Boys' Night Out (1962)

Director:

Michael Gordon

Writers:

Arne Sultan (story) and
Marvin Worth (story) ...

Release Date:

21 June 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Fred, George, Doug and Howie are quickly reaching middle-age. Three of them are married, only Fred is still a bachelor...

Plot Keywords:

Sociology | Marriage | Middle Class | Handyman | Commuter

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Kim Novak	...	Cathy
James Garner	...	Fred Williams
Tony Randall	...	George Drayton
Howard Duff	...	Doug Jackson
Janet Blair	...	Marge Drayton
Patti Page	...	Joanne McIllenny
Jessie Royce Landis	...	Ethel Williams
Oskar Homolka	...	Dr. Prokosch (as Oscar Homolka)
Howard Morris	...	Howard McIllenny
Anne Jeffreys	...	Toni Jackson
Zsa Zsa Gabor	...	Boss' Girl Friend
William Bendix	...	Slattery
Jim Backus	...	Peter Bowers
Fred Clark	...	Mr. Bohannon
Larry Keating	...	Mr. Bingham

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16

Company:

Kimco-Filmways

Quotes:

Ethel Williams: Waitress, waitress darling. Another round please.
Waitress: Are you sure, madam?
Ethel Williams: Madam is sure.
Waitress: Madam is crocked.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Batman: A Death Worse Than Fate (#1.10)" (1966)

Soundtrack:

CATHY

Innocent times in suburbia

Some films ought to be seen in the context of the era in which they were made. It's unfair, in a way, to dismiss a lot of them because they appear to be dated, or because they don't hold our attention because one can't identify with the subject which is being treated. This seems to be the case of "Boys Night Out", a mildly amusing comedy from the early 60s. Directed by Michael Gordon, it shows its age, but still, there are a lot of ingredients that show the viewer how we lived during those less complex times in this country.

"Boys Night Out" would be impossible to make in the present climate. Where could stars of the stature of Kim Novak, James Garner, Tony Randall, be found to play in it? Salaries alone would make such an enterprise impossible by today's standards, and yet, a little more than forty years ago, this sleek package was put together without much problem, or so it appears.

The film offers some rewards to the viewer that stays with it. The idea of four men getting together to rent an apartment and get a dream woman to cater to their fantasies would not be easy to do without including a lot of sex. Little do these men realize they are, in turn, being a case study for the same woman they all desire.

Kim Novak, at the height of her beauty, does a wonderful job with her Cathy. James Garner also has wonderful moments, especially playing opposite Jessie Royce Landis, who appears as his mother. Tony Randall, Howard Duff, Oskar Homolka, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jim Backus, Fred Ward, and the rest of the cast are good in the film.

"Boys Night Out" is a comedy about male fantasy about the best of two different worlds.