Teacher's Pet (1958)

Director:

George Seaton

Writers:

Fay Kanin (written by) and
Michael Kanin (written by)

Release Date:

1 April 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Their mixed-up romance adds up to this: GREAT DAY! GREAT GUY! GREAT FUN!

Plot:

James Gannon, the hardboiled city editor of a newspaper, believes that the only way to learn the business is by way of the School of Hard Knocks...

Plot Keywords:

Class | Editor | Journalism | Newspaper | May December Romance

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Clark Gable	...	James Gannon / James Gallangher
Doris Day	...	Erica Stone
Gig Young	...	Dr. Hugo Pine
Mamie Van Doren	...	Peggy DeFore
Nick Adams	...	Barney Kovac
Peter Baldwin	...	Harold Miller
Marion Ross	...	Katy Fuller
Charles Lane	...	Roy
Jack Albertson	...	Guide
Florenz Ames	...	J.L. Ballentine
Harry Antrim	...	Lloyd Crowley
Vivian Nathan	...	Mrs. Kovac

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:S

Company:

Perlsea Company

Trivia:

Although most critics felt that Clark Gable was badly miscast due to his age, his performance was judged good enough for Burt Lancaster to cast him as a dying submarine captain in Run Silent Run Deep (1958).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Gannon is in Dr. Pine's kitchen getting a drink, a cabinet is opened with the open door located right behind Gannon's head. When the scene cuts to a shot showing the kitchen from the living room, the open cabinet door is nowhere in sight.

Quotes:

James Gannon: [referring to Dr. Pine, Prof. Stone's boyfriend] So he's got more degrees than a thermometer, so he speaks seven languages, so he's read every book. So what? The important thing is he's had no experience. He didn't start at the bottom and work up. That's the only way you can learn.
Peggy DeFore: You're so right, Jim-zee. Take me. Where would I be if I just read books?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-02-22)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

The Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll

Pre "Pillow Talk" merriment with a sparkling Doris Day squaring off with virile Clark Gable, subbing for the Rock.

1958's "Teacher's Pet" is delightful, frothy fun, and probably what got the ball rolling a year later for Doris Day to film a batch of highly popular Universal Studios 'battle of the sex' comedies opposite Rock Hudson, among others. Here she's at odds with manly Clark Gable, in a change-of-pace comedy role.

Gable, in the twilight of his career by this time, is still loaded with sly, roguish charm as he plays a brusque, unrefined, self-taught city editor who, at the behest of his superiors, grudgingly signs up for a night class in Journalism 101, taught by the ever-spunky, no-nonsense Ms. Day. Clark doesn't let Doris in on the fact that he has a life time of experience in journalism, so Doris naturally comes off quite impressed by the "raw talent" of her novice pupil, taking a special interest in sharpening his "promising" skills. The fun really starts when the two start butting heads both professionally and romantically, with the devilish Gable stringing our girl along, while pushing her "virginal" buttons. You know how these things end but who cares? The joy is seeing two consummate pros play off each other.

Gable and Day are surrounded by a highly capable cast, especially (Oscar-nominated) Gig Young, a gifted comedy farceur, breezing through his patented "other man" role with effortless charm and skill. Here he plays Doris' handsome, long-standing beau who appears to be everything the roughhewn Gable isn't...glib, educated, charismatic, polished, impeccably-mannered, highly intellectual, a fabulous dancer, and an expert on practically every subject. Sounds like quite a catch to me! However, he's NOT the lead, so...

Sexpot Mamie Van Doren has a small, knockout role as Clark's platinum-blonde squeeze, a club singer who gets to bump and grind the hell out of a great solo number, "I'm the Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll." Trying to pass the bombshell off as an intellectual herself to impress Doris, the song pretty much says it all about Mamie, much to Clark's chagrin and Doris' delight. Day gets added laughs later when she gets to mimic the song as a sheepish Clark looks on. Others hitching a ride on this merry-go-romp are Nick Adams playing, as always, an earnest rookie, and Marion Ross and Jack Albertson in minor, pre-TV stardom supports.

The pace is brisk, the actors fetching, the comedy fresh and the fun contagious. Clark and Doris, despite their vast age difference, make such a good team you'd swear they had worked together before. Nope, this was their only pairing. So enjoy!