is one of those breezy, zany, battle-of the-sexes farces that were cranked out a lot in the 1960s. Although the cast is headed by actress Tuesday Weld, the film belongs to British comedian Terry-Thomas, in a role that seems styled after similar parts played by fellow-Brit David Niven. Thomas plays anthropology Professor Bruce Patterson, teaching at a California university, who is the object of mad crushes by just about every female who lays eyes on him, young and old. Is it his British charm or exotic (to the California girls) accent? Even his neighbor's dog, Jessica the dachshund, is smitten....
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| Weld and others spend a lot of time hiding under Terry-Thomas's bed (Image from Supposed Aura) |
Although Tuesday Weld may have been star of the film, her character is shrill and annoying. In a much smaller part, as one of Mike's girlfriends (and one of the professor's legion of admirers), Gladys, Francesca Bellini is almost a cartoon in the scenes she appears in, but she is quite funny. Film buffs will also recognize a certain garment - the iconic white pleated dress worn by Marilyn Monroe over a subway grate in The Seven Year Itch. Here actress Roxanne Arlen appears in the same dress, sporting a similar blonde hairdo, but without Marilyn's something extra. Of all the ladies that faint and fawn over Terry Thomas in Bachelor Flat, Jessica the dachshund is pretty much the film's most appealing character. Her scenes involving an over-sized dinosaur bone on Malibu Beach, as well as Terry-Thomas's attempts to steer clear of his female fans, provide the real laughs.
You can read my complete review on Cinema Sentries.
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