THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT [1966 / 2019] [Warner Archive Collection] [Blu-ray] [USA Release] Doris Day Makes Mata Hari Look Like A Girl Guide!
Doris Day entered her eighth consecutive year as a top-10 box-office star when she boarded ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT,’ and is a hilarious blending of romantic comedy and the era's burgeoning spy-movie genre.
Doris Day plays Jennifer Nelson, a girl Friday at a hush-hush aeronautics think tank. When colleagues suspect she's an espionage agent, Jennifer Nelson chaotically sets out to clear her name. Looney Tunes alumnus Frank Tashlin directs with a cartoonist's sensibility – or zany insensibility – embracing everything from spy genre to push-button chaos in a futuristic kitchen. With top comedians Arthur Godfrey, Paul Lynde, Edward Andrews, John McGiver, Dom DeLuise and Dick Martin in tow, ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT’ is loaded top to bottom with see-through fun.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1967 Golden Laurel Awards: Nominated: Female Comedy Performance for Doris Day.
FILM FACT No.2: George Tobias and Alice Pearce who play an inquisitive wife and her disinterested husband, in roles not unlike the ones they played at the time in the television series “Bewitched.” The film was also released 3 months after the death of Alice Pearce. Robert Vaughn, famous at the time for playing Napoleon Solo in the TV series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” makes a very brief non-speaking appearance as a sight gag; the theme from that TV series is heard when he is seen onscreen. Shooting partly took place on Catalina Island. It was Rod Taylor's second film with Doris Day following the film ‘Do Not Disturb.’ The “Nautilus” boat used in the film sank in the Catalina harbour in 2008. It is currently dry-docked in a private part of the island. The mermaid costume worn by Doris Day in the opening scene is now on display at the Catalina Casino and can be viewed on the Casino tour. The film's score was composed by Frank DeVol and includes selections from Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5 in C minor", Mendelssohn's "Wedding March in C major’" "Aloha 'Oe" written by Queen Liliuokalani and Jerry Goldsmith's "Theme from The Man from U.N.C.L.E." The mermaid outfit worn by Doris Day consisted of a peach lace bra adorned with plastic leaves painted in varying shades of salmon and yellow. The Glass Bottom boat is made of scuba diving material painted in a scale pattern with matching fins.” The costume was sold for $4,250.00 at an online auction.
Cast: Doris Day, Rod Taylor, Arthur Godfrey, John McGiver, Paul Lynde, Edward Andrews, Eric Fleming, Dom DeLuise, Dick Martin, Elisabeth Fraser, George Tobias, Alice Pearce, Ellen Corby, Dee J. Thompson, Richard Alden (uncredited), Don Anderson (uncredited), Shirley Anthony (uncredited), Ellen Atterbury (uncredited), Bella Bruck (uncredited), William Burnside (uncredited), Boyd Cabeen (uncredited), Regina Carrol (uncredited), Pat Casella (uncredited), Jerry Catron (uncredited), George Cisar (uncredited), Robert Cole (uncredited), Bill Cord (uncredited), John Dennis (uncredited), Dick Dial (uncredited), Ken DuMain (uncredited), Roy Eason (uncredited), James Gonzalez (uncredited), M. Hakim (uncredited), Florence Halop (uncredited), Joe Haworth (uncredited), Kathryn Janssen (uncredited), Maurice Kelly (uncredited), James Macklin (uncredited), Mike Mahoney (uncredited), Theodore Marcuse (uncredited), Gregg Martell (uncredited), Frank Parker (uncredited), Joe Ploski (uncredited), Murray Pollack (uncredited), Christopher Riordan (uncredited), Michael Romanoff (uncredited), Rachel Romen (uncredited), Jeffrey Sayre (uncredited), Bernard Sell (uncredited), Norman Stevans (uncredited), Charles Stewart (uncredited), Larry Strong (uncredited), Blaine Turner (uncredited), Leslie Vallen (uncredited), Robert Vaughn (Napoleon Solo) (uncredited), Charles Victor (uncredited) and Carolyn Williamson (uncredited)
Director: Frank Tashlin
Producers: Everett Freeman and Martin Melcher
Screenplay: Everett Freeman
Composer: Frank De Vol
Doris Day’s Costume Designer: Ray Aghayan
Cinematography: Leon Shamroy, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Panavision) (Anamorphic)
Audio: English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Warner Archive Collection
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: The people who created the Production Code in 1930 got it destroyed in 1966, because the times were a changing and much more daring films like ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ were being produced. Surprisingly, the general public was very receptive to this metamorphosis towards much stronger language and explicit visual content. ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT,’ however, was an exception to the new norm and instead it was good family fare. Released by M-G-M in 1966, it opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York to favourable reviews and became the studios third best grossing film of the year.
‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT’ [1966] film begins; where a glass bottom boat is found abandoned near the Island of Catalina near a small reef. The captain announces that “you never know what you will see out there.” Just then, a fisherman Bruce Templeton [Rod Taylor] accidentally reels in a lady named Jennifer Nelson [Doris Day] in a mermaid outfit that was on her way to entertain at a function in the glass bottom boat and was filling in to help out her father, the captain.
The fisherman reels in Jennifer Nelson via her mermaid bottom, so of course their introduction to one another starts off in a very bad way. Bruce Templeton is the fisherman’s name and he is successfully working on a gravity test that simulates weightlessness for a NASA Research Laboratory near Catalina in California.
The mermaid Jennifer Nelson works as a tour guide at that same facility of NASA. After sometime that have passed, Bruce Templeton eventually bumps into Jennifer Nelson and they begin to hit it off. At the same time, Bruce Templeton lands a large job and he is hoping to pave the way for man to visit the planet Venus, so he enlists Jennifer Nelson to help him on his experiments. In the meantime, Bruce Templeton and Jennifer Nelson begin to fall for one another. Due to some wild coincidences, including the name of her dog – Vladimir, Bruce Templeton’s work companions begin to suspect that Jennifer Nelson is a Russian spy. With the cold war scenario and the popularity of James Bond in full swing, spy films at that time were all the rage and so comedy spoofs on the subject were also very popular.
But as usual with these types of films of the 1960’s period, because as always the Russians are in hot pursuit of the GISMO’s formula and will stop at nothing to get it. They have spies at every turn, and the Americans are suspicious of anything “red.” Jennifer Nelson of course becomes a suspect after Homer Cripps [Paul Lynde], the facility’s security guard, overhears her phoning her dog, Vladimir. Soon every move of Jennifer Nelson is being watched.
The film’s supporting cast is exceptional. Paul Lynde is wild as the security guard so dedicated to his job that he goes undercover, in drag, to keep an eye on Jennifer Nelson. Alice Pierce and George Tobias, are very amusing as Jennifer Nelson’s neighbours. Edward Andrews delivers another of his comedic performances as the General. Dick Martin as Bruce Templeton’s business partner is very funny, and Eric Fleming is appropriately menacing as the crooked FBI agent. Arthur Godfrey, the veteran radio and TV star, plays Jennifer Nelson’s father, and Elisabeth Fraser is his lady friend. Also notable is Ellen Corby as Bruce Templeton’s housekeeper. Soon spies, including a young Dom DeLuise as Julius Pritter, begin to try to get his hands on Bruce Templeton’s secret plans and who ever got the idea that having Dom DeLuise in the film will make the film a true comedy must have been out of their head, as Dom DeLuise is like someone who had escaped from a lunatic asylum thinking he is a comic genius, well talk about daylight robbery, as he is the most embarrassing person I have ever had to witness and to describe this person a comedian, should be shot, as if I was in charge of the film, I would of kicked him off the set on the first day and barred him from ever appearing in any kind of film anywhere in the world.
Doris Day shows a surprising affinity for satire in this Cold War spoof, starring as a publicist in a space laboratory who’s falling in love with engineer boss Rod Taylor while writing a biography of him. Various governments are interested in Rod Taylor’s work and, as Doris Day has a dog called Vladimir, she quickly becomes a Soviet suspect. Director Frank Tashlin was a former cartoonist and packs the film with lots of sight gags, but luckily Doris Day rises above this type of slapstick.
We get to see the star Doris Day wear a mermaid outfit and a glamorous Mata Hari costume as well and sings “Softly As the Starlight,” a pleasant ballad, while Arthur Godfrey warbles the title tune. Some particularly funny moments are contributed by Paul Lynde while disguised as a society matron. As indicated, it’s wild and wacky – but is also jolly good fun.
Strong points of this film are its highly polished production values, the very easy performances, and the science-fiction complexity of the slapstick. Miss Doris Day and Mr. Rod Taylor both shine throughout the film. Doris Day acquits herself admirably while she undergoes an unusual amount of physically strenuous comedy and her natural athleticism has never been better utilized than under the direction of Frank Tashlin.
THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT MUSIC TRACK LIST
THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT (Written by Joe Lubin) [Performed by Doris Day and Arthur Godfrey] (uncredited)
SOFT AS THE STARLIGHT (Written by by Joe Lubin and Jerome "Curly" Howard) [Performed by Doris Day] (uncredited)
WHATEVER WILL BE, WILL BE (Que Sera, Sera) (uncredited) (Music by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans) (Lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans) [Performed by Doris Day and Arthur Godfrey]
ALOHA, ‘OE (uncredited) (Written by Queen Liliuokalani)
Symphony No. 5 in C minor (uncredited) (Written by Ludwig van Beethoven)
THEME FROM THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (uncredited) (Written by Jerry Goldsmith)
BOSSA NOVA BESSIE (uncredited) (Written by Frank De Vol)
Wedding March in C major (uncredited) (Written by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy)
BE MY LOVE (uncredited) (Written by Sammy Cahn and Nicholas Brodszky) [Performed by Dick Martin]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Warner Archive Collection presents us the film ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT’ a really excellent 1080p image and greatly enhanced with a 2.35:1 (Panavision) aspect ratio. Warner Archive Collection has done a really excellent job on the restoration of the film with a new 2K scan from the original negative elements. The film looks really beautiful via the Blu-ray format. It’s an extremely bright and bubbly film and full of wonderful Metrocolor images. The film utilised mainly pastel colours and in doing so has some excellent fine detail but can become soft focused during a few small montage moments. Warner Archive Collection is really showing their dedication to bringing us top quality transfers on these Blu-ray discs. The print was in great shape and this is of one of the better looking transfers that Warner Archive Collection has released. I feel like I can safely say that this is the best the film ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT’ has ever looked. This gets a five star rating from me.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Warner Archive Collection brings us the film ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT’ with a great 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio experience. The film has a fun soundtrack courtesy of Composer Frank De Vol that gives us one of the best aspects of the film. Dialogue is very clear. There are no issues with sound levels, hiss or distortion. The composed film score sounds crisp and clean. Fans of Doris Day will be and should be very pleased. Once again, this gets a five star rating from me.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Vintage M-G-M Featurette: Catalina Island [1966] [480i] [1.37:1] [5:19] This vintage featurette discusses the Island of Catalina as a way of enticing people to watch ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT’ and promoting the island at the same time and is more like a travel documentary for the Catalina Island where the film ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT’ was shot and the narrator points out the attractions that visitors would enjoy. At the same the tourists welcome Doris Day before the cameras start rolling for the film. We also get to see behind-the-scene of the crew setting up the equipment ready to shoot one of the scenes in the film.
Special Feature: Vintage M-G-M Featurette: Every Girl's Dream [1966] [480i] [1.37:1] [8:44] Here we get to view an excerpt glimpse of Doris Day and Rod Taylor during the making of ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT.’ Nancy Bernard, who is the Maid of Cotton in the film, is shown walking through various sets and sound stages at the M-G-M Studios. Nancy Bernard wears various cotton outfits that are described by the narrator. Nancy Bernard also attends the “screen test” of the costumes designed by Ray Aghayan for ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT’ [1966]. The clothing is modelled by the film's stars, Doris Day and Rod Taylor. Since the M-G-M feature film was shot in Metrocolor, it's puzzling to see this short in black-and-white, where the costuming is far less effective and the colours have to be described. This alone defeats the whole purpose of the short. This vintage featurette was produced in cooperation with the national Cotton Council. The Maid of Cotton’s personal wardrobe we see Nancy Bernard wearing was designed by Sylvia DeGay of Robert Sloane.
Special Feature: Vintage M-G-M Featurette: NASA [1966] [480i] [1.37:1] [5:24] Here we get to view another vintage featurette, but this time with the wonderful Doris Day, who guides us around with a look at a few of the shooting locations and a few bloopers captured during production of the film ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT.’ Doris Day also talks about the upcoming Saturn V and Apollo missions, and the importance of getting everything right “on the first take.” Some of what we view is a nice enough featurette, though sadly half of the special feature is taken up with showing us several film clips of ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT.’
Special Feature: M-G-M Vintage Cartoon: The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics [1965] [1080p] [1.37:1] [10:04] This is a short animated Chuck Jones cartoon for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and is narrated by Robert Morley with the narration almost verbatim from the book of the same name and is dedicated to a romance in lover mathematics and the moral of the tale is that to the victor belong to the spoils. The story details a simple line attempts to woo his true love, a dot, away from the unkempt squiggle she prefers. But he will have to learn to bend before she will notice him. It’s quite odd that this was included instead of, say, ‘The Bear That Wasn't’ [1967], another of animator Chuck Jones short that is actually based on a children's book written and illustrated by director Frank Tashlin. Narrator: Robert Morley. Directors: Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble (co-director). Screenplay: Norton Juster. 1965 Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film. It was entered into the Short Film Palme d'Or competition at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival.
Theatrical Trailer [1966] [1080i] [2.35:1] [2:47] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT.’ Sadly, this trailer has not been remastered like the film. This wild trailer features lots of colourful titles and text, as well as lots of quick cutting and added sound effects. Basically, it's almost just under three full minutes of sensory overload... but fun to of seen it from a historical perspective, at least.
Finally, ‘THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT’ is a film that just doesn’t translate well to the year 2019. While all the elements are there, including a pretty awesome ensemble, the script is thin and weak. The film has a couple brief chuckles, but that is about all compared to some of other films of Doris Day. That said, the Warner transfer is absolutely beautiful, so upgrading is recommended for fans of the film. This was the second time that Rod Taylor had shared the screen with Doris Day, Hollywood’s Golden Girl. Their first attempt had been panned by critics, but the two stars redeemed themselves in this film. The picture is very funny and imaginative; thanks to the wacky but creative mind of director Frank Tashlin, veteran of Jerry Lewis films. But with this film comes a tongue in cheek warning, everybody else should steer clear of boarding this particular dangerous Boat. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
