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

Gross USA:

$4,075,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox,Melcher-Arcola Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Informed in 2011, by a film historian, that this film had found new favor among film school students admiring the picture's eclectic mix of satire, slapstick and action, Doris Day admitted she hadn't watched the movie in decades, and may have to give it a second look.

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Goofs

As Christopher and Patricia are touring the TV commercial studio, the director calls one of the actresses Mandy (as does Patricia later on), but in a later scene in Christopher's house, he calls her Miranda.

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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

References Flipper (1964)

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Soundtracks

Caprice
by Larry Marks
Performed by Doris Day (uncredited)

User Reviews

Memories from the SET!

A SUPER title for a film! Many have slammed this film. Doris Day detests it and will NOT talk about it. Why? It's polished, sexy, and stunningly filmed by Leon Shamroy! I believe this was his last film (although I may be mistaken). I agree that the plot was not exactly 007. But put it up against many of today's films and it's a fine body of work in many ways, albeit not in all ways. I personally do not think that Richard Harris was a good choice as a leading man for Doris Day. In 1966-67, my uncle was a longshoreman in Long Beach. He was also a rough rugged actor/stuntman in action films. He was doing something at Twentieth Century Fox and I asked him about Caprice. Could he get me in to see them film? So he went to the publicity department to get me some stills from the days shooting. Which he did. They were never officially released by Doris nor her husband. I felt fortunate to get both of them. The day came when he was taking me to the set where they were filming what he was working on and we would visit "Caprice". I skipped school and everything! Doris Day had fell filming and pinched a nerve in her back. She was in traction for quite awhile. They told us that they may have to scrap the film if she couldn't get back to work on it soon. I walked all around the sets. Remember the Eiffel Tower? They were really lush and that bed suspended from those big chains really swung(I sat on it inspite of the signs, I couldn't resist!). I, just a kid, was really impressed by it all. Martin Melcher spared nothing. It was lush! The interior of the jet was cool as well. At the end of the day, my uncle was able to get us a peek into Doris' bungalow at TCFox. WOW! They had great houses for their stars on the lot.

She had great clothes in the wardrobe area for the film. I remember how cool they all looked so perfectly maintained for filming. I particularly remember that pink hat she wore(I thought it was ugly). There were two of them as I recall. And several Platinum wigs. She refused to dye her own hair that color so the hair dresser, Barbara, said. I felt like a fly on the wall around there. The sets all said "HOT SET, DONT TOUCH ANYTHING!" I didn't. I felt VERY privileged.

Caprice was also Doris Day's last commercial recording on the Columbia label, for whom she recorded her entire recording career. It was a single that received good airplay on stations around the world that played easy listening stuff back then. It certainly wasn't as good a recording as "Move Over Darling"! For instance, they LOVED it in Portugal and Spain! The single was released with a high quality picture sleeve there! It's nothing to rave about, but lush, and rich just like the film "Caprice".

Hope you enjoy these memories of mine.