The Tunnel of Love *** (1958, Doris Day, Richard Widmark, Gig Young, Gia Scala) – Classic Movie Review 7685

Director Gene Kelly’s 1958 comedy The Tunnel of Love stars Doris Day and Richard Widmark as Isolde and Augie Poole, who are having more than their fair share of problems trying to adopt a child, especially after Widmark takes the adoption agency lady (Gia Scala) out for a boozy dinner to impress his virtues on her and later can recall no part of the evening.

Kelly briskly and competently directs a movie that he doesn’t act in for the first time, a rather jolly domestic comedy with ideal performances from two players who were experts at this kind of thing – Day and Gig Young – and a third unexpected star in Widmark, who, though outside his comfort zone, makes an excellent stab at it.

Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov (originally uncredited) adapt their Broadway play, written with Peter De Vries, author of the original novel.

Also in the cast are Elisabeth Fraser, Elizabeth Wilson, Vikki Dougan, Doodles Weaver, Charles Wagenheim and Robert Williams.

Surprisingly, it is shot in black and white. It is Day’s final black and white movie.

The Tunnel of Love is directed by Gene Kelly, runs 98 minutes, is made by Arwin Productions and Fields Productions, is released by MGM, is written by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov, based on the novel by Peter De Vries, and the play by Peter De Vries, Jerome Chodorov and Joseph Fields, is shot in black and white by Robert J Bronner, is produced by Joseph Fields and Martin Melcher and is designed by William A Horning and Randall Duell.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7685

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