Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 14-March-04
Spoiler Rating: Medium

Send Me No Flowers (1964)

On my one and only visit to a comedy club a few years back, I realized why I don't like what passes for humor these days. Like everything else in our world, comedy has been altered to accommodate the supposedly hectic, time-deprived lifestyle of modern man (and, perhaps, a dumbing-down trend): its primarily goal is to be quickly and easily accessible. So, instead of funny stories that build upon character and situation (I think of old Bill Cosby), we now get jokes based on stereotypes or Jim Carrey talking out his ass --- punchlines and images that require no investment of time, energy, or thought to generate an immediate response. This is why I don't often go to see comedies at the theater anymore, and also why I so enjoy the leisurely and infectious humor of Norman Jewison's "Send Me No Flowers."

The last of the Rock Hudson-Doris Day-Tony Randall films, "Send Me No Flowers" recounts a memorable week in the life of George and Judy Kimball, a picture-perfect early-'60s suburban couple. In addition to a successful job and good looks, George happens to have a distinct case of hypochondria, which leads him to conclude after one of his frequent doctor's visits that he has only a few weeks to live. He decides not to tell his wife so as to spare her undue pain, but he does confide in his best friend and next-door neighbor Arnold (Randall), who reacts by binge drinking and composing an effusive eulogy. With Arnold's help, George begins working through a pre-death checklist that includes appreciating the beauty of trees and finding Judy a suitable second husband. This project goes well until she begins to suspect him of having an affair, at which time things go from mildly clouded to seriously muddied and only love and luck can save the day.

Chemistry (and dazzling teeth) cannot fully explain why Hudson and Day are remembered as a classic comic-romantic team; as "Send Me No Flowers" attests, they were very good at what they did. Hudson shines brightest in the bigger role, hitting just the right note of fatuous martyrdom and contrasting it perfectly with his trademark Machismo Lite. As his respectable but sexy mate, the reliably charming Day adds a touch of seriousness that makes you root for the Kimballs even though you know the story has to end happily. Fortunately, their fine work receives able backup from Randall (a hoot) and some of the lesser characters, notably Paul Lynde as a cemetery plot dealer and Clint Walker as Bert Power, Judy's former Texas lug of a sweetheart.

The talent of the stars is also aided by the fact that Jewison and writer Julius Epstein don't shoot for too much, too broadly, too quickly. They are content to develop and explore the intrinsic humor behind George's ridiculous self-absorption and the loyalty he commands from his wife and friend, occasionally poking fun at other eccentric types along the way. The screenplay does include some moments of physical comedy and jokes derived from the general concepts of marriage, sex, and infidelity, but these are used to move the action along or to embellish a specific situation. Consequently, "Send Me No Flowers" isn't just slapstick, marital farce, or social satire, but a silly story about the follies and adventures of a particular (and lovable) fool. This means that the movie succeeds as few recent comedies do and makes an excellent alternative to sitcom reruns or coarser laugh-seeking fare.

Copyright © 2004 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.