The Birds and the Bees (1956)

On an ocean voyage, a card shark and her father cheat a naive man out of his money. Things take a twist when the girl falls in love with the man she's just fleeced.

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Sidney Sheldon (screenplay), Preston Sturges (screenplay),

Stars:

George Gobel, Mitzi Gaynor, David Niven

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Gobel	...	George 'Hotsy' Hamilton II
Mitzi Gaynor	...	Jean Harris aka Countess Louise
David Niven	...	Colonel Patrick Henry Harris
Reginald Gardiner	...	Gerald
Fred Clark	...	Horace Hamilton
Harry Bellaver	...	Marty Kennedy
Hans Conried	...	Duc Jacques de Montaigne
Margery Maude	...	Mrs. Hamilton
Clinton Sundberg	...	Purser
Milton Frome	...	Assistant Butler
Rex Evans	...	Burrows - Butler
King Donovan	...	Waiter
Mary Treen	...	Mrs. Burnside
Charles Lane	...	Charlie Jenkins - Bartender
Bartlett Robinson	...	Guest

Storyline

George 'Hotsy' Hamilton II, heir to a meat-packing fortune, returns home from an expedition in the Congo. On board a luxury cruise, he is charmed by con artist Jean Harris and her card shark father. The pair fleece Hotsy at the gambling tables. But just as Jean begins to fall in love with the naive Hotsy, he is informed of their true motivations. In retaliation, Jean unleashes a stunning new plan. But is she out for revenge or does she want him back?

---

Plot Keywords:

con | ship | bird in title | remake | animal in title | 

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Det surrar, det surrar

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gomalco Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Remake of The Lady Eve (1941)

---

Soundtracks

" (The Same Thing Happens With) The Birds And The Bees"
Lyrics by Mack David
Music by Harry Warren
Performed by George Gobel and Mitzi Gaynor

User Reviews

The Birds and the Bees out shines TheLady Eve

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.