The Pleasure of His Company (1961)

San Francisco debutante, Jessica Poole, is marrying Napa Valley cattle rancher, Roger Henderson, and hopes her peripatetic father, "Pogo" Poole, whom she hasn't seen for years, comes to the... See full summary »

Director:

George Seaton

Writers:

Cornelia Otis Skinner (play), Samuel A. Taylor (play)

Stars:

Fred Astaire, Lilli Palmer, Debbie Reynolds

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Fred Astaire	...	Biddeford 'Pogo' Poole
Debbie Reynolds	...	Jessica Poole
Lilli Palmer	...	Katharine Dougherty
Tab Hunter	...	Roger Henderson
Gary Merrill	...	James Dougherty
Charles Ruggles	...	Mackenzie Savage
Harold Fong	...	Toy
Elvia Allman	...	Mrs. Mooney
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lynne Martin	...	Young Woman

Storyline

San Francisco debutante, Jessica Poole, is marrying Napa Valley cattle rancher, Roger Henderson, and hopes her peripatetic father, "Pogo" Poole, whom she hasn't seen for years, comes to the wedding. He arrives, disrupting the household of his ex-wife, Katharine, and her long-suffering husband, and befriending their cook, Toy. At first it seems that Pogo is set on breaking up the engagement, making up for years of neglect by wining and dining Jessica, showing up Roger as a hick, and enticing her to come to Europe with him. Then it seems his real goal is to win back Katharine's heart: why else would he have two tickets to Paris booked on a plane leaving right after the reception?

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Plot Keywords:

rancher | san francisco california | football player | cowboy boots | father daughter relationship | 

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Taglines:

He came 8000 miles to attend his daughter's wedding-and then tried 8000 ways to break it up

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The father's name Biddeford Poole is an inside joke, named for Biddeford Pool, a large tidal pool off Saco Bay in Maine. Playwright Samuel A. Taylor was a longtime summer resident in Maine.

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Goofs

When asked by James, Mr. Sanford tells him that Popo's plane leaves at 6:30. However, when everyone arrives at the airport to see Pogo off, the sign at the departure gate clearly shows the departure time as 4:30.

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Connections

Featured in Tab Hunter Confidential (2015)

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Soundtracks

Lover
(uncredited)
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Sung briefly by Fred Astaire
Danced by Fred Astaire and Lilli Palmer

User Reviews

Lighter than air confection

Beguiling comedy with a super cast and a lighter than air tone. Fred Astaire, dapper and dashing and Lilli Palmer, chic and knowing are masters of continental charm. Debbie is sweet as their daughter, she and Tab Hunter, much looser than usual even though his character is tightly bound, make a very attractive couple. Gary Merrill is humorously exasperated as Lilli's frustrated but loyal second husband. Charlie Ruggles a hoot as her father, absolutely priceless in his dry asides and unflappable manner. George Seaton directs with a sure hand keeping the tone breezy, standing back and allowing these pros to fill out their characters with their own personal magic. Full of beautiful views of San Francisco in the early 60's. A most pleasant diversion.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Italian

Release Date:

1 June 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

In angenehmer Gesellschaft

Filming Locations:

2700 Vallejo Street, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Perlberg-Seaton Productions, Perlsea Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1