For Love or Money (1963) (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Jan 06, 2025
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Michael GordonRelease Date(s)
1963 (December 17, 2024)Studio(s)
Universal-International (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)- Film/Program Grade: B
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: B
Review
The early 1960s were filled with romantic comedies, most notably those of Doris Day and her assorted co-stars including Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, and James Garner. The scripts carried over the sensibilities of the 1950s but offered a more tantalizing portrayal of the lead characters as sex objects. One of these 1960s sex farces, For Love or Money, stars Mitzi Gaynor and Kirk Douglas as the will-they-or-won’t they leads.
Kirk Douglas plays lawyer Deke Gentry, hired by rich widow Mrs. Chloe Brasher (Thelma Ritter, All About Eve), as a sort of matchmaker to see that her three daughters marry the men she’s chosen. Unless she approves of their marriages, they will be cut off from their trust funds. The eldest, Kate (Gaynor, South Pacific), is the most level-headed of the three. Middle daughter Bonnie (Julie Newmar, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) is an extreme health and fitness enthusiast, and the youngest is bohemian art lover Jan (Leslie Parrish, The Manchurian Candidate). As each of the daughters are independent and willful, Deke must approach his assignment tactfully and without being obvious.
True to the rom-com formula, Deke’s initial meeting with Kate is prickly at best but with clear indications of mutual attraction. An additional complication arises when Deke learns that Mrs. Brasher’s intended match for Kate is his best friend, Sonny Smith (Gig Young, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?), a wealthy, attractive playboy with multiple girlfriends. As Deke sets about persuading Kate to meet Sonny and presumably fall for his charm, the harried lawyer winds up scrambling to take compromising phone calls in another room. Ultimately Kate agrees, but things never go right, and after one canceled meeting after another, she begins to think there is no Sonny.
In a refreshing departure from the era’s rom-com cliché of empty-headed females, bodies without a mind, the three sisters are all interesting individuals with pursuits of their own and come across as authentic, even as they contribute humor to the proceedings. They are similar, however, in their determination to stand up to their domineering mother. Deke manages to ingratiate himself with all three through charm and subterfuge but it’s clear that, confirmed bachelor though he is, he will wind up with Kate.
For Love or Money is one of a handful of comedies Kirk Douglas would make. He’s convincing as the man in the middle trying to earn his hefty salary by conning three young women who turn out to be not easily conned.
Thelma Ritter, who made a career of playing middle-aged, wisecracking nurses and housekeepers, gets a chance to step out of her comfort zone as the wealthy, glamorous Chloe Brasher, the catalyst that sets the plot in motion. Dressed by Jean Louis and dripping with expensive jewelry, Ritter looks great and easily persuades us that money is no object to Mrs. Brasher and she expects her orders to be obeyed.
Mitzi Gaynor’s Kate is bright and crisp, but Kate’s strong will too often comes across as petulance. Because we see that Kate is not only beautiful but clever as well, she’s oddly gullible. It’s curious that she puts up with Deke’s farcical carryings-on without catching on that something is not quite right. Likely this inconsistency was written into the script for the sake of moving the plot forward, so this flaw rests with screenwriters Larry Markes and Michael Morris.
Director Michael Gordon, working with a very good cast, appears to have been more a facilitator than creative director. Though the story plays out briskly, there’s little in the way of innovative techniques or surprises. Gaynor could have used stronger direction in some scenes, since she always has the same expression, even when she realizes Deke is in cahoots with Mrs. Brasher. Of the three sisters, Leslie Parrish’s Jan has the least screen time and is therefore the least developed. Her free-spirited character is more Hollywood’s version of a beatnik than the real thing.
The film reflects an era in Hollywood when the Production Code was being challenged. It was still in effect but would crumble only a few years later. Writers were at least trying to portray characters as sensual beings while keeping the comedy element forefront. For Love or Money’s script is on a par with better known romantic comedies of the period but lacks the big star power that attracts huge audiences. Douglas does his best but light comedy is simply not his forte. Without a Doris Day or a Cary Grant, For Love or Money is a pleasant diversion, drawing on a sitcom-type premise and attractive characters for some mildly amusing moments.
For Love of Money was shot by director of photography Clifford Stine on 35 mm film with spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Clarity and contrast on the Blu-ray are excellent. Complexions are rendered well. Color palette tends toward brighter, primary hues. Rooms are brightly lit, rather than with atmospheric shadows. Details such as patterns in clothing, elegant furnishings, a gangway to Deke’s yacht, accessories on the yacht, and jewels are nicely-delineated. The print is clean—no embedded dirt specks, scratches, or emulsion clouding—making for a pleasant viewing experience.
The soundtrack is English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio. English SDH subtitles are an available option. Dialogue is clear and distinct in this largely dialogue-driven film. The actors wisely avoid mugging and allow the comedy to emerge from developments of the plot. Ambient background noise is heard in a restaurant scene, and Deke’s car engine is the only sound effect of note, since the car plays a role in one scene. The score by Bruce Broughton has a generic early 60s sound—upbeat, with a jazz inflection.
Bonus materials on the Region A Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber Studio Classics include the following:
- Audio Commentary by Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell
- Trailer #1 (2:25)
- Trailer #2 (1.00)
- A Lovely Way to Die Trailer (3:17)
- Bedtime Story Trailer (1:37)
- The Art of Love Trailer (2:47)
- What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? Trailer (1:15)
- Strange Bedfellows Trailer (1:15)
- Irma La Douce Trailer (3:53)
Audio Commentary – Film historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell share this informative, enthusiastic commentary about For Love or Money, a “fun little movie that has been ignored for many, many decades.” They note that this is one of Kirk Douglas’ few all-out comedies. Director Michael Gordon had directed tough noir-ish films in the 1940s and 1950s but was blacklisted for a decade. He made his comeback in 1959 with Pillow Talk, which became a huge hit. He also directed Portrait in Black, which had a great cast and many plot twists. For Love or Money has an intricate plot, and there are no “big-time laughs.” The film is amiable, charming, and has subtle touches bordering on the risqué. “Sexual walls” were breaking down. The film is selling an expansion of the American dream and represents a fantasy based on real life. Mitzi Gaynor’s intensely sprayed hairstyle was typical of the early 1960s. The film flirts with different lifestyle possibilities. It’s a film about opportunism. The work of cinematographer Clifford Stine is discussed as well as Universal’s lighting style, which was to wash the sets with light—the brighter the better. The brightness, however, covers the sinister subtext of the plot. In terms of technique, the film features an early example of the flip wipe for scene transitions, which would be common in TV comedies to come. Filming began in August, 1962 and the film was thought of as a major picture. The studio had high hopes for its success. The entire film, with the exception of some stock shots of San Francisco, was shot on the Universal lot. In fact, the dock that’s featured prominently was constructed on a sound stage with a water tank. This was deemed more economical than traveling to San Francisco for the scene. Kirk Douglas decided to make For Love or Money as a vacation. It was to be a 9-to-6 “factory picture” made at Universal and was intended to be part of a multi-picture deal with Mitzi Gaynor, but she felt she was ordinary as an actress and her strength was singing and dancing. The commentators state that she had definite star quality, but wanted to break free of studio restraints. Movie musicals were on the wane, so she turned to appearing in Las Vegas and headlining TV specials. The term “franchise actor” refers to an actor like Gig Young who played the same type of character in movie after movie. Toward the end of For Love or Money, it becomes a “more grown up picture,” a cagey way to get to its resolution. In closing, the commentators note that comedies have to have heart and feeling as well as laughs. They attribute casting, including minor roles, as a major reason for the success of For Love or Money.
For Love or Money was Mitzi Gaynor’s last film. She makes a solid effort to play a role Doris Day could essay somnambulistically, but comes across as merely part of an ensemble even though she’s second billed. Kirk Douglas’ association with more serious, tougher roles, makes it somewhat hard to accept him in such a light part. The film is visually stunning, with attractive actors, lush production design, and Jean Louis gowns. Not every comedy has to be a classic to be fun. For Love or Money will take you back to an innocent time.
- Dennis Seuling