It's unfair to compare an unfinished product (Something's Got To Give) with a finished product (Move Over Darling).
Doris Day is one of my favorites, but her 1963 version of My Favorite Wife had the familiar Immaculate Mary stamp of the genre that made her a number one box office attraction in the late 50's. Move Over was directed by her Pillow Talk director, Michael Gordon, and a role was especially created for her comic Pillow Talk sidekick, the reliable Thelma Ritter, as her mother-in-law in this movie. Bianca (Polly Bergen) and Nicholas (James Garner) naturally never made it in bed as a couple, before or after their civil marriage. Horrors, if they did. Ditto with Chuck Connors (Stephen aka Adam) and Doris (Ellen aka Eve) on that fantasy island for 5 years. Horrors, if they did. Absolutely no sex for Nicholas and Ellen for 5 years except to each other.
With Marilyn's version of My Favorite Wife, however, the script and career possibilities were limitless. First, it was directed by the great George Cukor. Second, I believe it was the first time for Marilyn to play a mother in her career, and it was about time. More importantly, Marilyn put her career at risk (or showed her strength or vision, if you will) in this movie by agreeing to be surrounded by "strangers" (from Cukor to top movie star Dean Martin to the beautiful Cyd Charisse to Tom Tryon to Phil Silvers to John McGiver). Her character, Ellen, was the exact opposite of Doris Day's Ellen. This Eve had no sexual pretensions and she loved to show off her body. And what a 36-year old body. Bianca (Cyd) and Nicholas (Dean) definitely slept together when they honeymooned in Hawaii. And what about Stephen/Adam (Tom) and Ellen/Eve (Marilyn) on that fantasy island for 5 years? Don't even bother to think that they were able to hold it off for one minute! Alas, we'll never know how this movie would have actually ended. We all have a million versions. But we would never see Marilyn's full version. Something's got to give.
Doris Day is one of my favorites, but her 1963 version of My Favorite Wife had the familiar Immaculate Mary stamp of the genre that made her a number one box office attraction in the late 50's. Move Over was directed by her Pillow Talk director, Michael Gordon, and a role was especially created for her comic Pillow Talk sidekick, the reliable Thelma Ritter, as her mother-in-law in this movie. Bianca (Polly Bergen) and Nicholas (James Garner) naturally never made it in bed as a couple, before or after their civil marriage. Horrors, if they did. Ditto with Chuck Connors (Stephen aka Adam) and Doris (Ellen aka Eve) on that fantasy island for 5 years. Horrors, if they did. Absolutely no sex for Nicholas and Ellen for 5 years except to each other.
With Marilyn's version of My Favorite Wife, however, the script and career possibilities were limitless. First, it was directed by the great George Cukor. Second, I believe it was the first time for Marilyn to play a mother in her career, and it was about time. More importantly, Marilyn put her career at risk (or showed her strength or vision, if you will) in this movie by agreeing to be surrounded by "strangers" (from Cukor to top movie star Dean Martin to the beautiful Cyd Charisse to Tom Tryon to Phil Silvers to John McGiver). Her character, Ellen, was the exact opposite of Doris Day's Ellen. This Eve had no sexual pretensions and she loved to show off her body. And what a 36-year old body. Bianca (Cyd) and Nicholas (Dean) definitely slept together when they honeymooned in Hawaii. And what about Stephen/Adam (Tom) and Ellen/Eve (Marilyn) on that fantasy island for 5 years? Don't even bother to think that they were able to hold it off for one minute! Alas, we'll never know how this movie would have actually ended. We all have a million versions. But we would never see Marilyn's full version. Something's got to give.