Doesn't quite match Cary Grant and Irene Dunne's original My Favorite Wife (1940), but still remains an entertaining watch.
Move Over Darling (1963) :
Brief Review -
Doesn't quite match Cary Grant and Irene Dunne's original My Favorite Wife (1940), but still remains an entertaining watch. I recall another film with a similar premise but a gender swap-Too Many Husbands (1940)-which came out the same year as My Favorite Wife and failed to make logical or tonal sense with the concept. Initially, I viewed Move Over Darling as a male-centric remake until Doris Day herself name-dropped Cary and Irene, making the inspiration official. Yes, it's a remake with minimal changes, but cinema and humor had evolved a lot in those 23 years, giving this version a certain charm. The plot and screenplay remain mostly intact, now enhanced by the transition from black-and-white to color and Cinemascope. Nick Arden marries Bianca, only to be stunned when his supposedly dead wife, Ellen, returns on the very same day after five years. Ellen checks into the hotel where Nick and Bianca are meant to honeymoon. Overwhelmed, Nick must now reveal the truth to Bianca-but is it that easy? Chaos unfolds, and Nick and Ellen begin drifting slightly apart. A twist reveals what happened in those five years, flipping the emotional equation. While Cary and Irene's pair was iconic, James Garner and Doris Day still manage to bring nostalgic laughter, echoing the past without reinventing the wheel. Polly Bergen adds a spicy flair to her role, and Thelma Ritter-backed by her experience-needs no help at all. Kudos to Michael Gordon's clean, unfussy direction that avoids unnecessary detours. All in all, a light-hearted, colorful, and fairly enjoyable remake. The entire hotel sequence will make you laugh and the one-liners there are damn funny. "Now don't take advantage of me because I am a woman." "You are my wife!"
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Doesn't quite match Cary Grant and Irene Dunne's original My Favorite Wife (1940), but still remains an entertaining watch. I recall another film with a similar premise but a gender swap-Too Many Husbands (1940)-which came out the same year as My Favorite Wife and failed to make logical or tonal sense with the concept. Initially, I viewed Move Over Darling as a male-centric remake until Doris Day herself name-dropped Cary and Irene, making the inspiration official. Yes, it's a remake with minimal changes, but cinema and humor had evolved a lot in those 23 years, giving this version a certain charm. The plot and screenplay remain mostly intact, now enhanced by the transition from black-and-white to color and Cinemascope. Nick Arden marries Bianca, only to be stunned when his supposedly dead wife, Ellen, returns on the very same day after five years. Ellen checks into the hotel where Nick and Bianca are meant to honeymoon. Overwhelmed, Nick must now reveal the truth to Bianca-but is it that easy? Chaos unfolds, and Nick and Ellen begin drifting slightly apart. A twist reveals what happened in those five years, flipping the emotional equation. While Cary and Irene's pair was iconic, James Garner and Doris Day still manage to bring nostalgic laughter, echoing the past without reinventing the wheel. Polly Bergen adds a spicy flair to her role, and Thelma Ritter-backed by her experience-needs no help at all. Kudos to Michael Gordon's clean, unfussy direction that avoids unnecessary detours. All in all, a light-hearted, colorful, and fairly enjoyable remake. The entire hotel sequence will make you laugh and the one-liners there are damn funny. "Now don't take advantage of me because I am a woman." "You are my wife!"
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
- SAMTHEBESTEST
- Jun 6, 2025