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

Doris Day's final black and white movie.

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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

August 'Augie' Poole: [Reading from the Real Estate section of the newspaper] Hey, listen to this: "Westport. Lovely old colonial manse. Recently renovated. With lovely gristmill and pond situated behind house in sun-drenched sylvan glen." That must be Bill Paxton's dump with the swamp in back.

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Soundtracks

Esquire Rhumba
(uncredited)
Written by Eddie Clark, Bob Hanna and Joseph Martini

User Reviews

A Tunnel to Stupidity

Viewers who saw this film in theaters when it opened must have needed sunglasses during the opening credits! While Day sings the corny title tune (augmented by a funny echo effect at an appropriate time) the camera closes in on her and Widmark's faces while driving. Day is bright enough already, but tan Widmark smiles and out comes a huge row of startling white teeth that smear the screen with light! Maybe it's just unusual to see this actor so happy as he's definitely out of his element here. The pair play a couple who are knee-deep in plans to adopt a baby, but don't find it so easy. Eventually, through some dumb plot contrivances, Widmark thinks he has fathered a baby outside his marriage and it causes even more plot contrivances and mayhem. Widmark does the best he can in this new genre for him and Day is always interesting, but they're affected by this subpar material. Young is a breath of amusement as a carousing next door neighbor who already has a few kids and whose wife (Fraser) is continually pregnant. Amusing as he is, his attitudes are not particularly admirable. Fraser clocks a lot of screen time but has little to work with and suffers from inconsistent pregnancy pillows. (She does get to wear one show-stopping gown at a party.) Lovely Scala appears as an adoption agent, but her role is mostly decorative and at times insulting (to her.) Tedium builds and several annoying and unreal situational comedy moments ensue with only a smattering of laughs nestled in. Fortunately, the underused and always welcome Wilson shows up as another adoption agent and puts a tad more life back into the picture. One surprising thing about this movie is the level of language, subject matter and entendre present for its time. A lot of the early dialogue is pretty frank and suggestive for 1958, but these sophisticated traits are undone by leering, unfunny gags and a lot of inane character choices. The whole thing (aside from the credits) is filmed inside on a stage and it shows. Kelly does not display any mastery of the camera (there's no one dancing in front of it to hold our attention this time, Gene), nor does the story hang together in terms of character development. One minute Widmark is lovingly devoted to Day, the next he's off with another woman. Nothing in this film is ever fully proved or discussed, either. It's all a bunch of drawn conclusions. Only people who want to see Widmark in a comedy or see him smile (which he doesn't really do again after the titles roll) and devout fans of Day or Young will want to sit through this.