Friday 27th May 2022
Lover Come Back, 1pm : Park Inn Palace Hotel Ballroom
USA : 107mins : 1961 : Certificate ’PG’
Directed by Delbert Mann
Rock Hudson and Doris Day star in this sparkling romantic comedy in which a series of misunderstandings leaves an advertising executive with a campaign for a product which has not yet been invented – while he romances his rival in the guise of its inventor!
This movie opens the festival this year in the Park Inn Palace Hotel Ballroom, and brings together two of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Born Roy Harold Scherer Jr. on 17th November, 1925 and died on the 2nd October, 1985, ’Rock Hudson’ was an American actor. He had a screen career spanning more than three decades. He was seen as a prominent romantic lead, and ’hearthrob’ in the golden age of Hollywood. He was launched into stardom following his role in the ‘Magnificent Obsession’, a 1954 American film directed by Douglas Sirk starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson.
His last role was as a guest star on the fifth season (1984–1985) of the primetime ABC soap opera Dynasty until an AIDS related illness made it impossible for him to continue.
Although discreet regarding his sexuality, it was a known fact amongst Hudson’s colleagues in the film industry that he was a gay. Sadly in 1984 Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS. The following year he became one of the first celebrities to disclose his AIDS diagnosis. Hudson was the first major celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness, on October 2, 1985, at age just 59.
Doris Day was born Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff on the 3rd April,1922 and died on the 13th May, 2019. She was internationally known as an American actress, singer, and animal welfare activist. She began her career as a singer in 1939, but commercial success didn’t arrive until 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, ‘Sentimental Journey’ and ‘My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time’, performed with Les Brown and his Band of Renown. She left Brown to embark on a solo career and recorded more than 650 songs from 1947 to 1967.
Her film career followed in 1948 with the film ‘Romance on the High Seas’ (1948). She starred in films of many genres including musicals and comedies, dramas and thrillers. She played the title role in ‘Calamity Jane’(1953) and starred in Hitchcock’s ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’(1956) with James Stewart.
Her best-known films are those in which she co-starred with Rock Hudson and in addition to ‘Lover Come Back’ chief among them was 1959’s ‘Pillow Talk’ for which she was nominated for the Best Actress.
After ending her film career in 1968 and only briefly removed from the height of her popularity she starred in her own sitcom ‘The Doris Day Show’(1968–1973).
Doris Day had a busy life supporting all her interest and animal activism campaigns. Day died on 13th May, 2019 at the age of 97 after having contracted pneumonia. Her death was announced by her charity – the Doris Day Animal Foundation.
To find out more about the festival and to book your ticket….
