But Not for Me (1959)

Russ Ward, after 30 years of producing Broadway plays, is ready to quit. His secretary, Ellie Brown, on being given notice, tells him she loves him. Russ proceeds to turn this into a hit ... See full summary »

Director:

Walter Lang

Writers:

John Michael Hayes, Samson Raphaelson (play)

Stars:

Clark Gable, Carroll Baker, Lilli Palmer

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes.

Cast

Cast overview:
Clark Gable	...	Russell 'Russ' Ward
Carroll Baker	...	Ellie Brown / Borden
Lilli Palmer	...	Kathryn Ward
Lee J. Cobb	...	Jeremiah MacDonald
Barry Coe	...	Gordon Reynolds
Thomas Gomez	...	Demetrios Bacos
Charles Lane	...	Al Atwood
Wendell Holmes	...	Miles Montgomery
Tom Duggan	...	Roy Morton

Storyline

Russ Ward, after 30 years of producing Broadway plays, is ready to quit. His secretary, Ellie Brown, on being given notice, tells him she loves him. Russ proceeds to turn this into a hit play starring Ellie and romance her in a May-December affair.

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Plot Keywords:

remake | may december romance | based on play

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Taglines:

It's a scream!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 August 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bei mir nicht

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Perlsea Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film proved to be a complete failure at the box office. This was largely blamed on the casting of Carroll Baker, since she was not yet established as a major star.

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Connections

Version of Mr. Music (1950)

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Soundtracks

"You Make Me Feel So Young"
Music by Josef Myrow
Lyrics by Mack Gordon

User Reviews

Unexceptional but enjoyable little film

A decent cast and intermittently witty script make up for the drab direction in this somewhat hackneyed backstage drama. But Not For Me is a perfect example of a "rainy-day film" - pleasant, undemanding entertainment with good stars and a happy ending. Gable looks worn-out in one of his final roles, but Lee J. Cobb is fine as a world-weary but good-hearted sourpuss writer - cast nicely against type. Baker is pleasant in a role requiring less dramatic range than in Giant (where she ate much of the scenery), while Lili Palmer is agreeable in support. Worth a look, but unlikely to grace one's Top 10 lists.

Two-and-a-half out of four, with an extra half for the lovely slice of cake I had with it.