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By PAUL BRENNER
Universal has slapped together with rubber cement two sixties sex farces --
"Man's Favorite Sport?" and Strange Bedfellows" -- featuring the comic stylings
of Rock Hudson. These are the kind of lightweight comic froth that are just not
made anymore and thank God for that.
The greater curio interest of the two is 1963's "Man's Favorite Sport?" since
the director is the legendary Howard Hawks in one of his final efforts
(fortunately, his next film -- "Red Line 7000" -- is funnier). Here Rock is a
phony fishing expert who is badgered into participating in a fishing tournament
by wacky press agent Paula Prentiss (who is a true delight in the film). It is
not too long into the film that déjà vu begins to occur and the realization sets
in that Hawks is channeling his older, greater film "Bringing Up Baby." So much
of the comedy is labored that the film needs its own union card. But, as in
later Hawks, the director is not so much concerned with story and plot points as
he is in extended scenes of character interaction ("El Dorado" for example) and
this is what "Man's Favorite Sport?" has plenty of. And despite Hudson lumbering
through the film with a pained look of irritation, when Prentiss spars with him
physically and verbally, the film is a kick.
The assets of "Man's Favorite Sport?" become more apparent after 99 minutes with
Panama and Frank's 1965 "Strange Bedfellows." In this film, Hudson's thick neck
shares screen time with Gina Lollobrigida's big breasts. Rock plays a
conservative oil company executive who is separated from liberal artist wife
Lollobrigida but has to reconcile with her in order to land a new executive
position. The creepy comic presence of Gig Young is on hand to help Rock trick
Gina. But the real trick is on the audience in this lukewarm farce.
The films do, however, display an outré fascination given the later revelations
of Hudson's sexual preferences. In "Strange Bedfellows," Hudson gets to sleep
with another guy and "Man's Favorite Sport?" abounds in double-edged one-liners
like "Every time I see you, you are up to your neck in zippers."
Both films have their theatrical trailers and are subtitled in English, French,
and Spanish. |
