The Birds and the Bees

A much better remake than it has a right to be. The improvements over the original includes a much better musical score, the advent of color.and the addition of the 2 leads Mitzi Gaynor and George Gobel. Hank Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck are physically well matched so it is hard to swallow her character not being attracted to his character. For the remake because Mitzi and George are so mismatched physically, and there seems to be chemistry between the two principals the romance works. The screen play trims some of the fat off the supporting characters Fred Clark always shines with the brunt of the story focused on the main leads. The casting of George Gobel using his television alter ego as an innocent over an obvious ploy by what should be another fortune hunter is delicious for me. The supporting cast rounds out a formula musical comedy. I look forward to a DVD copy of this movie.

During an transatlantic sea voyage, a card shark and his daughter, Mitzi Gaynor, cheat a wealthy simpleton out of a lot of money, but complications ensue when the the girl falls in love with the victim. David Niven is his usual charming self as the father, but George Gobel as the love interest is wooden and the film falls far short of the original. Preston Sturges directs this mixture of slapstick and sentiment. Save your money and rent the original, The Lady Eve, instead.

The Birds and the Bees is a remake of The Lady Eve, Preston Sturge's screwball comedy starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. It's incredibly similar to the original, so much so that I struggle to understand why they bothered remaking it at all. Audiences who liked the original wouldn't want to mess with perfection, and audiences who didn't like it wouldn't want to give it another chance. I belong to the latter category, and the only reason I sat through this movie is because I love David Niven so much.

David Niven and Mitzi Gaynor are a father-daughter con-team who usually swindle their victims out of money through cheating at cards. Their next target is the bumbling, fumbling fool, George Gobel. But what happens when Mitzi starts to fall in love with him? A more important question is, perhaps, what is the world coming to when David Niven gets third billing in a Mitzi Gaynor movie?

I detested the original; it's an absolute insult to Barbara Stanwyck's talent that it's one of her most famous films. Mitzi adds nothing to the role in the remake. Half the time she's trying to imitate Marilyn Monroe, and the other half she's trying to act like a teenaged Shirley Temple. Gobel gives his best Tommy Smothers impression-or Tommy Smothers got his inspiration from Gobel. I never thought I'd long for Henry Fonda's wooden delivery and bored, slightly frustrated attitude, but Gobel drove me to it. I can't imagine anyone falling in love with him, but I suppose the movies are full of suspensions of disbelief. There's really no reason to watch this remake. Not even if you love David Niven.

Birds and the Bees beats the Lady Eve for the simple reason that Henry Fonda isn't funny. The man can't do comedy to save his life. George Gobel is a hoot. Viewers would do well to stop comparing the two movies and accept it on its own terms. The scene between Gobel and Niven where they discuss a subject then clap their hands over each others mouths before the other can reveal anything is classic. David Niven was never funnier. Gobel wrote the book on playing bumbling ineptness, something Fonda couldn't approach. For me, it was Fonda who was miscast in the original movie. Anyway, give it a view and don't try comparing it to anything. You'll have a good time with it.

This film begins with a young man by the name of "George Hamilton II" (George Gobel) having just completed a 3-year expedition in the Belgian Congo in search of an extremely rare snake. Extremely pleased upon acquiring one he immediately boards a passenger liner enroute back home. The problem is that George just happens to be the son of an extremely famous millionaire and as soon as he sets foot on the ship every single female on board becomes extremely interested in him. Yet, in spite of everything, none of them are able to make much of an impression due to the fact that he is very shy and reserved. That changes, however, when a gold-digger by the name of "Jean Harris" (Mitzi Gaynor) and her con-man father "Colonel Patrick Henry Harris" (David Niven) enters the picture with every intention of taking him for every penny he has. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a cute 50's musical-comedy which, in my opinion, benefited more from the comedy than the musical numbers. Likewise, the presence of Mitzi Gaynor certainly didn't hurt the scenery in any way either. Be that as it may, while certainly not a great comedy by any means, it had its moments and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.