The Mating Game (1959)

Tax collector Lorenzo Charlton comes to the Larkins' farm to ask why Pop Larkins hasn't paid his back taxes. Charlton has to stay for a day to try to estimate the income from the farm, but ... See full summary »

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

William Roberts (screenplay), H.E. Bates (novel)

Stars:

Debbie Reynolds, Tony Randall, Paul Douglas

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Debbie Reynolds	...	Mariette Larkin
Tony Randall	...	Lorenzo Charlton
Paul Douglas	...	Sidney 'Pop' Larkin
Fred Clark	...	Oliver Kelsey
Una Merkel	...	Ma Larkin
Philip Ober	...	Wendell Burnshaw
Philip Coolidge	...	Rev. Osgood
Charles Lane	...	Inspector General Bigelow
Trevor Bardette	...	Chief Guthrie
William Smith	...	Barney
Addison Powell	...	David De Groot
Rickey Murray	...	Lee Larkin
Donald Losby	...	Grant Larkin
Cheryl Bailey	...	Victoria Larkin
Caryl Bailey	...	Susan Larkin

Storyline

Tax collector Lorenzo Charlton comes to the Larkins' farm to ask why Pop Larkins hasn't paid his back taxes. Charlton has to stay for a day to try to estimate the income from the farm, but it isn't easy to calculate when the farmer has such a lovely daughter, Mariette...

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Plot Keywords:

farm | tax collector | based on novel

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Taglines:

A racy, riotous new comedy hit!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1959 (Austria)

Also Known As:

Engel unter Sündern

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Mariette Larkin: I'll bet you made the doctor show his license before he slapped your bottom!

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywoodland (2006)

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Soundtracks

"I've Got You Under My Skin"
Written by Cole Porter
Sung by Tony Randall

User Reviews

AKA Darling Buds of May

This is an American version of British novels that were later made into a Brit-com called Darling Buds of May (starring David Jason and Catherine Zeta-Jones). The TV series was set in late 1950s Kent. In the original there was no lack of cash. It was the free-floating cash that got up the nose of the Inland Revenue (like the IRS). Pop Larkin (names were mostly unchanged) was always buying and selling, paid cash for everything. It would be possible today - ebay, auction sellers, yard buyers and sellers alike are "under the radar". They weren't living cashless, just creditless. Drinking was actually played down in the American version. The most unbelievable part of the British series was the non-stop imbibing, with contests to come up with the most potent drinks, yet no one got drunk - except Charley, the revenuer.