Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?

There was a time when you could send $25 to Doris Day's animal foundation, and she'd send you an autographed picture. Well, my dog was a cute shelter terrier that I named Griffin, and since this was one of my favorite films, I asked and she agreed to sign her picture "Where Were You and Griffin When the Lights Went Out?"

I like this movie. I even found the movie poster for this film at an antique shop in Myrtle Beach. It's rather cool with Ms. Day posing as if she is the Statue of Liberty.

I paid only $8 for it. It's the only thing I remember from that specific beach trip. I also own the video. I don't think the film can air right now due to legal stuff.

I have watched it a dozen times. It's a feel good movie. It has a lot of nice, fun people in it, even in the minor roles. This includes Steve Allen, Pat Paulson, Jim Backus, Ben Blue, Robert Emhardt and Morgan Freeman in an uncredited role.

About Doris Day.....she was gifted, versatile, and very underrated. Groucho Marx once said he knew Doris before she was a virgin. He was referring to her sunny, innocent girl next door image--which gets the one-two punch in this film, to great effect. Day plays a Broadway actress starring in the Constant Virgin, and most of the film discusses whether she sullied her marriage and herself by sleeping with Robert Morse during the NYC blackout from 1965.

This movie isn't Shakespeare. Just relax and enjoy the goings on. Turn back your mental clock to 1968. It's a well remembered time when people drove big Chrysler convertibles. Plus, Lola Albright wears a dark wig and seduces Patrick O Neal with the line "I like big buildings." The Letterman sing the catchy title tune, I wish they would have put it on their LPs from that period. Terry-Thomas and Robert Morse comment on the space between their teeth. Discussing failed dental work between these two actors was entirely unexpected.

Some of the reviews in this group suggest the movie is terrible and Day's star was in decline. They are not being fair. I believe people stay away from terrible movies and terrible movies lose money. This movie was actually a big earner in 1968. Yes, It's true that this is Day's next to last film before she went to TV. However, her last film "With Six You Get Eggroll" was released later in the same year AND was more profitable than this one.

In defense of Ms. Day's star power, the business did not leave Day. She left the business. All good things eventually end. The world is now less bright without Day.

Doris Day and Patrick O'Neal are husband and wife in this permissive comedy based on a stage play with Terry-Thomas as a stinker, playing a Hungarian but apparently with received pronunciation.

A young man is passed over for promotion by the bosses stupid son so he hatches a plan to steal the companies dividends. When there is a black out in New York, he has difficulty escaping and ends up sleeping with Doris Day.

Its a jolly and pretty well made film and I'm don't really understand all the negative comments. Perhaps because it's a foreign script, or because it's not dripping in gee-schucks All-American schmaltz like the other Doris Day films ?

Product placements - Kodak, The New York Times and Pan- Am. The Kaiser Group (Checker) provided the vehicles, an S series Valiant breaking down.

Doris Day has always been fun to watch as she brings her characters to life on the screen. She can play such a broad scheme of emotions, often switching gears in a second. She was particularly delightful as Maggie Garrison, the very happily married wife of Peter Garrison. Then they hit a bump in their relationship--the same night that the the power goes off in New York and the NE part of the country. Maggie retreats to their country home and Peter follows. But this is made more challenging by the loss of power and all the people stranded everywhere. Doris Day is at her funniest when her husband finally does catch up with her and she's so sleepy she can't stay awake. Various coincidences and misunderstandings add up to an amusing and enjoyable film. Also of note is Steve Allen's performance as the Radio Announcer and it was fun to see Pat Paulsen as the Conductor. Both of these characters contributed to the atmosphere during the blackout. It's interesting to note how these New Yorkers in the 1960s handled the power outage, now that we've experienced 9/11.

The story of this movie seems to be a set up for Doris Day's last film ( she actually had one after it ). Doris plays Margaret Garrison a stage actress who constantly gets type cast as a virgin ( hmmmm any similarity to what happened to Doris in real life??). While giving an interview for playboy magazine Margaret spills the beans that she would like to have a baby.... Well her hubby does something naughty and Doris goes running for the home in the country. Doris Day's performance is engaging.. especially when she is medicated !! Although Doris was forced into this movie by her manager husband ( her husband had lost all of her money in bad investments ) it is a delightful 60's film. So set a Sunday afternoon aside and hope that the lights wont go out when you put in the video!!

this movie was next to the very last movie that miss day made....it has been criticized as being a terrible movie....i disagree....this movie has some very funny moments, mostly because of miss day but the cast is not bad.....most of miss day`s movies around this time were being laughed off with doris being wrongfully accused of trying to hold on to her virginity which was groundless because really if they were to examine miss day`s films, she actually was married in most of her films including this movie " where were you when the lights went out?" so really all those tired jokes about her playing a virgin all the time were and are, erroneous...while this movie is not the best movie she ever made, she still gives it her all and it is indeed worth watching and so interesting to see miss day take a movie such as this and milk it into a pleasing comedy, which, is a tribute to her talent and professionalism...have a great day with doris day!!