Pillow Talk (1959)

Director:

Michael Gordon

Writers:

Stanley Shapiro (screenplay) and
Maurice Richlin (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 October 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Footloose bachelor...beautiful career girl...and the world's most fascinating pastime!

Plot:

A man and woman share a telephone line and despise each other, but then he has fun by romancing her with his voice disguised.

Plot Keywords:

Texan | Interior Decorator | Millionaire | Telephone | House Warming

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 8 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Rock Hudson	...	Brad Allen
Doris Day	...	Jan Morrow
Tony Randall	...	Jonathan Forbes
Thelma Ritter	...	Alma
Nick Adams	...	Tony Walters
Julia Meade	...	Marie
Allen Jenkins	...	Harry
Marcel Dalio	...	Pierot
Lee Patrick	...	Mrs. Walters
Mary McCarty	...	Nurse Resnick
Alex Gerry	...	Dr. Maxwell
Hayden Rorke	...	Mr. Conrad
Valerie Allen	...	Eileen
Jacqueline Beer	...	Yvette
Arlen Stuart	...	Tilda
Robert Williams	...	Mr. Graham (as Robert B. Williams)
Perry Blackwell	...	Perry
Muriel Landers	...	Moose Taggett
William Schallert	...	Hotel Clerk
Karen Norris	...	Miss Dickenson
Lois Rayman	...	Jonathan's Secretary
Don Beddoe	...	Mr. Walters (scenes deleted)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lillian Culver	...	Woman in Elevator (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Truck Driver Punching Jonathan (uncredited)
Joseph Mell	...	Furniture Dealer (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	...	Trucker (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Nightclub Dance Floor Extra (uncredited)
Charles Seel	...	Antique Dealer (uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	Coachman (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Gordon

Writing credits
Stanley Shapiro		(screenplay) and
Maurice Richlin		(screenplay)
Russell Rouse		(story) and
Clarence Greene		(story)

Produced by
Ross Hunter	....	producer
Martin Melcher	....	producer
Edward Muhl	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Frank De Vol

Cinematography by
Arthur E. Arling		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Milton Carruth

Art Direction by
Richard H. Riedel

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Ruby R. Levitt

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist
Nick Marcellino	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Connie Nichols	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Edward Muhl	....	in charge of production
Edward Dodds	....	unit production manager (uncredited)
Ernest B. Wehmeyer	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Bowles	....	assistant director
Carl Beringer	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Jack Cunningham	....	assistant director (uncredited)
John Sherwood	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
William Laraby	....	props (uncredited)
Solly Martino	....	props (uncredited)
H. John Ramos	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Robert Pritchard	....	sound
Frank Morehead	....	sound (uncredited)
James F. Rogers	....	sound (uncredited)
Harold Tucker	....	sound (uncredited)
Kenneth Wilson	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Roswell A. Hoffmann	....	special photography (as Roswell Hoffmann)
Clifford Stine	....	special photography

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank J. Calabria	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Edward T. Estabrook	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Russ Franks	....	grip (uncredited)
Al Harris	....	grip (uncredited)
Harold Haselbusch	....	best boy (uncredited)
Michael Moramarco	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Tom Ouellette	....	gaffer (uncredited)
John Thoeny	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
K.K. Towers	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean Louis	....	gowns: Doris Day
Rosamonde Lytele	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Marie Pickering	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Bucky Rous	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Henri Jaffa	....	color consultant
William L. Stevenson	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Leon Charles	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)
Dorothy Hughes	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Betty Mitchell	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Dan Thomas	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Arwin Productions (presents)
• Universal International Pictures (UI) (as Universal International)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal (1959) (France) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MCA Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS) (pan-and-scan)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (50th anniversary edition)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (4 film set)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray book) (Universal 100th Anniversary) (Collector's Series)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2012) (Canada) (DVD) (4 film set)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Laykin et Cie  Miss Day's jewels
• Pathé  Eastman Color by (as Pathe)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Unrated | Australia:G | West Germany:16 (original rating) | Germany:6 (re-rating) (DVD rating) (2003) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1996) (2003) (2009) (2010) | India:A (1960)

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Arwin Productions

Trivia:

Rock Hudson turned down the film three times, believing the script to be "too risqué".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Rex takes Jan for a drive, horse-drawn carriage is shown in long shot, but they sit in a Buggie.

Quotes:

Brad Allen:[regarding Thelma Ritter's Alma] The State Department could use her. What a party girl she'd make - in Moscow!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

Pillow Talk

"You are my inspiration....Doris"

I can honestly say that this is my favorite movie of all time. It has everything a romantic comedy needs...a wonderful script, snappy dialog and of course, the wonderful performances by every single actor in the movie. Doris Day is dead on as Jan Morrow, a single interior decorator, living alone in New York City in the late 1950's who has to share a party line on her telephone (which was not that unusual for that day and time, as hard as it is to believe now) with Brad Allen, played with smarmy brilliance by Rock Hudson. Tony Randall plays Jan's friend and client, Jonathan, a neurotic millionaire who wants to be more than just friends with Doris, but can't get to first base with her. The delightful Thelma Ritter is perfectly cast as Alma, Day's hard drinking but wise housekeeper. Doris can't stand sharing her party line with the womanizing Brad Allen, but when Allen sees her at a night club and figures out who she is and that she will never have anything to do with him if she knows his true identity, he invents an alter ego for himself, Rex, the cowboy from Texas. The ensuing story just gets funnier and funnier, as Jonathan, (Tony Randall's character) starts figuring out the deception, and romantic mayhem ensues. Doris Day never looked lovelier as she did in this film, and Rock never looked more handsome. It is ironic that he played such a blatant womanizer in this film, when of course, in real life he was a gay man. Although the film seems kind of dated now (at the time this film was made it was unusual for a woman to be single and successful) it is still tons of fun to watch. They just don't make movies like this anymore. A definite 10 stars!