That Funny Feeling

That Funny Feeling is so incredibly dated, it could never be remade today, but if you like sex comedies from the 1960s that have absolutely no relevance in the modern era, you'll probably enjoy watching it. And if you like seeing the adorable sparks between Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee, add this one to your list.

Sandra Dee plays a maid who feels ashamed of her lowly station when the wealthy Bobby Darin asks her out on a date. Even right there, the movie's dated. Thanks to Love Story, poor girls don't think twice about going out with rich boys. Bobby and Sandy go out, get along, but when he wants to see her home safely, she panicks and takes him to one of the apartments she cleans! This is 1965, so he just sees her to the door and leaves, by the way. What she doesn't know is that the apartment she's pretending is hers is actually his! It's actually a really cute story and meet-cute, but it's so dated you're going to have to put on your '60s goggles before you watch it.

Of course, there are tons of sex jokes and will-she-or-won't-she situations that were hilarious at the time but now just evoke a chuckle. Bobby's friend and sidekick is Donald O'Connor, and his advice for his bachelor friend is very funny. In my opinion, there's no reason why Pillow Talk has stood the test of time over That Funny Feeling; they both involve dated plots, deception, misidentities, and an endless quest to get the virtuous lady in the bedroom. Give it a try if you like this type of comedy!

"More locations than the A&P"... does anyone else remember the A&P chain of supermarkets?? They actually say that line in the film.... A & P is all gone now, but they have an interesting story at wikipedia. Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin were married in "real life", and were known for their wholesome, family friendly films.... they did make three of them in the 1960s. Darin died quite young, at 37, after heart surgery...he was already divorced twice by that time. Dee and Darin made these films about mistaken identity and misunderstandings, like Doris Day and Rock Hudson. Astute viewers will recognize Nita Talbot, who was Marya on Hogans Heroes! The silly mix-up in "Feeling" is that Joan is actually Tom's maid, but since they have never met, Joan (Dee) pretends to own his apartment, which wouldn't be a big deal, except that she tells this to Tom when she meets him, and he KNOWS it's not hers. Supporting roles by Larry Storch ( F Troop) and Leo Carroll (North by Northwest). Like every episode of Three's Company, when the deception is discovered, rather than talk it out and have a good laugh, they continue on and dig the hole deeper and deeper. Donald O'Connor is in here for comedy. Some double entendres about an unmarried mother when Joan takes some things to the pawn broker... It's all mostly plain, simple fun. As long as you buy in, its all harmless and done. Pretty okay.

Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin, still married in real life at the time, play strangers who accidentally meet at a newsstand. She's a maid who had yet to meet her boss. He's that boss. So when they start dating, he wants to take her home and she ID's his place as that one. I'll stop there and just say the mistaken identity plot has many amusing turns with some pretty hilarious lines from various supporting characters played by some pretty familiar players like Larry Storch, Arte Johnson, and Donald O'Connor who plays Darin's co-worker/boss. The movie is only ninety minutes so there's not too much time to make the plot unbearable So on that note, That Funny Feeling is worth a look.

I am so tired of violet, sexually explicit movies that if you took out all the bad language there would be no dialogue: this one is a delight. Yes it is silly, but such a nice change of pace.

There is a great deal of tongue and cheek humor from the 50's and 60's that younger generations might not understand, their loss.

It is nice to go back to a kind and gentler time.

I read some of the negative reviews about Sandra Dee, but I could name at least a score of current actresses from the same mold, but jaded by the current definition of talent that are popular but so much worse as actresses.

If you want something light and fun, it this a great film.

Amazingly, 2 days ago, to be exact, the name Joan Howell popped up on the phone. I wasn't even typing anybody's name. She popped up as a suggested contact. So I looked the name up, and then this movie showed up in search results.

Come to find out, Joan Howell is someone my brother-in-law works with. But naturally, given what I just discovered in search, I have to watch this movie again! I didn't even remember that her name was Joan!

Another Joan synchronicity to add to my Joan journal. So fitting, considering how the film opens, with a word on all the planets in our galaxy, and how everything moves together in some kind of order. It's got me to thinking - out of all the people in all the world, isn't it amazing that Joan Howell popped up as a suggested contact?!

There are no coincidences, only Godwinks!

Good movie, by the way! It's exactly the kind of 1960s rom-com I adore, with the perfect look and everything. As I said in another review for another Sandra Day film, there is something very special about the look of a 60s rom-com. And I don't just mean in terms of fashion, but in terms of the look of the film stock itself. There's something very distinct about it.

Relatedly, anyone who wants to see kind of a remake of this film, I would recommend the Jennifer Lopez movie Maid in Manhattan (2002). It's not an official remake, but there are definite parallels enough to where it feels like this movie totally influenced that one.