Teacher's Pet (1958)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

George Seaton

Writers:

Fay Kanin (written by) and
Michael Kanin (written by)

Release Date:

1 April 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Their mixed-up romance adds up to this: GREAT DAY! GREAT GUY! GREAT FUN!

Plot:

James Gannon, the hardboiled city editor of a newspaper, believes that the only way to learn the business is by way of the School of Hard Knocks...

Plot Keywords:

Journalism | Editor | Beautiful Woman | May December Romance | Teacher

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Clark Gable	...	James Gannon / James Gallangher
Doris Day	...	Erica Stone
Gig Young	...	Dr. Hugo Pine
Mamie Van Doren	...	Peggy DeFore
Nick Adams	...	Barney Kovac
Peter Baldwin	...	Harold Miller
Marion Ross	...	Katy Fuller
Charles Lane	...	Roy
Jack Albertson	...	Guide
Florenz Ames	...	J.L. Ballentine
Harry Antrim	...	Lloyd Crowley
Vivian Nathan	...	Mrs. Kovac

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:S

Company:

Perlsea Company

Trivia:

The character of Jim Gannon was originally supposed to be a reporter. However, when veteran star Clark Gable was cast it was decided to make him an editor instead.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the scene where Pine corrects Gannon about the year of Bill Wambsganss' unassisted triple play in the World Series (1920), he says that was the first year the Series was a best-of-9 format. Actually, the infamous 1919 Series (Cincinnati over White Sox) was best-of-9, as was the first Series of modern times in 1903.

Quotes:

James Gannon: [referring to Dr. Pine, Prof. Stone's boyfriend] So he's got more degrees than a thermometer, so he speaks seven languages, so he's read every book. So what? The important thing is he's had no experience. He didn't start at the bottom and work up. That's the only way you can learn.
Peggy DeFore: You're so right, Jim-zee. Take me. Where would I be if I just read books?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-02-22)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

The Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll

Priceless, brainy classic

One of the best comedies ever, which the critics overlooked, of course. There are many witty one-liners:

"Education teaches a man how to spell experience...A psychologist is a person who gives all kinds of advice about matters he knows nothing about...A reporter has to do a lot of sweating before he has the right to perspire...There goes the unpressed gentleman of the press...College is amateurs teaching amateurs how to be amateurs...".

Some scenes are incredibly risqué. Gable bluntly asks Doris "How do you feel about sex?" He repeatedly ogles, grabs and kisses her. Today he would be in trouble for it.

Ah, the good old days of real honest to goodness movie-making! This is a truly priceless comedy. I have seen it five times, and can see it five more times. When the screenplay is good, everyone is inspired. Doris is absolutely brilliant, a genius of timing. This lady is way too underrated. There is NO ONE like her. She even sings the thrilling song to perfection. The plot does have its unintentionally funny aspects: Doris preferring uncouth elderly Gable to dashing and debonaire young intellectual Gig Young - and what's more, Young not minding it!!! The plot would have been better if Gable had been politely rejected. There is an unfortunate tendency in too many movies to assume that even the homeliest and oldest man deserves a young woman, that women over 35 couldn't possibly delight any real man. The movie is also a trifle pedantic and conventional in idolizing college education, as if a degree were all that. There is a serious message to the movie, but one enjoys the comedy more.