Walk Don't Run (1966)

As several reviewers have pointed out, this is somewhat of a remake of a Cary Grant film from 1943 -- "The More The Merrier"...which had a better cast and was more cleverly done. I'm sorry to say that there's little reason to watch this film, other than for the joy of watching Cary Grant. However, the second half of the film has more life to it than the first half, and you will laugh at Cary Grant running down the street in his undershorts.It's basically a one joke film. Two men and a woman rooming together. Nothing new here. Yes, occasionally some clever dialog, but just as often a joke carried way too far, way too long, such as the using the bathroom schedule. Been there, done that, both in the "original" and in any number of television shows.But you still have Cary Grant. And it's fun just watching and listening to him.Because it's not a very good film, it's regrettable that this was Grant's last role. I really wish he had slowly faded off into the sunset, occasionally accepting screen roles or cameos, rather than just pretty much disappearing from the public consciousness. But, his body of film work will never fade from the history of American cinematography. He was something special, even if this film was nothing special.

Sir William (Cary Grant) is a British CEO who often does business in Japan. However, as he arrives in 1964 for his latest deal, the Olympics are about to begin. Despite having reservations at his usual hotel, Willie is two days early and there is NO room. Peeved and tired, Sir W goes to the British embassy for help. But, oh what a piece of work at the front desk. This under-ambassador is stuffy and no help, even when his annoying demeanor changes to obsequiousness when he learns just WHO this man is. While waiting in the lobby, Willie spies a notice for a room for rent and leaves the diplomat chatting on the phone. When the businessman turns up at the apartment, its rented by a beautiful young woman, Christine (Samantha Eggar). Stating flatly that she wants a FEMALE roommate, Sir W wont take no for an answer. Its soon settled, even down to the times each will have the bathroom for use. Before long, two other big matters occur. First, to his horror, Sir William discovers Christine is engaged to the disagreeable under-ambassador! But, fortunately, another man, Steve (Jim Hutton) is in town as an Olympic athlete who also needs a place to bunk. Without asking C, Sir W brings him home. Now, the happily married bizman has one priority besides his deal making. He wants to get Steve and Christine together, despite her engagement and despite Steve declaring he is not the marrying kind. Can Sir W win at matchmaking? This vintage romcom from 1966 is cute and engaging. Grant is great as the man with romantic advice, Eggar is lovely and funny as the woman with two unexpected roommates and Hutton is wonderful in looks and comedy. What a great trio! With a nice supporting cast, the unusual Tokyo setting, gorgeous costumes, a clever script and an energetic direction, here is a film to please. You probably guessed this viewer would say it but, what the heck! Walk or run to the nearest place to get this one for an evening's watch.

Columbia had a smash hit film in The More The Merrier with the great Jean Arthur. Cary Grant who made his last films at Universal such as Grass Is Greener, Operation Pettiooat, That Touch of Mink with Doris Day, Father Goose, and the superb Charade with Audrey Hepburn went to Columbia to remake the More The Merrier and called it Walk Don't Run and set at the Tokyo Olympiad. I read that Cary Grant personally sought out Jim Hutton who made all those wonderful MGM comedies with Paula Prentiss as the leading man and Samantha Eggar who starred in Columbia in William Wyler's The Collector as leading lady. Ms. Eggar is no Jean Arthur but then nobody to me can fill the shoes of that incomparable star Jean Arthur. Jim Hutton does well, and I liked his work, and Cary Grant is Cary Grant and that means the best there is. After this film Cary Grant retired despite numerous offers to return to the silver screen.

I've seen a lot of bombs in my time, but this one blasts them all to hell. On the advice of a colleague who insisted this was a fabulous movie that had to be seen, I purchased the DVD. I should say that I live in Japan and am fascinated by any film produced in the West about Japan. I thought this film would qualify. How wrong I was.There is absolutely no logic to a single frame of this film. We are asked to believe that Cary Grant, who plays Sir William Rutland, arrives in Tokyo at the height of the Olympic Games in 1964 two days earlier than he was supposed to, and for reasons known only to God, assumes that the hotel he would have been staying at two days later is going to have a room for him. Why would it? Then he goes to the British Embassy and meets Julius, an obvious screaming queen (but who is somehow engaged to marry Samantha Eggar -- we will meet her soon enough, don't worry), and the second secretary to the ambassador, who is so pompous that you will have to resist the urge to slap his face (especially hard to do since his face is on a screen). Rutland demands that Julius help him find a room. Julius points out to him that it's the Olympics and that there aren't any rooms. Then Rutland magically finds an advert on the Embassy bulletin board seeking someone to share an apartment. The sex is not specified – this contributes to the big "reveal" as the person seeking "someone" is "Chris," performed by Samantha Eggar, a perfectly beautiful British actress whose talents are absolutely totally wasted in this piece of flotsam/jetsam. Rutland takes a taxi to Chris's apartment building the instant that Chris happens to be arriving home (from what/why/where we will never learn. Shopping? Job? Who knows?). Long story short: Rutland forces his way into Chris's apartment – literally (and we're supposed to think this is funny?) and essentially thrusts his money in her hand, "making" him her roommate. Chris really is a proper young lady and she's at a loss to know how to get rid of this boorish dolt. The "story" bungles along until we meet Steve (Jim Hutton), the eventual "love interest," who stomps his way through the rest of the film with as much grace as Godzilla. Rutland, "feeling sorry" for Steve because he has no place to stay (and yet has apparently been wandering around Tokyo looking fresh as a daisy), drags him back to Chris's apartment and "sublets" his "half" of "his room." Just imagine the horror of it all! A proper young Englishwoman, engaged, living with two obnoxious boorish clods. Now, Rutland has his charms (he IS Cary Grant), but Steve thinks that he owns the world, shouting, screaming and stomping his way through the movie. I'm sorry, why is this entertaining?Then, again for reasons that remain incomprehensible, Rutland decides that Steve is the right man for Chris, and not Julius. (And yet, why? When he, Rutland, is the obvious best choice for her, despite the fact that he's married – which we "know" from two cutesy phone calls to his wife, whom he doesn't hesitate to explain about his living situation with a young woman – all played for laughs, mais bien sur!)The "charming, coy, cute, darling, frothy," and, apparently "brashly good-natured... hilarious" (quote from a review from the NYT) plot goes dump-dump-dumping along, trashing and destroying everything in its path. Entertained yet?But there's more. Why was this film made in Tokyo? There was no reason for it, whatsoever. None. The entire country and its people are just pawns to the special trio who graces the screen. Watching this movie made me cringe at how righteous Westerners were and how they just blabbered away in English to everyone in Japan and just assumed they would snap to. Yes, there were a few laughs that were harmless, based on cultural differences. But overall this was a ghastly, tedious, obnoxious waste of time and it's really sad to know that Mr. Grant sailed out on this "epic." Thank God for "North by Northwest"!