Teacher's Pet (1958)

A newspaper editor (Clark Gable) joins the class of a journalism professor (Doris Day) who despises him, and they begin to fall in love.Once upon a time, romantic comedies were actually fun and not just fluff. At least, that's what I like to believe to justify my watching the old ones. Doris Day, in particular, made for a great leading lady. Gig Young is fantastic here (no surprise on the Oscar nod), and Clark Gable is superb. Some say he is too old, but I think he's just fine.And I love that the film is black and white. I guess that was done to help mask Gable's age, but whatever the reason, it just makes the film look better. Especially looking back now (2016).

In "Teacher's Pet", Clark Gable plays the part of James Gannon, the City Editor for a large New York City newspaper. He never graduated from high school and had to learn his craft through years of experience, so he has a natural disdain for knowledge learned through schooling and he never fails to display it.He meets Erica Stone (Doris Day), a college journalism instructor, and simultaneously feels an attraction for her and contempt for what she represents. What follows is romance, comedy, and an exploration of the merits of education versus experience.The film has one weakness, which I will dispense with first--Gable's relative age. He's about twenty years older the Day, making things slightly off kilter regarding their personal relationship and their teacher/student relationship.But the film has so much to recommend it. The best aspect of "Teacher's Pet" is the script, written by Michael Kanin (older brother of Garson) and his wife, Fay. The story is so tight and filled with brilliant moments. They deserved their Oscar nomination.Gable does a good job of overcoming the distraction of the age differential. His acting strikes every right chord. Day, likewise, is excellent. Their two characterizations--especially when playing for comedy--fit together flawlessly. Gig Young, who plays another professor, serves as both obstacle and expediter to the central romance. Mamie Van Doren--in a smaller role--plays a less refined acquaintance of Gannon, and gets a chance to sing and strut for comedic effect.For fun, note Jack Albertson at the beginning of the film. And see if you can spot Marion Ross, who later played "Mrs. C" on the television show "Happy Days".I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys romantic comedies and those who enjoy well-crafted writing.

This is an amiable enough romantic comedy with some neat one-liners and a couple of funny moments that are somewhat overshadowed by the mismatching of Clark Gable, the ageing king of Hollywood, and Doris Day – the eternal virgin before she became a virgin. Gable is a quarter of a century older than his leading lady and, placed opposite her relatively fresh-faced looks, his own rumpled features make him look even older than he really was. Of course, back in the 50s cosmetic surgery wasn't available to movie stars the way it is today but, even allowing for the fact that he's supposed to be playing a somewhat rumpled figure, it's clear he wasn't ageing well. Nevertheless, he's still pretty good in the role of an irascible old school newspaper editor who bridles at the idea that journalism can be taught to novices by the likes of teacher Doris, who has never once worked in a newspaper office, and he manages to make his gruff character entirely likable. The outcome is entirely predictable, but it's a fairly diverting journey to reach it, helped by Gig Young's turn as a know-it-all professor whom Gable initially mistakes for Day's love interest.

Clark Gable quickly becomes "Teacher's Pet" in this 1958 film also starring Doris Day, Gig Young and Mamie van Doren. Gable plays gruff, self-educated reporter Jim Gannon who, after writing an insulting letter to a journalism teacher, is forced to go to the class by his boss. The teacher is Erica Stone (Doris Day), and Gannon suddenly becomes very interested in learning. Using an assumed name, he impresses Erica with his natural talent for journalism, though he claims to be in the wallpaper business. He then learns that her father was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, and that she's being escorted around by a professor who hasn't got a thing wrong with him.This is a wonderful black and white comedy that Gable and Day perform beautifully and with great chemistry. Nowadays people comment on the age differences - I'm sure I didn't notice it the first time I saw the film, and it's one time where it doesn't matter. Gable gives us a fully-blown character, a man intimidated by his lack of education and therefore resentful of anyone who has one. In a wonderful scene between him and Nick Adams, who plays a high school dropout, he tells the young man that because of his lack of knowledge, "I've spent my life excusing myself from dinner tables and going to the mens room, and I don't want that to happen to you." Day is a delight, relaxed, charming and beautiful. Her best scene is her imitation of Mamie Van Doren's nightclub act, singing "The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll" to the embarrassment of Jim, who was seen with her by Erica and Hugo (Young) in a nightclub.Gig Young, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance, is hilarious as superman Hugo, who believes drunkenness is nothing more than state of mine, speaks many languages, plays the bongos, and can exceed Jim's war service record. The confrontations between them are marvelous.In modern times, it's tough to find this intelligent kind of comedy anymore where there are actual characters who have their serious moments, but when one comes along, it's well worth it. "Teacher's Pet" is a great example of Hollywood at its finest - an excellent script, great stars in Day and Young, and a living legend, Clark Gable, doing what he'd been doing for thirty years.