Lover Come Back is a 1961 Romantic Comedy released by Universal and directed by Delbert Mann. The film stars Doris Day, Rock Hudson, and Tony Randall.
Jerry Webster (Hudson) is a Madison Avenue ad executive who has achieved success not through hard work or intelligence but by wining and dining his clients, even setting them up on dates with attractive girls. Jerry's equal and sworn enemy at a rival agency is Carol Templeton (Day), who, despite having never met him, is disgusted by Jerry's unethical tactics and reports him to the Ad Council. Jerry avoids trouble by sending a comely chorus girl, Rebel Davis (Edie Adams), to seduce the council members. In exchange, Jerry promises Rebel a spot in commercials, so he shoots some featuring her for a nonexistent product called "VIP". He has no intention that they will be shown, but the perplexed company president orders them broadcast on TV. Jerry now in need to come up with a product quickly, bribes a chemist, Dr. Linus Tyler (Jack Kruschen), to come up with some sort of product called VIP that could be marketed. When Carol mistakes Jerry for Tyler, Jerry doesn't correct her, and Hilarity Ensues.
This is the second of three movies in which Day and Hudson starred together (and also featured Randall in a supporting role), the other two being Pillow Talk (1959) and Send Me No Flowers (1964).
This film features examples of:
- Actually, That's My Assistant: While Jerry is trying to get Dr. Tyler to come up with some product to market as "VIP", Carol mistakes Jerry for Dr. Tyler.
- Double Entendre: When Carol gets the idea to come up with new packaging for Miller floor wax, she says "The agency that gets this account is the agency that can show Mr. Miller the most attractive can." Cut to a line of the "Bunny Club Bunnies", seen from behind.
- Expy: It's not hard to see for what the "Bunny Club" stands for.
- Facial Scruff: Jerry and his boss grow beards on a camping vacation in Canada. On returning, Jerry doesn't bother to shave his off. This being the still clean-cut early '60s, it adds to his "eccentric scientist" persona while pretending to be Dr. Tyler. When discussing their cooperation, Carol, who has started to be attracted to Jerry but wondered why he grew a beard, drops a subtle hint to him to shave it off. He takes the hint. Cue to the barbershop where Jerry has just been shaved down to his baby face. Carol looks on dreamily as the shop's manicurist comments:
"Saaay!...Your husband's (sic) a real doll without the beard!" - Line-of-Sight Name: How Jerry comes up with "VIP". When Rebel is threatening to ruin Jerry's career because her endorsement for one of his clients has been canceled, he offers her the chance to do the commercials for a brand new product. Searching for a name, he picks up a newspaper bearing the headline "VIPS ARRIVE FOR CONVENTION." Soon enough, television commercials are being produced with her as the "VIP" Girl; they generate a good deal of publicity, despite there being no such product as "VIP" - at least, not yet...
- Rom Com Job: Both he and she work in advertising.
- Those Two Guys: Fred and Charlie (Jack Albertson and Charles Watts), two middle-aged businessmen who, in a Running Gag, keep observing Jerry whenever he seems to be about to score with a woman.
- Vaporware: In-universe, "VIP" becomes this for Jerry, as he has to make up excuses for its impending arrival after commercials for it generate a good deal of publicity, despite there being no such product as "VIP".
- Visual Pun: "Believe me, the agency that lands this account is the one that shows the most attractive can." The scene then cuts to a certain part of a Chorus Girl's anatomy.
