrected discs will also be available for purchase at e-tailers and physical stores.
I want to say "Thank You Universal" for correcting these video errors in a timely fashion. Fans of this excellent late-'50s comedy will now be able to see and enjoy the WHOLE Widescreen image (with no cropping), and with the added advantage of anamorphic enhancement, to boot! And "Pillow Talk" is worthy of such souped-up treatment; and is certainly deserving of a properly-framed Widescreen image on DVD -- which it now has been given, thanks to Universal realizing its framing error and fixing the problem in a hurry.
Some additional information about this product .................
This newer (2004) DVD version of the film contains the exact same Menu design and Special Features as the previous non-anamorphic variant that was released in 1999 (minus a text info page about Universal "Web Links"). The bonus features aren't very plentiful, being limited to the original theatrical trailer and some very extensive and informative text notes on the film and its cast members. (FYI -- These text-based items are verbatim to the older "Pillow Talk" DVD release from 1999; but definitely worth a read. Until reading these Production Notes, I never knew a sequel to the film was being planned in 1980. But, unfortunately, the project never got beyond the initial planning stages, and the film was never made. Too bad. I'd have liked to have seen that sequel.)
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful comedy of 3 Hollywood Stars with amazing chemistry
Review: I grew up knowing about Doris Day because my mother was/is a big fan of her comedies. When I first saw "Pillow Talk" I was a mere child (the film was made the same year I was born). Over the years I have watched it frequently, and now have it also on DVD. The film continues to entertain and delight me, even as my impressions have changed with time.Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Tony Randall had a wonderfully delightful chemistry amongst them! From the opening where Doris is humming "Pillow Talk" after the intro is completed, to the far-fetched but humourous end when Brad Allen (Rock) is trying to tell his friend Jonathan that he is going to be a father, the film is simply splendidly performed throughout! Credit must also be given to the script writers Stanley Shapiro & Maurice Richlin, director Michael Gordon & Producer Ross Hunter. Even though I was born the year "Pillow Talk" was made, I didn't even know party lines existed until I visited a great-aunt in Northern Minnesota. I remember picking up the phone and hearing people talk. WHAT A DISCOVERY! It put the film in a new context for me when I saw it later (I am not sure if I had seen it before). I suspect that the younger generation might not understand even the notion of party lines in our age of cellular phones and internet. In this regard, the film takes us back to a less techonologically advanced time, but a time where life seemed somehow more relaxed. I delight in seeing New York City, Central Park, and the American automobiles in the 1959 frame of context. One question that pops into my mind: did people in NYC really have such big apartments with a single woman living alone, and still affording a maid to come in each day??? Was the maid really paid enough to make a living from it? Did NYC really have that sort of "everyone knows everyone" feel such as when Kelly the police officer congratulates Brad Allen as he carries Jan Morrow from her apartment to his? I doubt it, but the fantasy is lovely! Rock Hudson did a really fun impression of a Texan rancher up in New York. Tony Randall was extremely funny as the self-deprecating multi-millionaire in love with Jan, and Doris simply glowed from beginning to end. The last few times I have watched it, which has been recently, I have been struck by the sexual frankness it explored. Brad the playboy, always luring in the beautiful women, Jan the wonderfully moral interior decorator, who shakes her tush in a very sexy manner at a nightclub when Brad first spots her, and the budding romance that develops between the two when he becomes "Rex Stetson", a cowboy from Texas. "Rex" playing the moral companion who would do nothing to offend the proper Miss Morrow, while inside he is sizing her up and biting at the bit to ... well bite at her bits? When the gig is almost up, "Rex" innocently suggests that Jan join him for a weekend in Connecticut. While there was no actual sex occuring, it is made clear that it was about to happen when Jan figures out the ruse Brad Allen has played on her. Hollywood, perhaps afraid of the extent of this sexual frankness, has Miss Morrow crying at the diner where she and Jonathan stop for coffee, saying "I thought we were going to get married." Good girl image preserved! Later, when Brad Allen conspires with Jan's boss to have her redecorate his apartment, the scene of the music beginning to play and the double bed automatically folding out with sheets in place left no doubt what sort of life Brad led prior to falling in love with Jan. He was a playboy through and through and measured success by the quantity of women he successfully "entertained" at home. Growing up believing that promiscuous sexuality was a by-product of the late 60's counter culture movement and "summer of love", it struck me how direct and unambigious this scene was. However, in a very moral and virginal way, Jan's virtues are protected until she hears that Brad wants to marry her and in fact, loves her very deeply. I am particularly fond of stories where romance changes a person for the good. Being an adult and a male, however, I wonder if such a womanizing playboy could and would remain ever faithful to the woman he loves for all eternity and never feel the need to stray again. It is fun, however, to believe that love was the true redemptor and that Brad and Jan lived happily ever after. Isn't this the great promise of romance AND fairy tales.
In both genres, Pillow Talk succeeds beyond measure and I love it more each time I see it. P.S. The music is great too. Love "Roly Poly", "Possess Me" and of course, the theme song!
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