By FRANK BUELL, Buffalo Evening News Staff Reporter
NEW YORK, Sept. 23 — The chief object of “Pillow Talk” is to keep motion picture audiences wide awake and laughing.
Neither drooping eyelids nor lagging enthusiasm intruded Tuesday at a preview of Universal-International’s new picture.
The closest suggestion of doubt as principals in the cast met the press came from Tony Randall, well known to Broadway, television and motion-picture audiences.
He quoted a trade paper’s comment regarding “Pillow Talk”: “Why don’t they make comedies like ‘It Happened One Night’ (Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, 1934) any more? The answer is that they do.”
Mr. Randall asked with an exuberant tilt to his eyebrow: “How are you going to live up to a review like that?”
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HIGHLIGHTING the romantic comedy are Rock Hudson, dramatic star turned comedian, and Doris Day, plain girl-next-door turned glamorous.
These changes in character point up the “something different” philosophy of Producer Ross Hunter, who attended the press conference.
“Doris Day’s new personality and Rock’s move into comedy, successful because of his fine sense of humor, will open added opportunities for them,” Mr. Hunter said.
The 38-year-old producer, whose career has been related to Mr. Hudson’s in “Magnificent Obsession” and “Battle Hymn,” believes in making pictures “for the audience.”
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“PILLOW TALK,” scheduled to open in Buffalo’s Lafayette Theater Oct. 9, has lavish settings and glamorous gowns and jewelry for Miss Day.
“Find a good story and dress it up” is Mr. Hunter’s formula for success, proved, he says, by public acceptance of Imitation of Life, My Man Godfrey and There’s Always Tomorrow.
“That’s what audiences want — sheen, plushiness. I look for stories that will permit an actress to have a really elegant wardrobe and appear in lush surroundings,” Mr. Hunter explained.
Mr. Hudson — entrenched favorite of the women’s audience — said he enjoyed himself in “Pillow Talk” and is ready to make more comedies.
“I’ve a great deal more respect and admiration for fellows like Bob Hope and Red Skelton now,” the tall, soft-spoken screen favorite said.
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HE ESTIMATED he worked “twice as hard” in “Pillow Talk” in a comedy role.
“But I enjoyed it so much I can’t really say it was more difficult. The spirit of all the stagehands reflects the type of scenes. There’s more fun around a comedy set than where serious drama is being made.”
Mr. Hudson furrowed his brow and became serious on comedy:
“It seems the training grounds for tomorrow’s film stars show a lack of strength in the comedy field. I have not found a ‘method’ comedian among the so-called ‘method’ acting students. Every drama student should be made to study the fine points of comedy.”
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THELMA RITTER, who helps gain the constant laughter promised in “Pillow Talk,” wasn’t clear in her own mind about the fine points of comedy and being funny. In fact, she said she isn’t a funny woman.
She’s been associated with comedy in many scenes on stage and screen. “It’s all in the character and the reactions written into a role,” she explained. “It’s like a piece of cloth sent to the tailor. He can make the best of it but can’t improve on the quality.”
Miss Ritter said her success has been in never believing the persons who have offered her poor roles — “real Lulus, some of them” — and told her: “but you could be wonderful doing it.”
