VIDEO:
Pillow Talk arrives on blu ray with MPEG-4 AVC 1080p 2.35:1 encode. Universal has done a great job restoring this film. Fine detail is very noticeable, including the intricate lines on Rock Hudson's rugged face and the lacy ruffles on Doris Day's outdated nightgowns. Colours almost explode off the screen a lot of the time. Reds are especially vibrant in this presentation. Like many older movies brought to blu ray, colours frequently fluctuate during a scene. Blacks are dark, but not inky. Overall, the final picture is very pleasing, and much more superior than the previous DVD release. (4/5)
AUDIO:
I am quite impressed with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 audio track. Fidelity here is top notch. Dialogue comes through sparklingly clear and the song cues and underscore all sound just fine. The mix here is very well prioritized. Part of what gives Pillow Talk its light, fun touch is its clever usage of music and songs. The most memorable songs are Pillow Talk during the title sequence, Roly Poly and the ever romantic Possess Me. Besides the songs sung by Doris Day, we also have Perry Blackwell, the singer and pianist in the piano bar, performing three songs: I Need No Atmosphere, Roly Poly and You Lied. Even Rock Hudson sang a seductive song titled You Are My Inspiration to a series of women through the telephone, inserting each particular woman’s name into the song. Frank DeVol provided a great score, and deservedly nominated for an Oscar. (4/5)
AWARDS:
Winner of Best Screenplay Academy Award 1960
Nomination for Academy Award:
Best Actress (Doris Day)
Best Supporting Actress (Thelma Ritter)
Best Original Score (Frank DeVol)
Best Art Direction, Set Direction – Colour
TRIVIA:
(1) Believing the script to be “too risqué,” Rock Hudson reportedly turned down Pillow Talk three times. Unbelievable!
(2) Rock Hudson’s arms were hurting after several takes of carrying Doris Day down the street. To help him, a sling-like device was rigged to help evenly distribute the weight.
(3) In the diner scene where Doris Day’s character tearfully laments her breakup with Brad Allen, two local yokels were supposed to punch-out Tony Randall’s character. Reportedly, during filming, one of the actors ‘overacted’ and punched out Randall for real. The shot was said to be so good that they kept it in the film.
(4) Over 50 years after Pillow Talk’s release, stars Doris Day and Rock Hudson were given an honour few actors can ever achieve: their characters were made into a Barbie Collector Gift set. On June 16, 2011, Mattel paid homage to Doris Day and Rock Hudson with Barbie and Ken dressed as Pillow Talk’s famous couple.
PACKAGING AND PRICE:
I bought the blu ray book, which is simply lovely with 44 pages of glorious colour photographs of rare posters, memorabilia, photos with essays. Great value!
The above set was released in May 2012. I did not buy it then because the price was simply too high. Now all of a sudden, the price has dropped to $15, even cheaper than the regular blu ray without the book. Great value!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
After 54 years, this movie still offers much to enjoy: trendy mid-century-modern sets, ingenious use of split-screen, Doris Day’s impossibly chic wardrobe by Jean Louis, Frank DeVol’s amusing score, and such artifacts of the period as record changers, rotary telephones, and of course a party line, the device on which the story hinges. Both the video and audio are significant improvement over previous DVD, and for such an old movie, Universal has done a good job in restoration. I am a great fan of Doris Day, her singing and acting, her humanitarian efforts for small animals, and I am also proud owner of 46 of her CDs, including her 4 Bear Family box sets covering her entire singing career. Pillow Talk is my favourite Doris Day movie, light hearted and with great songs. Have you ever wished that your loved one will one day to sing Possess Me to you? What a heavenly thought! I would recommend you buy the blu ray book, more value at cheaper price, and this set is of course highly recommended.
