Keywords: new york city, travel, falling in love, blonde, rich man,
6.6/10
78% – Critics
70% – Audience
That Touch of Mink Storyline
On a rainy day, currently unemployed working girl Cathy Timberlake is furious when a passing limousine, driving through a puddle, splashes her, resulting in her dress and raincoat getting muddied. She is even more furious when the limousine fails to stop, even though she knows the limo’s passenger saw her get splashed. She changes her tune when she later meets that passenger, dashing and wealthy businessman Philip Shayne. Cathy is immediately attracted to him and he to her. However, ladies’ man Philip is much more experienced than she, and she is unprepared for his lavish and elaborate proposal – that she accompany him immediately to Bermuda, Paris, and Monte Carlo – and its connotation that it hold no strings. Cathy turns to her streetwise roommate, Connie Emerson, for advice. As Philip and Cathy’s whirlwind relationship progresses, Cathy’s hesitance to go all the way for what Philip wants always seems to lead to frustration for Philip. Despite Philip and Cathy not seeming to make a full connection with each other due to Cathy’s actions, Roger, Philip’s business associate, believes Cathy is just what Philip needs in his life, as Philip has always had the luxury of never having had to work to get a woman. Although Cathy really does want to be with Philip and as Philip really wants to be with Cathy, will they be able to get over these initial obstacles?
While going to receive her unemployment paycheck and to a job interview later, the coat of the naive Cathy Timberlake (Doris Day) is splashed with mud by the Rolls Royce of the millionaire businessman Philip Shayne (Cary Grant). Later he sees her going to have lunch from his office and sends his financial adviser Roger (Gig Young) to give some money to Cathy to compensate her loss. Cathy feels offended with the offer and she goes to Philip’s office with the intention of throwing the money on his face. However, when she sees the handsome Philip, she immediately falls in love with him. They date and Cathy expects that Philip proposes to marry her, but he does not have this intention.
“That Touch of Mink” is a silly and naive but funny romantic comedy. The premise is dumb and is irritating to see Cathy buying expensive clothing and traveling to Bermudas with a playboy expecting to give nothing in return. But the comedy has many funny situations, like the just married couple in the motel or Roger being mistakenly taken as Philip in Cathy’s apartment building. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): “Carícias de Luxo” (“Caresses of Luxury”)
Reviewed by MartinHafer5 / 10
excellent acting but rather sleazy plot
I was very surprised when I saw this film. Considering it was made in Hollywood in the 1960s and had Doris Day in it, I was VERY surprised that the plot was as sleazy as it was. Cary Grant is a rich guy looking for a mistress–not a wife. And, Doris Day thinks he’s awfully cute but wants to get married. So what’s a girl to do? Yep, swallow her moral values and became a very expensive kept woman. Perhaps this movie might have worked out better with a different actress (one who hadn’t thus far made a career of playing wholesome ladies). I could have seen Sophia Loren playing this role more convincingly. And as for Cary Grant, yes he sometimes plays a cad, but for me this “adult and sophisticated” film just made him look like a dirty old man with little class. As for me, give me the “old Cary Grant” instead–he wouldn’t have been so crass.
Flawed, but charming and fun
This is not my favourite Doris Day film, that’s Pillow Talk, but That Touch of Mink is a fun and charming comedy that has its flaws but also has its strengths. That Touch of Mink is not perfect though. The film is a little overlong, and the pacing is rather slow consequently there are a few scenes that drag. And there are parts that are dated compared to now, not in the cinematography but more I agree in men and women swooning over losing their virginity. Flaws aside, the cinematography is lovely, and the gowns are beautiful. The soundtrack is also nostalgic and memorable, the story is charming and the script is amusing and sparkles constantly. The direction is pretty good too, while the acting is fine. Cary Grant is admittedly a little long in the tooth, but he is still the arch, charming and urbane actor I fell in love with, while Doris Day is fabulous with her fresh and endearing approach. Gig Young brings some likability into a somewhat obnoxious character, while John Astin has a lot of smarmy lines and makes the most of them with relish and Audrey Meadows especially is sensational. All in all, That Touch of Mink is flawed, but for fans of Grant and Day and those looking for a charming and fun film this is not a bad way of passing 100 or so minutes. 7/10 Bethany Cox
