The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writer:

Everett Freeman (written by)

Release Date:

9 June 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Is this the girl next door?

Plot:

Jennifer Nelson and Bruce Templeton meet when Bruce reels in her mermaid suit leaving Jennifer bottomless in the waters of Catalina Island...

Plot Keywords:

Mermaid | Spy | Boat | Robot | Reference To Open Sesame Incantation

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Doris Day	...	Jennifer Nelson
Rod Taylor	...	Bruce Templeton
Arthur Godfrey	...	Axel Nordstrom
John McGiver	...	Ralph Goodwin
Paul Lynde	...	Homer Cripps
Edward Andrews	...	Gen. Wallace Bleecker
Eric Fleming	...	Edgar Hill
Dom DeLuise	...	Julius Pritter
Elisabeth Fraser	...	Nina Bailey
Dick Martin	...	Zack Molloy
George Tobias	...	Norman Fenimore
Alice Pearce	...	Mabel Fenimore
Ellen Corby	...	Anna Miller
Dee J. Thompson	...	Donna

Also Known As:

The Spy in Lace Panties

Runtime:

Germany:110 min | USA:110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

Company:

Euterpe

Trivia:

The boat that was used in the film sank two miles off the coast of Zuma Beach in Los Angeles on 11 June 2006. "The Phoenix" was traveling from Newport Beach to San Francisco Bay where it was going to be used as a Cajun restaurant. The cause of the sinking was due to a two-by-six inch crack in the glass hull. All crew members were rescued.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the two scenes where the runaway boat crashes into the beach, the cars around the boat seem to rearrange themselves from shot to shot. A closer look at which car ends up where, reveals, apparently, the wide shot intended for the first scene was mistakenly edited into the second one and vice versa.

Quotes:

Jennifer Nelson: Mata Hari stops at nothing. Nothing comes between Mata Hari and what she wants.

Movie Connections:

References "The Late Late Show" (1962)

Soundtrack:

SOFT AS THE STARLIGHT

The mermaid

Frank Tashlin directed this sunny comedy that relies heavily on Doris Day, an actress who was at the height of her popularity back when this film was done. "The Glass Bottom Boat" is a fun comedy that mixes science with espionage and mistaken identities that produced a funny movie, even when watched today.

Doris Day in her heyday couldn't do anything wrong, in spite of the silly premises of what was written for her. In this comedy is Jennifer Nelson, a widow, who works in the aerospace industry. The genius scientist, Bruce Templeton, likes what he sees and proceeds to pursue Jennifer, but things get complicated because it appears Mrs. Nelson is a Soviet spy.

The film's pace never lets up. Doris Day is wonderful as the naive, but resourceful woman who can charm us with one of her wonderful smiles. Rod Taylor is the hunky Bruce Templeton who sees in Jennifer not only a beautiful lady, but the right one for him.

The supporting cast in this movie is full of familiar faces. Paul Linde provides one of the best laughs in the movie when, as a security guard, and suspecting Jennifer of the worst, dresses in drag and follows her to the ladies' room. Arthur Godfrey is Jennifer's father. John McGiver, Edward Anderson, Dick Martin, Dom DeLuise, Eric Fleming, Alice Pearce and George Tobias contribute to make this a fun movie. The cameo by Robert Vaughn is a surprise.

The film will not disappoint fans of Doris Day.