Walk, Don't Run
Walk, Don't Run is a 1966 American comedy film directed by Charles Walters, and starring Cary Grant (in his final film role), Samantha Eggar and Jim Hutton. The film is set during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and is a remake of the 1943 film The More the Merrier. The title stems from the basic rule of racewalking: that competitors must not run at any point (both feet leaving the ground).
| Walk, Don't Run | |
|---|---|
DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Charles Walters |
| Written by | Robert Russell Frank Ross |
| Screenplay by | Sol Saks Garson Kanin |
| Produced by | Sol C. Siegel |
| Starring | Cary Grant Samantha Eggar Jim Hutton |
| Cinematography | Harry Stradling Sr. |
| Edited by | Walter A. Thompson James D. Wells |
| Music by | Quincy Jones |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | Sol C. Siegel Productions |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $7,500,000[1] |
Plot
In 1964, important British businessman Sir William Rutland arrives two days early in Tokyo and encounters a housing shortage caused by the 1964 Summer Olympics. While at the British Embassy seeking help, he spots an advertisement for a roommate and soon finds himself at the residence of Christine Easton, who insists it would be improper to take him in as a housemate. Easton had forgotten to advertise that she wanted to sublet to a woman, but eventually, lets Rutland stay.
Rutland sublets half of his space to American Olympic competitor Steve Davis, without consulting Easton. While Easton is less than thrilled with the arrangement, she has to put up with it, as she has already spent Rutland's share of the rent. Rutland sets about playing matchmaker for the two young people, in spite of their disparate personalities and Easton's engagement to a boringly dependable British diplomat, Julius P. Haversack.
Davis repeatedly dodges questions about his Olympic sport. Rutland meddles in the young couple's romantic troubles. To further his matchmaking, he even strips down to his boxer shorts and a T-shirt so he can pretend to be a competitor and talk to Davis during his event, the 50-kilometre walk, and eventually heals the breach between the young lovers.
Cast
- Cary Grant as Sir William Rutland
- Samantha Eggar as Christine Easton
- Jim Hutton as Steve Davis
- John Standing as Julius P. Haversack
- Miiko Taka as Aiko Kurawa
- Ted Hartley as Yuri Andreyovitch
- Ben Astar as Dimitri
- George Takei as Police Captain
- Teru Shimada as Mr. Kurawa
- Terry Farnsworth as Olympic walker
- Lois Kiuchi as Mrs. Kurawa
Production
Filming locations were at the Hotel Okura Tokyo, Embassy of the United Kingdom, Tokyo, and Yoyogi National Gymnasium.[2][3]
Grant retired from acting to focus on raising his daughter. He died in 1986.[4]
Score
The film's music was composed by Quincy Jones, with Peggy Lee contributing to the writing of the songs, "Stay with Me" and "Happy Feet".
Personnel
- Quincy Jones – composer, conductor
- Toots Thielemans – harmonica, whistles
- Harry "Sweets" Edison – trumpet
- Bud Shank – reeds
- Earl Palmer – drums
- Carol Kaye – electric bass
- Emil Richards – percussion
- Don Elliot Voices – vocals on "Happy Feet"
- Tony Clementi – vocals on "Stay with Me"
- Jack Hayes, Leo Shuken – orchestrations
- Richard Hazard – vocal orchestrations
Reception
The film grossed $7,500,000[1] at the box office, earning $4.5 million in US theatrical rentals.[5] It was the 22nd highest grossing film of 1966.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Box Office Information for Walk, Don't Run". The Numbers. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
- ^ "Walk Don't Run (1966) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ "Tokyo Filming Locations #6 – Walk Don't Run (1966)". 6 December 2011.
- ^ Grant, Jennifer (2011-05-03). Good Stuff: A Reminiscence of My Father, Cary Grant. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-307-59667-3.
- ^ "Big Rental Pictures of 1966", Variety, 4 January 1967 pg 8
Bibliography
- Reid, John Howard. "Walk, Don't Run." Reid's Film Index, no. 36 (1998): 178–181.
External links
- Walk, Don't Run at IMDb
- Walk, Don't Run at the TCM Movie Database
- Walk, Don't Run at AllMovie
- Walk, Don't Run at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Historic reviews, photo gallery at CaryGrant.net