A Very Special Favor (1965)

I've been reading the other reviews with interest. I saw this film on TV about 45 years ago when I was about 8 years old. Around this time I used to watch two back-to-back films on a Saturday or Sunday and I remember this film because it was absolutely hilarious. All the other good films have been repeated on TV - but I have only ever seen this once. I remember laughing and laughing when watching the film. I didn't know anything about sex at that age. I just saw it as a father trying to get his daughter to 'lighten up', to 'live', and to have an interest in finding a male companion in life, instead of an existence of continual work. I didn't see anything odd about Rock Hudson's character pretending to be a patient with his 'problem'. This subterfuge was a key part of romantic comedy films of the time. I certainly didn't see the 'set-up' scene as anything to do with sex - I just remember it as a slightly naughty prank. In some ways the film does remind me of 'pillow talk' and this isn't surprising as one of the writers is the same. I am very pleased to hear that it is now on DVD and I will be very interested to see it again.

I don't need 1,000 words to say Thanks Universal for the DVD Rock Hudson's collection. I enjoyed the 5 now new films of Rock Hudson which always I waited. Now, I wait for the rest. I liked those films, first because I love comedies' Rock Hudson.He is handsome, nice,and funny I can't speck only of "A Very Special Favor" because all 5 films are very good. In "A very Special Favor' Leslie Caron and Charles Boyer are excellent in their role, same for the rest of the cast.In this film I laughed all the time.I give for this film 10 out of 10. Rock Hudson is special for this. I don't forget "Send me no Flowers" with Doris Day.I have a collection of videos and DVD of Rock H. and I wait for the rest.I hope I will see soon. Again, thanks Universal!

Let me tell you this is one special favor that Charles Boyer is asking of Rock Hudson. My guess is that Hudson's estate is keeping a lid on this one.Boyer has a daughter in Leslie Caron who is a psychiatrist by profession. He also has a colleague at work in Rock Hudson and he's concerned about his daughter. Concerned his daughter is not getting any sex.This is a new twist on the normal Rock Hudson comedies. In two of the ones he made with Doris Day, Rock's your normal every day American wolf trying very hard to make the all-American virgin Doris Day. Here Caron is a French virgin, well into her thirties.As Boyer tries ever so tactfully to put it, what a father might be proud of in a daughter at age 18 doesn't hold true when she's 38. As he puts it Rock, he expects him to to the deed with Caron and expose her to what she's been missing. What a favor to be asking.A Very Special Favor then follows the usual capers that these films for Rock Hudson normally do. But the end is really an unusual one. Deciding that maybe he ought to appeal to her professionally as well, Hudson let it be known he's gay and he has switchboard operator Nita Talbot dress up in drag and pretend to be a most effeminate male. Psychiatrist Caron races to the hotel room where Hudson and Talbot are to do the deed and at that point Caron sacrifices all including bachelorhood to save Rock from the love that dares not speak its name.I think it's rather obvious why this film isn't shown at all. What puzzles me is why Hudson who was oh so careful about keeping his homosexuality a secret would do a role like this. Maybe it's the reason why a lot of closeted gay men troll the docks for dates, hoping to have the question of exiting the closet forced on them. I leave that to the psychiatrists.A friend told me that he was at a party at someone's house and a video of one of Rock Hudson's films was being shown. This was a pretty straight crowd he was in and Rock in the macho role he was in was getting not a few hoots from the audience. This wasn't the film they were viewing, but imagine if it was with what we know now.My guess is A Very Special Favor will not be shown any time soon or be out on DVD or VHS. But if it does come out or is shown on TCM or AMC catch it by all means. You try and figure out what was going on in the mind of Rock Hudson.

This is a flick that will definitely not leave a bad taste in your mouth. There are lots and lots of slapstick laughter. The casting is perfect: Rock Hudson, Leslie Caron, Charles Boyer, Walter Slezak & Dick Shawn among others that are all long gone. What makes me so upset is it is the only Rock Hudson Romantic Comedy that hasn't been put on video. Posters & movie stills are floating around for people to purchase, but the video is positively not available. If all of this memorabilia is available, then why not the video? Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, Send Me No Flowers & Man's Favorite Sport have all been made available. These are often shown on television too. This hysterical romantic comedy has only been at the theaters and shown only on television just ONE time. It is a feel good story that will most certainly warm everyone's hearts. We need more happiness today to be able to feel good. It will most assuredly make you split your sides laughing to the point of tears. I have been looking for the video forever. Fortunely I was able to find the book; which is the next best thing to being able to see the movie. So the book will have to do until they decide to come out with the video.