The Mating Game ** (1959, Debbie Reynolds, Tony Randall, Paul Douglas, Una Merkel) – Classic Movie Review 11,705

H E Bates’s The Darling Buds of May go USA with the fairly lively and appealing 1959 MGM comedy film The Mating Game. Paul Douglas scores as crusty Pop Larkin and Debbie Reynolds twinkles prettily as his daughter Mariette.

Director George Marshall’s 1959 MGM comedy film The Mating Game stars Debbie Reynolds, Tony Randall, and Paul Douglas in his final film role. Shot in Metrocolor and CinemaScope, it is loosely based on H E Bates’s 1958 British novel The Darling Buds of May, later adapted into a more faithful 1991–1993 British miniseries, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones.

H E Bates’s The Darling Buds of May go USA with this fairly lively and appealing comedy of a country family who are investigated by taxman Lorenzo Charlton (Tony Randall). Ma and Pop Larkin warmly welcome Lorenzo Charlton to their family farm in Maryland, little knowing why he is there.

Paul Douglas scores as crusty Pop Larkin with a heart-of-gold and Debbie Reynolds twinkles prettily as his daughter Mariette Larkin, the sweet gal Randall soon finds himself falling for, and Una Merkel plays Ma Larkin. But the essentially British tales gain nothing and lose a lot from being set in the US.

Also notable in the cast are Fred Clark, Philip Ober, Charles Lane, and Philip Coolidge.

The Mating Game is directed by George Marshall, runs 97 minutes, is made by MGM, is written by William Roberts, based on H E Bates’s novel, is shot in Metrocolor and CinemaScope by Robert Bronner, is produced by Philip Barry Jnr, and is scored by Jeff Alexander.

Reynolds sings the title song in the opening credits.

It was a big success. Costing $867,000, it earned $3,925,000.

Debbie Reynolds plays Mariette Larkin.

The cast are Debbie Reynolds as Mariette Larkin, Tony Randall as Lorenzo Charlton, Paul Douglas as Pop Larkin, Una Merkel as Ma Larkin, Fred Clark as Oliver Kelsey, Philip Ober as Wendell Burnshaw, Philip Coolidge as Reverend Osgood, Charles Lane as Inspector General Bigelow, Trevor Bardette as Chief Guthrie, William Smith as Barney, Addison Powell as David De Groot, Rickey Murray as Lee Larkin, Donald Losby as Grant Larkin, Cheryl Bailey as Victoria Larkin, and Caryl Bailey as Susan Larkin.

William Smith died at 88 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in LA on 5 July 2021. He established himself as a prolific character actor from 1961 to 2014.

 © Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,705

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