The Tunnel of Love (1958)

A series of misunderstandings leaves a married man believing he has impregnated the owner of an adoption agency, and that she will be his and his wife's surrogate.

Director:

Gene Kelly

Writers:

Peter De Vries (novel), Joseph Fields (play)

Stars:

Doris Day, Richard Widmark, Gig Young

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Doris Day	...	Isolde Poole
Richard Widmark	...	August 'Augie' Poole
Gig Young	...	Dick Pepper
Gia Scala	...	Estelle Novick
Elisabeth Fraser	...	Alice Pepper
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Miss MacCracken
Vikki Dougan	...	Gladys Dunne, actress
Doodles Weaver	...	Escort
Charles Wagenheim	...	Day Motel Man
Robert B. Williams	...	Night Motel Man (as Robert Williams)
Esquire Trio	...	Themselves, Party Musicians (as The Esquire Trio)

Storyline

The Pooles are unable to have a baby after years of trying. They apply to the Rock-A-Bye Adoption Agency, and are assigned Miss Novick as an investigator. Through a farfetched mis-communication she gets a very bad impression of Augie Poole and indicates her report will be unfavorable. Through even more far-fetched circumstances, Augie is able to change Miss Novick's mind, and later comes to believe the baby she is carrying is his. Rock-A-Bye does find the Pooles a baby, and Augie is convinced it is Miss Novick's, and that he is the real father...so much so that his wife comes to believe it, too. She threatens to leave him, but all the misunderstandings are finally cleared up for a happy ending.

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Plot Keywords:

infidelity | comedy of errors | adoption agency | connecticut | pregnancy | 

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Taglines:

FROM THE BOLD BLUSHING STAGE HIT OF SEX IN THE SUBURBS! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 1959 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Babys auf Bestellung

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arwin Productions, Fields Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first movie Gene Kelly directed in which he did not also star.

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Goofs

The woman from the adoption agency describes the baby as having blonde curly hair. When we see him in the bassinet, he clearly has no hair.

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Quotes

Estelle Novick: What school did you go to, Mr. Poole?
August 'Augie' Poole: Oh, I never went past high school.
Estelle Novick: How did you get along there?
August 'Augie' Poole: Terrible. Everybody hated me because I was so popular.

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Soundtracks

Love Scene
(uncredited)
Music by Trevor Duncan
Josef Weinberger Music Ltd

User Reviews

Groundbreaking subject matter

In the groundbreaking romantic drama, Doris Day and Richard Widmark can't have children, and not for lack of trying. Gene Kelly directs this drama that touches on some untouched topics in 1958. In the good ol' days, there was a blackout after a wedding scene and the next shot opened on a bassinet. Now, in the last years of the Hays Code, Doris and Dick openly discuss ovulation cycles, how to track them, and what to do when it's the right time. It was very scandalous at the time.

When the gorgeous couple get fed up with waiting for nature to give them a child, they decide to adopt-but how will they cope when the equally gorgeous Gia Scala enters their lives? While the second half of the movie gets a little silly, the first half is very fun to watch. Doris and Dick have great chemistry together, and it's always a treat to watch an old movie in which a married couple has realistic problems. It wasn't very often that classic movies mentioned adoption, surrogacy, and infertility, let alone made an entire movie about them. Plus, through a career playing bad guys and never getting the girl, it's nice that Richard Widmark is the hero of the story, and he starts out already having the girl!