Caprice (1967)

An industrial designer causes chaos when she sells a secret cosmetics formula to a rival company.

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writers:

John Kohn (screenplay) (as Jay Jayson), Frank Tashlin (screenplay)

Stars:

Doris Day, Richard Harris, Ray Walston

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Doris Day	...	Patricia Foster
Richard Harris	...	Christopher White
Ray Walston	...	Stuart Clancy
Jack Kruschen	...	Matthew Cutter
Edward Mulhare	...	Sir Jason Fox
Lilia Skala	...	Madame Piasco
Irene Tsu	...	Su Ling
Larry D. Mann	...	Inspector Kapinsky
Maurice Marsac	...	Auber
Michael Romanoff	...	Butler
Lisa Seagram	...	Mandy
Michael J. Pollard	...	Barney

Storyline

There is an on-going battle of industrial espionage between rival cosmetics companies, Femina, owned by Sir Jason Fox, and May Fortune, owned by Matthew Cutter. Caught in the middle between the two are among others top industrial designer Patricia Foster, who officially is on May Fortune's payroll after being fired by Femina, and Christopher White, a suave Brit who also is officially on May Fortune's payroll as Cutter's right hand man. On the surface, Patricia is still working for Femina trying to steal the new top secret formula for a water repellent hairspray developed by Dr. Stuart Clancy for May Fortune, that hairspray which would make all other hairsprays obsolete, while Christopher secretly tries to stop her. Below the surface, it is not clear whether either Patricia or Christopher truly are working for May Fortune, Femina or someone else. But as they progress through these on the surface missions, their true missions are eventually revealed as are their true allegiances, which ...

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Plot Keywords:

espionage | cosmetics | industrial espionage | flipper | spy spoof | 

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Taglines:

Doris Day Richard Harris play the game of excitement in the cliff-hanger of the year !

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 May 1967 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Capricho

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,595,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Melcher-Arcola Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Doris Day was forty-five when she made the film.

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Goofs

This is not really an error, as the Christopher character had just imitated Richard Burton, and she was referring to the actor.

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Quotes

Christopher White: How is she?
Doctor: With a good night's sleep she'll be back to normal.
Christopher White: She will never be normal.

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Crazy Credits

Each screen of the opening credits is presented uniquely. The names of the leads appear in speech/thought bubbles of an extra. One page appears gradually as a walkie-talkie's antenna extends. Others fade in, slide in, are pulled from behind walls, appear with different clipart, etc.

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Connections

Featured in IMDb Originals: Doris Day: In Memoriam (2019)

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Soundtracks

Caprice
by Larry Marks
Performed by Doris Day (uncredited)

User Reviews

She turned down THE GRADUATE for THIS???

Surely Fox had intended this one for Raquel Welch but dusted it off when Doris needed to complete her three picture deal with the studio. She had saved their necks at Christmas time in 1963 with MOVE OVER, DARLING (the re-tooled SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE), but two years later she was rewarded with DO NOT DISTURB, a second-rate farce based on a third rate play. Then along came this attempt to turn Doris into a go-go mod spy with BATMAN trimmings. Well, Doris is always watchable and there are a few funny and/or exciting set pieces, and the photography is gorgeous, but really, I am shocked that a major MAJOR talent like Doris Day settled for this feeble outdated-the-minute-it-was-released effort. There isn't even a decent ending! The way films were being made and watched and reviewed and studied was changing rapidly (mostly for the good) in 1967, and it is a shame that an iconic performer like Miss Day could not ride the wave to a nice third act to her movie career. Still, this does have the makings of a cult film, and perhaps when viewed in context of the time it was made and released (Spring of 1967) future audiences will appreciate it for what it is rather than what it is not. Watch anyway!