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IMDbPro

The Pleasure of His Company

  • 19611961
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
773
YOUR RATING
Fred Astaire, Debbie Reynolds, Tab Hunter, and Lilli Palmer in The Pleasure of His Company (1961)
Comedy
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 ... Read allSan 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-suff... Read allSan 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 brea... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
773
YOUR RATING
    • George Seaton
    • Cornelia Otis Skinner(play)
    • Samuel A. Taylor(play)
  • Stars
    • Fred Astaire
    • Lilli Palmer
    • Debbie Reynolds
    • George Seaton
    • Cornelia Otis Skinner(play)
    • Samuel A. Taylor(play)
  • Stars
    • Fred Astaire
    • Lilli Palmer
    • Debbie Reynolds
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 22User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Photos17

    "Pleasure of His Company" Fred Astaire Paramount 1961.  Image courtesy of mptvimages.com
    Debbie Reynolds and Fred Astaire in his dressing room during a break from filming "The Pleasure of His Company," Paramount 1960.
    Debbie Reynolds in her dressing room during the filming of "The Pleasure of His Company," Paramount 1960.
    Debbie Reynolds and Fred Astaire in his dressing room during a break from filming "The Pleasure of His Company," Paramount 1960.
    Debbie Reynolds at Paramount Studios for "The Pleasure of His Company," Paramount 1960.
    Debbie Reynolds on the set of "The Pleasure of His Company," Paramount 1960.
    Debbie Reynolds on the set of "The Pleasure of His Company," Paramount 1960.
    Debbie Reynolds and Fred Astaire on the set of "The Pleasure of His Company," Paramount 1960.
    Fred Astaire and Debbie Reynolds in The Pleasure of His Company (1961)
    Fred Astaire, Debbie Reynolds, and Lilli Palmer in The Pleasure of His Company (1961)
    Fred Astaire and Debbie Reynolds in The Pleasure of His Company (1961)
    Debbie Reynolds and Lilli Palmer in The Pleasure of His Company (1961)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Fred Astaire
    Fred Astaire
    • Biddeford 'Pogo' Poole
    Lilli Palmer
    Lilli Palmer
    • Katharine Dougherty
    Debbie Reynolds
    Debbie Reynolds
    • Jessica Poole
    Tab Hunter
    Tab Hunter
    • Roger Henderson
    Gary Merrill
    Gary Merrill
    • James Dougherty
    Charles Ruggles
    Charles Ruggles
    • Mackenzie Savage
    Harold Fong
    • Toy
    Elvia Allman
    Elvia Allman
    • Mrs. Mooney
    Lynne Martin
    • Young Woman
    Eleanor Audley
    Eleanor Audley
    • Mrs. Thompson
    • (uncredited)
    Herman Belmonte
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Cardini
    • Jack Cardini
    • (uncredited)
    Florine Carlan
    • Young Woman
    • (uncredited)
    Pat Colby
    Pat Colby
    • Young Man
    • (uncredited)
    Oliver Cross
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Lucille Curtis
    • Companion to Gay's Mother
    • (uncredited)
    Margie Duncan
    • Young Woman
    • (uncredited)
    James Gonzalez
    James Gonzalez
    • Wedding Guest
    • (uncredited)
      • George Seaton
      • Cornelia Otis Skinner(play)
      • Samuel A. Taylor(play) (screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Fred Astaire's second consecutive non-musical film.
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Katharine Dougherty: [to their cook and all around house man] Toy, he was my FIRST husband, not my Number One husband.

    • Connections
      Featured in Edith Head: The Paramount Years (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      The Pleasure of His Company
      Music by Alfred Newman

      Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

    User reviews22

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Presence and abundance of charm
    The Pleasure Of His Company finds Fred Astaire playing a jet setting, globe trotting playboy who has come to see his daughter by one of his marriages get married. Astaire's first wife was Lilli Palmer and she's raised their daughter Debbie Reynolds with her second husband Gary Merrill. But now Astaire has come to assert his fatherly prerogatives.

    He asserts more than that as Reynolds is completely fascinated by him, the father she never knew. But his mere presence and abundance of charm is completely upsetting everyone else around including Tab Hunter whom she met in college. He's a rather plain spoken individual who was an All American in college and now has a ranch. When his prize bull gets sick and he has to go home and tend him before the wedding he leaves Astaie an open field and he moves in for the kill.

    All this is rather amusing to Palmer's father Charlie Ruggles who just sits back and enjoys the conflict. Ruggles was the only one of the Broadway cast to do the movie version. The Pleasure Of His Company ran for 474 performances during the 1958-59 season and author Cornelia Otis Skinner played the Lilli Palmer role. Skinner no doubt cast the rest of the Broadway production with Cyril Ritchard, Dolores Hart, Walter Abel, and George Peppard playing the parts that Astaire, Reynolds, Merrill, and Hunter play on screen.

    Skinner's collaborator on the play Sam Taylor did the screenplay and transformed it well from a two act play only the setting of the living room of the house on stage. He utilized the city of San Francisco quite well in his endeavor.

    As for the work itself the dialog is exquisite, sophisticated, and elegant and The Pleasure Of His Company has a cast to match. One you'll enjoy.
    helpful•6
    0
    • bkoganbing
    • Oct 13, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1, 1961 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
      • French
      • Italian
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • 2700 Vallejo Street, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Perlberg-Seaton Productions
      • Perlsea Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 55 minutes

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